Judge Paul Raleeh Collin County Justice Court Pct. 1

Justice Court Precinct 1 – Growth, Performance, and Operational Impact

The Justice Court in Precinct 1 continues to experience increases across every major category of its caseload. Justice Courts hold exclusive jurisdiction over all evictions—commercial and residential—and residential filings remain the busiest and fastest growing segment.
Precinct 1 currently includes approximately 22,000 apartment units, and that number is projected to grow dramatically. This rapid expansion directly increases the volume of eviction filings, hearings, and administrative workload placed on the court.

Budget and Revenue Performance

In 2025, the annual operating budget for Justice Court Precinct 1 was $670,000.
Through innovative collection strategies and incentive programs, Judge Raleeh’s Court collected more than $1,580,000.00 in fines, fees, and court costs.
Of that amount:
• Collin County retained $1,159,000.00, which is distributed across multiple county programs, including:
• Victim’s Assistance
• The Children’s Advocacy Center
• The Animal Shelter
• Other countywide operational needs
• The State of Texas received $421,142.00, representing its statutory portion.
Despite the court’s modest budget—approximately $671,000—its financial return to the county is substantial.

Caseload and Court Productivity

Business is booming.
In 2025:
• Judge Raleeh took the bench more than 6,000 times, presiding over trials and a wide range of hearings.
• With a staff of only 7 employees, the court processed and managed over 14,000 cases, including:
• ~8,600 civil cases
• ~6,300 criminal cases

One of Judge Raleeh’s greatest points of pride is that the court is not backed up. Every case filed is processed the same day and immediately placed on the court’s production line toward trial.
The court’s electronic case management system allows staff to view the status of any case at any time. Automated alerts notify clerks when deadlines, statutory time limits, or required orders are approaching, ensuring timely and accurate case progression.

Looking Ahead

All indicators suggest that 2026 will be another extremely busy year for the court, driven by population growth, increased residential density, and continued expansion of multifamily housing within the precinct.

❄️ Weather Update ❄️
Due to inclement weather, Collin County Judge Chris Hill has ordered all Collin County offices to be closed on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

Due to inclement weather, Collin County Judge Chris Hill has ordered all Collin County offices to be closed on Monday, January 26, 2026

Thank you to the Slaughter family (Michael Slaughter our precinct 2 commissioner elect) for opening their home for a great time at their Christmas party.

Spent the morning with Chief Nix, the Melissa Fire Department, and so many wonderful families at their Breakfast with Santa event. Grateful for the warmth, community spirit, and the brave folks who keep that City safe. Thank you to everyone who joined — a magical start to the holidays! 🎄🔥👨‍🚒

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ZRyJwMJES/?mibextid=wwXIfr

**Emergency Notice**

Due to a power outage caused by last night's storms, the Bloomdale Campus Buildings which include the Central Administration Building and Courthouse as well as the Healthcare Building will delay opening until noon today. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as crews work to restore power.

Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

❗️THE 2023/2024 TOTALS ARE IN❗️

All cases, in Justice Court 1, are processed on the same day they are filed. There is no backlog. It’s important for those unfamiliar with the court system to understand that a case filed today will not go to trial tomorrow.

For instance, when a civil case is filed, the defendant must be served in person. This involves preparing a citation that explains the lawsuit, along with a copy of the petition. Typically, this service is carried out by a constable and may take a few days. Once the defendant is served, they have 14 days to respond to the court. As a result, approximately 20 days may pass before any significant developments occur.

Additionally, the law stipulates that once an answer is submitted, the court cannot schedule a trial for at least 45 days. Thus, when we say there is no backlog, we mean that all filed cases have been actively processed and are on their way to trial; there are no cases sitting idle, waiting to be addressed.

Even though the process is different from the criminal docket, the same principle applies, there is no backlog - the cases have been processed and are on the way to trial in accordance with State Law.

This is a summary of some of the major case types that the Court manages daily. All activities are reported to the Office of Court Administration. For a detailed listing of the case types and numbers for 2023/2024, please visit https://card.txcourts.gov/

In observance of the holiday, the Justice Court Precinct 1 will be closed on Thursday, July 4th, and Friday, July 5th, returning to our regular schedule on Monday, July 8th at 8:30 AM. We wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe celebration!

The JP1 team took a break to observe the Total Solar Eclipse, an extraordinary occurrence!