Martin County Felony Records
Martin County felony records are filed and maintained by the District Clerk in Stanton, Texas, covering all criminal cases handled by the county's district court. This page covers where to find them and how to get copies.
Martin County Overview
Martin County District Clerk Office
The Martin County District Clerk handles all felony case filings and records for the county. The office is at the Martin County Courthouse in Stanton, Texas. Staff file indictments, motions, and judgments and keep the official court record for all district court proceedings. If you need to look up a felony case or get a certified copy of a court document, contact the District Clerk's office.
Martin County is an oil-producing county in West Texas, southeast of Midland. The county seat is Stanton, a small city with a modest population. The District Clerk manages a smaller caseload than urban counties, but follows the same rules and fee schedules as any other Texas county clerk. Plain copies are $1 per page and certified copies carry a $5 certification fee per document. A search fee may apply when staff must search manually without a cause number.
You can visit the courthouse in person, send a written request by mail, or call ahead to ask about specific cases. Bring or include the defendant's full name and approximate filing year. Payment should accompany mail requests. The office can take cash, money orders, or checks payable to the county.
Visit the Martin County website for contact information, office hours, and department listings.
118th District Court Felony Jurisdiction
The 118th District Court handles felony criminal cases for Martin County. All felony charges filed in the county go through this court. The District Clerk indexes and stores every document produced during the court process, from the original indictment through any post-conviction filings.
Texas divides felonies into five classes under the Penal Code. Capital felonies carry the death penalty or life without parole. First-degree felonies bring 5 to 99 years or life in prison. Second-degree felonies run 2 to 20 years. Third-degree felonies carry 2 to 10 years. State jail felonies result in 180 days to 2 years in a state jail facility. The class of the offense determines where a convicted person serves their sentence.
The 118th District Court serves more than one county in its judicial district. When the court is sitting in Martin County, all felony cases for the county are heard. The schedule of when the court sits in each county is available through the District Clerk's office or on the re:SearchTX portal.
Search Martin County Felony Records Online
The re:SearchTX statewide portal is the primary online resource for Martin County felony records. This free tool covers all 254 Texas counties. You can search by defendant name, cause number, or attorney. Results show case type, filing date, parties, and docket history. For most rural counties like Martin, you can find current and recent cases without a subscription. Older digitized records may also be available depending on when the county's records were migrated to the system.
If the online search does not return results for the case you need, contact the District Clerk directly. Older records may be indexed only in paper logs or local systems that do not sync with the statewide portal. Staff can do a manual search and tell you what is available and at what cost.
The Texas DPS Crime Records Service is available for statewide criminal history searches. A name-based search costs $3. Fingerprint searches are available for more complete background checks. These results draw from the statewide DPS database and are not limited to Martin County cases.
Note: Online case information may lag behind the official court record. Call the District Clerk's office to verify real-time status when accuracy matters.
Arrest Records and the Martin County Sheriff
The Martin County Sheriff's Office manages arrests and jail records in the county. Booking records from felony arrests are submitted to the Texas DPS criminal history database. Arrest records held by the Sheriff's Office are generally available as public records under the Texas Public Information Act.
To request arrest records or incident reports, send a written public information request to the Sheriff's Office. Under Government Code Chapter 552, the agency must respond within 10 business days. Records related to an active investigation may be withheld temporarily, but the agency must notify you in writing of the reason.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice maintains an offender search for all state prison inmates. A Martin County conviction that results in a state prison sentence will show up in this system. Search by name, TDCJ number, or SID. The result includes facility location, sentence details, and projected release information.
Record Sealing and Expunction Options
Under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55, a person may petition to expunge a felony arrest record if the case was dismissed, resulted in acquittal, or was never prosecuted within the applicable time limit. Expunction orders require all agencies to permanently destroy the records. The petition is filed in the district court that handled the case.
Nondisclosure orders are an option for people who completed deferred adjudication probation on qualifying offenses. A nondisclosure seals the record from public access but does not remove it from government databases. Texas law excludes certain serious offenses from nondisclosure eligibility. Check the statute or consult an attorney to confirm whether a particular case qualifies.
Official forms for expunction and nondisclosure petitions are available through the Texas Office of Court Administration at txcourts.gov. Free self-help resources are also at texaslawhelp.org. Both sites provide guides that explain the steps in plain language without legal jargon.
Additional State Resources
The Texas Sex Offender Registry lists all registered sex offenders by county, city, and zip code. This resource is managed by the Texas DPS and includes offenders with addresses in Martin County. The registry is updated regularly and is free to search.
The Texas Attorney General's Open Government office handles disputes about public information access and offers a hotline at (877) OPEN-TEX for guidance. Under Chapter 552, all county agencies must respond promptly to public records requests and may not withhold information without legal basis.
The Texas Judicial Branch site has all court forms, local rules, and general guidance for people dealing with the Texas court system. TexasCourtHelp.org translates the legal process into plain steps and is especially helpful for people who are trying to handle a case without an attorney.
Nearby Counties
Martin County borders several West Texas counties. Felony records for neighboring areas are available through their pages.