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ABUSE See Animal Cruelty Report suspected child abuse to local law enforcement and Child Protective Services. Report suspected elder abuse or neglect to local law enforcement and Adult Protective Services. Report suspected neglect at a nursing home to local law enforcement and the Texas Department of Human Services. Report suspected domestic violence and spousal abuse to local law enforcement and to Victim Services. ANIMAL CONTROL Contact an Animal Control Officer or local law enforcement before providing emergency food, water, and medical care. Take photographs and provide owner information to the Animal Control Officer. Kendall County Sheriff's Office: Leanne Pyles, 6 Staudt Street, Boerne, Texas 78006; Telephone (830) 249-9721; Fax (830) 249-8027 City of Boerne Animal Control and Shelter, 330 Esser, Boerne, Texas 78006; Telephone (830) 249-2456 City of Boerne Animal Shelter, 330 Esser, Boerne, Texas 78006; Telephone (830) 249-2456; Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hill Country Animal League, 115 W Bandera Rd, Boerne, Texas 78006; Telephone (830)249-8040 Brighter Days Horse Refuge, 682 Krause Road, Pipe Creek, Texas 78063; Telephone (830) 510-6607; Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10am to 3pm Kendall County has adopted the following orders pertaining to animal control: Below we've provided a link to the website of Texas Legislature OnLine, which offers additional support in researching the Texas Statutes. Health and Safety Code CHAPTER 822 Kendall County is not free range, and livestock is not permitted to run at large. Below we've provided a link to the website of Texas Legislature OnLine, which offers additional support in researching the Texas Statutes. Agriculture Code CHAPTER 143 ARREST Contact the warrant officer at the Kendall County Sheriff's Office (830) 249-9721. Upon arrest, you will be brought before a magistrate judge who will set a bond amount to ensure your appearance in court. You may post a cash bond or surety bond. If a cash bond is posted, the full amount is held by the Court Clerk until the disposition of the case. At the conclusion of the case, the cash bond is refunded to the person who posted the bond. If you have a lack of funds, you may want to secure the services of a bail bondsman. The bondsman will post the bond for a percentage fee. In most cases, there is no refund of the fee at the conclusion of the case. All conditions of the magistrate and the bail bondsman must be kept. In certain cases, a person may be "held without bond". The jail maintains a list of bondsman who regularly provide services to prisoners. Or obtain a referral from a friend or check the yellow pages. Attorneys may only be appointed in criminal cases of the penalty range of Class B misdemeanor and higher for cases filed in Juvenile Court and the County Court At Law. If you are indigent and cannot afford an attorney, the court will appoint an attorney to represent you. Contact the County Clerk to obtain an application. The new attorney should be contacted without delay. In some cases, the court may assess restitution for attorney's fees back to Kendall County should the defendant be found guilty of the crime. The County Attorney's Office must refrain from making a direct referral. Seek an attorney early who practices in the specific area of law required--Criminal, Family, Real Estate, Probate, or Civil Litigation. Referrals may be obtained from the yellow pages, the Kendall County Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas Referral Service or from a good friend. It may be helpful to make a list of questions to ask each attorney so that their answers may be compared. Kendall County Bar Association, c/o President 2003, Virgil Yanta, 16010 University Oaks, Suite 104, San Antonio, Texas 78249-4013; Telephone (210) 222-2555. The State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral and Information Service will assist people with finding a lawyer in their area. Legal Aid is provided by various agencies at low cost or no cost to qualifying indigent persons in oppressive situations. Try the following: Texas Rural Legal Aid Inc., (888) 988-9996 (San Antonio) Alamo Area Resource Center (210) 222-2347 (San Antonio) Bexar County Legal Aid (210) 227-0111 San Antonio Bar Association Pro Bono Project Kerr County Pro Bono Project (830) 896-4316 Texas Legal Resources Legal Services and Other Advocacy in Texas Texas Pro Bono Projects COMMISSIONERS COURT Commissioners Court is the governing body for Kendall County. A county can only act through its commissioners court, and the individual commissioners have no authority to bind the county by their separate actions or agreements. Below we've provided a link to the website of Texas Legislature OnLine, which offers support in researching the Texas Statutes. Local Government Code Commissioners Government Code Open Meetings Act Chapter 551 The Kendall County Commissioners Court meets at 9:00 o'clock a.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Agenda items must be posted at least 72 hours prior to the start of each Commissioners Court. To get a topic posted, contact the County Judge. Commissioners Court consists of open and closed sessions. The public is welcome to attend all open sessions. Executive (closed) sessions are held to discuss personnel issues and legal issues protected under the attorney/client privilege. EDDIE J. VOGT, COUNTY JUDGE JOHN C. KIGHT, COMMISSIONER PRECINCT ONE GENE MIERTSCHIN, COMMISSIONER PRECINCT TWO DARREL L. LUX, COMMISSIONER PRECINCT THREE RUSSELL C. BUSBY, COMMISSIONER PRECINCT FOUR How do I obtain information on Consumer Rights?
