Court Security
Court Security Incident Reporting
As amended by SB 42 of the 85th Legislative Session, Article 102.017(f) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure requires the sheriff, constable, or other law enforcement agency or entity that provides security for a court to submit to the Office of Court Administration a written report regarding any security incident involving court security that occurs in or around a building housing a court for which the sheriff, constable, agency or entity provides security not later than the third business day after the date the incident occurred. A copy of the report must also be provided to the presiding judge of the court in which the incident occurred.
What is a Court Security Incident? Any adverse event that threatens the security of a person or property, or causes or may cause significant disruption to functions of the court due to a breach in security. This includes, but is not limited to, threats to harm a person or property, disorderly conduct, assaults, escape/attempts, weapons, introduction of weapons or contraband, or any other serious situation involving security issues that disrupts court activities. Note: An incident is not a medical emergency or a non-threatening personnel matter.
Who should submit a court security incident report? The sheriff, constable, or other law enforcement agency or entity that provides security for a court.
When should a report be submitted? A Texas Court Security Incident Report form must be completed for each incident involving a breach of court security that occurred in or around a courthouse, courtroom, or court-related offices. By statute, the report must be submitted to the Office of Court Administration (OCA) no later than the third business day after the incident. You will receive a copy of your submitted report by email.