On April 28, 2025, The City of New Fairview and Paradise signed an Interlocal Agreement that the City of New Fairview will take control over all Municipal Court services. Paradise Municipal Court became a court of record on April 28, 2025.
The Municipal Court is a court of record, having jurisdiction over Class C misdemeanors, traffic offenses and city ordinances including: parking offenses. school attendance offenses, fire safety, public health, sanitation and zoning ordinances for the City of Paradise.
A court of record is a municipal court that is required to keep a record of its proceedings. Chapter 30 of the Government Code creates a municipal court of record in 51 Texas cities. For all other cities, the governing body can choose to have a municipal court of record or a municipal court of non-record. A court of non-record does not keep a record of its proceedings. The majority of municipal courts are not courts of record, and appeals from non-record courts go to the county court, the county court at law, or the district court for trials de novo.
Under the authority of Chapter 30 and the Municipal Courts of Record Act passed in 1997, a municipal court may become a court of record through passage of a local ordinance.
In a court of record, a formal record and transcript are made of the proceedings in the trial and appeals are made on the record. Such appeals are generally heard in the county court or county court at law. The Legislature has specifically authorized two cities, El Paso and Dallas, to create municipal courts of appeals to hear appeals from those cities’ municipal courts. The statutes creating these municipal courts of record require that the judges be licensed to practice law in Texas. No such provision is required of other municipal judges. Municipal courts of record have additional jurisdiction in their territorial limits and their extraterritorial limits. Section 30.00005, G.C. This jurisdiction is concurrent with a district court or county court at law for the purpose of enforcing health and safety or nuisance abatement ordinances.
Municipal Court
Municipal Court is responsible for administering the litigation of Class C Misdemeanor charges brought against citizens within the limits of the City of Paradise and the collections of fines assessed. The Municipal Court maintains all records of the court, collects fines and fees, set trial dockets, prepares warrants and issues subpoenas. Court and all court staff shall provide equal and impartial justice under the law and process each case efficiently, without delay, or unnecessary expense. We strive to dispose of cases in a timely manner with prompt and courteous service.