Information regarding consumer rights may be obtained from the website of the Consumer Protection Agency of the Attorney General Of Texas or call (800) 621-0508. The website has the following links, on which pages you should scroll down for the information: How do I evict someone from my property?
An eviction process is called a Forcible Entry and Detainer suit. The process occurs in the Justice of the Peace Court. Contact your Justice of the Peace for more information. See Justice of the Peace and Precinct Map. How do I file a lawsuit for loss and damages, or how do I file a small claim?
When a person suffers a loss or damage to person or property, a lawsuit may be filed for the purpose of recovering restitution. If the loss exceeds $5,000, the petition should be filed in the District Court by a competent attorney. If the loss is less than $5,000, contact the Justice of the Peace Court for information on filing a small claim. Though an attorney may be beneficial, one is not required in the Justice of the Peace Court. Contact the District Clerk's Office at (830) 249-9343 or your Justice of the Peace office. How do I fix a problem on my vehicle title?
For questions about the Texas motor vehicle registration and titling process, contact: The Texas Department of Transportation TxDOT) CUSTOMER HELP DESK Their website of Frequently Asked Questions may be helpful. Most customer services relating to vehicle titling and registration in Texas are performed at the County Tax Office. In Kendall County, contact: James Hudson COUNTY COURT AT LAW The County Clerk will send a summons to the address on your bond once the case is filed. Thereafter, you will receive a new court date before leaving the courtroom. To find out a court date after a bond is posted, contact the County Clerk. Attendance is strictly enforced. Failure to attend court will result in the defendant being rearrested for Failure To Appear. However, to request another court date, contact your attorney or the County Clerk. When a judgment is entered, you will most likely be required to pay a fine and court costs. If you are reporting to a supervision officer, the monies should be remitted to the probation office. If you are not supervised, the monies should be remitted to the County Clerk. For Hot Check cases, you may be required to remit monies to the County Attorney's Office. For adult cases, once the case is filed with the County Clerk, it is the general policy of the County Attorney to release a copy of all discoverable material to the defendant or his attorney for a flat fee of $3.00. The fee for a copy of any video tape is $20.00 plus mailing fees of $3.50. In juvenile cases, the County Attorney allows inspection of the State's file by the juvenile's attorney. To maintain the highest level of confidentiality, copies are generally not allowed, but will be considered by the County Attorney on a case by case basis. While a case is active, the State's file is not considered an open record and there are restrictions. If you are a victim of crime and require information about your case, contact our Victim Services department for assistance. The County Attorney may not discuss your case with you if you are represented by an attorney. Your attorney will seek an offer from our office, and you should contact him. If you do not have an attorney, you will receive a letter from the County Attorney with a plea bargain offer shortly after your receipt of the court notice from the County Clerk. This offer will be identical for anyone charged with a similar offense, however, it may be modified at any time by the County Attorney. The plea bargain offer is generally available until five days prior to a trial setting, but it may be withdrawn at any time by the County Attorney. Contact the County Attorney's office with any questions at (830) 249-9343. YES! You must appear in court or the judge will issue a warrant for your arrest for Failure To Appear. Prior to judgment, contact the County Attorney's Office regarding any questions about the State's plea bargain offer and probation terms. Once placed on probation, contact the Community Supervision and Corrections Department (aka CSCD or Adult Probation) at (830) 249-6857. They will provide specific information necessary to comply with your probation terms. To transfer probation to another county, contact the Community Supervision and Corrections Department. They will explain the process and complete the necessary paperwork. Contacting the Community Supervision and Corrections Department is a good place to start. Depending on your performance history, they may be willing to assist you in clearing up the matter. The County Attorney will not intercede to recall the warrant without a recommendation from your supervision officer. Upon arrest, you may or may not be allowed to post a bond. Contact a bail bondsman to assist with posting a bond. For information about the warrant, contact the County Warrant Officer at (830) 249-9721. Prisoners unable to post bond are brought to court on a regular basis. Upon request, the jail administration will provide you with an application for a court-appointed attorney. Once appointed, the attorney should make contact with you within a short period. The County Attorney's Office will notify the jail and the attorney of the next date for the "prisoner court docket". Note that some misdemeanor cases are postponed pending the disposition of higher felony crimes. JUVENILE COURT The Juvenile Probation Office will serve the child and parent(s) with a court summons after the case is filed. Thereafter, a