Fort Bend County will operate with fewer associate judges starting in 2027.
In a nutshell
At an Aug. 27 meeting, Fort Bend County commissioners voted to reduce the number of associate judges to five—down from eight—beginning in 2027 following the addition of two district courts, which were added to the county during the 89th Texas Legislature in 2025.
An associate judge is a judicial officer appointed by an elected judge to help handle heavy court dockets, primarily in family, criminal and probate matters, according to Texas Law Help.
Commissioners Dexter McCoy and Grady Prestage were absent from the meeting due to ongoing concerns with court leadership.
The details
The decision to cut judges essentially reverses a 2021 move that added two associate judges using federal funding as a temporary solution to increased cases during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, said Bobby Eberle, who serves as the communications director for the county judge.
That contract expired in 2024, but the county voted to make the positions permanent and assumed the cost of the judges.
The move is expected to save taxpayers nearly half a million dollars per year and instead shift the county’s focus to utilizing the new district judges that are both approved and funded by the state, according to an Aug. 28 news release from the Office of the Fort Bend County Judge.
However, some worry this move could potentially put more work on the other staff and slow down progress in residents’ cases.
What this means
Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, said other counties that are expanding in population are also expanding courts, but they do not shrink courts. It is hard to compare courts, since financial situations and workload amounts can vary, but cutting judges is not a typical way to save money, he said.
“The structure of the Texas Constitution is designed to have more courts so that there's more access to justice, and so that voters have more say over how justice is implemented,” Rottinghaus said.
What they’re saying
Several district judges, as well as associate and retired judges, spoke during public comment at the Aug. 27 meeting opposing the item.
Kali Morgan, judge for the 505th District Court, said she feared fewer associate judges would translate to slowing judicial work. She said the family courts are already backlogged with about 7,000 pending cases as of July 31, so cutting staff will make it worse.
“You’re going to be causing unreasonable delays,” Morgan said. “Families, children are gonna be negatively affected. I would encourage you to do more research, come down to the courthouse, see for yourself what we actually do before you make this type of decision.”
Meanwhile, 240th District Court Judge Surendran Pattel said the courts are efficiently clearing cases now, but as the Fort Bend population grows, so will the number of cases.
“If we don’t have help from the associate judges, we will not be able to do the accomplishments we are doing now,” Pattel said.
However, interim County Judge Daniel Wong said he believes focusing on adding additional district courts through the state will create a more effective judicial system while putting less burden on taxpayers.
“Fort Bend County is growing, and our judicial system has to grow with it,” Wong said in the news release. “The question is not whether we provide the courts and judicial capacity our residents need ... it is how we do that in the most effective and responsible way possible.
Looking ahead
County officials also want to ask for additional district courts in the coming state legislative session this spring, per the news release.
