Municipal Courts

Public Information Office: Press Releases

Municipal Courts Building Renovations Underway

July 9, 2018 -- The City of Houston Municipal Courts Department (MCD) located inside the Herbert W. Gee Municipal Courthouse, at 1400 Lubbock Street, is slated to undergo renovations in response damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. Construction will begin soon to erect two new courtrooms on the first floor and to repair the elevators in the front lobby.

“We are excited to begin the build out of two new courtrooms that will alleviate congestion in our current workspaces, giving relief to overcrowded courtrooms and providing those who have court cases with a more efficient experience. We ask the public to excuse our mess and have patience with us as we work to make improvements to our Municipal Courts building,” said Director and Presiding Judge, J. Elaine Marshall.

Normal court operations are expected to continue throughout the construction period, with minor disruptions, such as dust, noise and the changing of courtroom assignments. While the elevators in the front lobby are being repaired, the elevator in the rear of the building will be available.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas on August 25, and by August 27, 2017, the storm was responsible for depositing a years’ worth of rain on Houston in a matter of days. The storm caused historic flooding downtown and city-wide. Due to the damage caused by this severe weather event, the Gee Courthouse was subsequently closed for three weeks. During the closure, cases continued to be processed at the remaining Court satellite locations. The Downtown Courthouse reopened on Monday, September 18, 2017; however, several offices and five court rooms located in the basement remain closed while awaiting additional repairs.

MCD, which annually handles close to a million Civil and Criminal Class C misdemeanor cases, is among the largest court systems in the United States. For more information regarding the Municipal Courts services and case options, please visit their website at www.houstontx.gov/courts, or call the City's Helpline at 3-1-1 or 713.837.0311, if outside of Houston.