new court date will be assigned to you before leaving the courtroom. If the court date is not known, contact the child's attorney, the Juvenile Probation Office or the County Clerk. Because all juvenile cases must have representation by attorney, contact the child's attorney for assistance. After a disposition is entered in the case, pay court costs and restitution to the child's Juvenile Probation Officer. In juvenile cases, the County Attorney allows inspection of the State's file by the child's attorney. To maintain the highest level of confidentiality, copies are generally not allowed, but will be considered by the County Attorney on a case by case basis. Talk to the child's attorney about the eligibility of your child's records. Make a written request to the court and the Juvenile Probation Office. Specific questions should be directed to the Juvenile Probation Office. JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURTS If you believe you are innocent of the ticket, notify the judge of the Justice of the Peace Court (noted at the bottom of the ticket) that you request a trial. Your case will be forwarded to the County Attorney for review. You will receive a final plea bargain offer from the County Attorney prior to trial. At the trial, the ticketing officer will present his testimony about the offense. You will be given the opportunity to present any relevant testimony in your defense. The judge will then make a ruling as to guilt or innocence. If you are eligible to take a defensive driving course to clear the ticket, make a written request and follow the instructions on the citation. If you are unsure, contact the judge of the court noted at the bottom of the citation. For traffic tickets issued by a State Trooper or Deputy Sheriff, you should mail in payment following the directions on your citation or contact the judge of the Justice of the Peace Court noted at the bottom of the citation. For tickets issued by a police officer of the City of Boerne, you should contact the Municipal Court at (830) 249-9511. FAMILY LAW To obtain enforcement of a child support order, contact your divorce attorney, the court of your divorce, and the Child Support Division of the Texas Attorney General, whose telephone number is (800) 252-8011. Child custody and parental rights matters are addressed in Family Law Courts, which in Kendall County are the County Court At Law and the 216th Judicial District Court. In most circumstances, you will require the services of an attorney. Contact the Bar Association for a referral. Below we've provided a link to the website of Texas Legislature OnLine, which offers support in researching the Texas Statutes. FAMILY CODE EMPLOYMENT LAW Information on employer and employee rights may be obtained from the following websites: Texas Workforce Commission: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
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Kendall County is served by various law enforcement entities. This list will assist you in reporting unlawful acts to the appropriate agency. Remember that Kendall County is equipped with the technology to "Dial 9-1-1" for emergencies. Also, the Local Crimestoppers accepts anonymous tips, and that agency may be reached at 800-348-5323. KENDALL COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE The Kendall County Sheriff's Office maintains peace and order in Kendall County, with primary jurisdiction outside the city limits of Boerne. The Boerne Police Departments primary jurisdiction is within the city limits of Boerne. DON WHITE, CONSTABLE PRECINCT ONE Don White is the constable for Precinct One and serves as bailiff for Judge Nancy White, Justice of the Peace, Precinct One. MILBURN DEARING, CONSTABLE PRECINCT TWO Milburn Dearing is the constable for Precinct Two and serves as bailiff for Judge Jerry Collins, Justice of the Peace Precinct Two. FORRES MEADOWS, CONSTABLE PRECINCT THREE Forres Meadows is the constable for Precinct Three and serves as bailiff for Judge Debby Hudson, Justice of the Peace Precinct Three. JACK GREGG, CONSTABLE PRECINCT FOUR Jack Gregg is the constable for Precinct Four and serves as bailiff for Judge Frieda Pressler, Justice of the Peace Precinct Four. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY The Texas Department of Public Safety is responsible for maintaining public safety in the state of Texas. This agency carries out numerous functions. State Troopers have urisdiction anywhere in the State of Texas. TEXAS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE COMMISSION The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission enforces the Alcoholic Beverage Code and other laws of the state. This agency's activities include investigations for minors in possession, public intoxication, bootlegging, prostitution, gambling, narcotics, weapons, and organized criminal activities. TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is responsible for the management and conservation of natural and cultural resources of Texas. Game wardens fulfill these responsibilities through educating the public about various laws and regulations, preventing violations by conducting high visibility patrols, and apprehending and arresting violators. MENTAL HEALTH If the person is in immediate danger to self or others, call 9-1-1 for emergency assistance. Otherwise, contact the Kendall County Mental Health and Mental Retardation office at (830) 249-9328. In some cases, they will process commitment papers to a Mental Health facility for observation and treatment. The MHMR Center is located across from the Historical Courthouse. Kendall County Mental Health Center OFFENSES If you believe a crime has occurred, contact your local law enforcement agency. You may also contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-348-5323 to anonymously report a crime. Below we've provided a link to the website of Texas Legislature OnLine, which offers support in researching the Texas Statutes. For alcohol offenses relating to age, see Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, Chapter 106 For hunting violations, see Texas Parks and Wildlife Code For violations related to motor vehicles, see Texas Transportation Code OPEN RECORDS Make a written request and direct the request to the specific County Department. In some cases, the law allows the County to withhold the records, but the County must notify The Attorney General of Texas that the documents are being withheld. The Attorney General will review the reason stated for withholding the information in accordance with law and issue its determination on whether or not the records should be released. The Attorney General of Texas provides answers to frequently asked questions on Open Records and the Public Information Act on its website or call (800) 252-8011. PRECINCT SERVICES See Precinct Map. Report the problem to your Precinct Commissioner. He may refer you to another County department for assistance. PROBATE LAW The County Attorney cannot provide answers to civil questions regarding probate law. It is recommended that you contact a competent Probate Attorney to assist you. Obtain a referral from a friend or see the ATTORNEYS section. PROTECTION The term Domestic Violence applies to threats, harassment, verbal abuse, assaults and other physical violence between members of a family or household. For relief, contact local law enforcement and Victim Services. The law provides that in very particular situations, a family or household member may be removed from the home for the protection of others in the household. If the removed person returns to the home in violation of a court order, he may be arrested by law enforcement and charged with Violation of Protective Order. There is no cost to the applicant for protective orders. Costs of court may be assessed against the Respondent. A restraining order varies from a protective order in that a violation will result in civil contempt of court proceedings instead of arrest. The County Attorney's Office does not provide restraining orders. Contact a trusted attorney or the Bar Association for a referral. See ATTORNEYS. To protect yourself, use common sense. Try not to put yourself in harm's way if you can avoid a confrontation. The best protection is to walk away before a confrontation begins. If possible, use the buddy system and have a friend with you. Also, be aware of the following Penal Code laws in place for the protection of the public. Violation of these laws should be reported to law enforcement immediately. The officer will make a report, and in some cases, may obtain a warrant for the arrest of the perpetrator. RAFFLES Information on the regulation of raffles may be obtained from the website of the Texas Attorney General on Charitable Raffles or call (800) 252-8011. ROAD AND SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS Contact the Development Management office at (830) 249-9343 for assistance in the following areas: to report a County road problem; Contact a civil attorney regarding the violation of your Home Owners Association regulations. In Kendall County contact the following or try their website for additional information: Hill Country Council On Alcohol And Drug Abuse TRUANCY Your child will be referred to the Justice of the Peace Court for sanctions against the child and the parent. Truancy is covered under the Texas Education Code. Below we've provided a link to the website of Texas Legislature OnLine, which offers support in researching the Texas Statutes. Parent contributing to Truancy, Texas Education Code Sec. 25.093 Childs Failure to Attend School, Texas Education Code Sec. 25.094 Warning Notices, Texas Education Code Sec. 25.095 School District Complaint or Referral, Texas Education Code Sec. 25.0951 Procedures Applicable to Truancy Related Offenses, Texas Education Code Sec. 25.0952 The School may file a complaint against the student or the student's parent or both in the Justice of the Peace Court for an offense under Section 25.093 or 25.094, as appropriate, or refer the student to the Juvenile court for conduct that violates Section 25.094. The student may also be referred to a juvenile court for conduct indicating a need for supervision under Section 51.03(b)(2), Family Code. As penalties, the parent may face a $500 fine for each day the child is unlawfully absent from school. The child may face supervision terms and conditions under the Juvenile Court. VICTIM RIGHTS If you are a victim of crime who has suffered a financial loss due to the crime, you may qualify for services under the Crime Victims Act. More information on crime victim rights may be obtained from the website of the Texas Attorney General or by calling 1-800-983-9933. You should also contact our Victim Services Coordinator. Victims of violence and their families must deal with the emotional, physical, and financial aftermath of crime. The Texas Crime Victims Compensation Fund helps innocent victims and their families when they have no other means of paying for the financial cost of crime. For more information, contact our Victim Services Coordinator.
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