Johnson County Warrants
Which courts issue warrants in Johnson County
Johnson County concentrates its serious criminal dockets in Cleburne: three district courts handle felonies and two county courts at law handle Class A and Class B misdemeanors, all inside the Guinn Justice Center. Fine-only Class C matters belong to the four JP precincts and the city municipal courts scattered across the county. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office serves the warrants those courts issue.
The grade of the charge decides everything that follows — which courtroom hears the case, which clerk keeps the file, and what it actually takes to make the warrant go away. The four tiers below are arranged from the most serious charge down to a parking-level citation, and each table names the judge and the docket so you can find the exact court printed on your notice. Where the records sit and who does the arresting is covered separately in the clerks and Sheriff block, because in Johnson County one District Clerk, one County Clerk, and one Sheriff cover the whole roster.
| Offense level | Court that issues the warrant | Where the file lives |
|---|---|---|
| Fine-only Class C & traffic | Municipal courts & Justice of the Peace courts | City clerk or JP precinct |
| Class A & B misdemeanor | County courts at law (2) | County Clerk |
| Felony | District courts (3) | District Clerk |
Whatever the level, bail itself is set under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 17, while the fine-only Class C track runs on Chapter 45. Read down the tables to spot the court on your paperwork, or step back to the sitewide Courts & Counties directory.
Johnson County District Courts 3 courts · felony
Three district courts — the 18th, 249th, and 413th — carry Johnson County’s felony trial docket, and all three sit in the Guinn Justice Center at 204 S. Buffalo Ave. in Cleburne. They issue felony arrest and bench warrants; the Sheriff’s Office serves them, booking happens at the county Corrections Center, and the District Clerk keeps the file. The court number on your indictment or notice points you to the right row below.
One quirk shapes this tier: the 18th District Court is a shared bench that serves both Johnson County and neighboring Somervell County (Glen Rose), sitting in each — so when it handles your case it does so from the Guinn Justice Center in Cleburne, while the 249th and 413th are Johnson-only courts. None of that changes how a felony warrant is actually lifted. Every felony warrant here is served by the Sheriff, a magistrate sets or reviews bond under Chapter 17, and the case is docketed in whichever of the three courts drew it. Johnson County also runs problem-solving dockets — a veterans treatment court and drug-court programming — that route through these district courts; if you have been told your case is on a diversion track, ask the District Clerk which judge presides over it. The table gives you the judge and the contact line for each; the shared booking-and-bond path is described once, not three times.
| Court | Presiding judge | What it handles |
|---|---|---|
| 18th District Court | Hon. Sydney Hewlett | Felony trial court (also civil and family). Shared district court serving both Johnson and Somervell counties — sits in both; in Johnson County it is housed at the Guinn Justice Center, 204 S. Buffalo Ave., Cleburne. Court line (817) 556-6193 (ext. 1206). |
| 249th District Court | Hon. Tiffany Strother | Felony trial court (also civil and family), Johnson County only. Guinn Justice Center, Cleburne. Court line (817) 556-6825 (ext. 1130). |
| 413th District Court | Hon. William (Bill) Bosworth | Felony trial court (also civil and family), Johnson County only. Guinn Justice Center, Cleburne. Court line (817) 556-6040 (ext. 1137). |
All three felony courts file through the single Johnson County District Clerk at the Guinn Justice Center, and there is no separate public warrant list to scan — a felony case number, setting, or bond is confirmed through the District Clerk or the county’s Odyssey case search, which covers the 18th, 249th, and 413th alike.
Johnson County Courts at Law 2 courts at law + county court · Class A/B
Johnson County runs its day-to-day misdemeanor docket through two statutory county courts at law — No. 1 and No. 2 — both in the Guinn Justice Center. They handle Class A and Class B misdemeanors such as DWI, assault, theft, and drug possession, plus the related probation matters and appeals from the JP and municipal courts. Every one of those cases is filed with the County Clerk, and the warrants attached to them are served by the Sheriff.
If your warrant involves a charge that can carry jail time but is not a felony, it almost certainly originates in County Court at Law No. 1 or No. 2. Booking and bond mirror the felony courts — the Sheriff serves the warrant, intake is at the county Corrections Center, and bond is set under Chapter 17 — so that path is stated once here instead of under each court. A third entry below, the constitutional county court presided over by the County Judge, is listed only for completeness: in Johnson County that bench is primarily administrative and probate (and chairs the Commissioners Court), and it is not the working misdemeanor warrant court. Misdemeanor records for the two courts at law are held by the Johnson County Clerk, so one office confirms a case, setting, or bond no matter which court at law issued the warrant.
| Court | Judge | Docket & contact |
|---|---|---|
| County Court at Law No. 1 | Hon. Robert (Bob) Mayfield III | Class A & B misdemeanors (DWI, assault, theft, drug possession), misdemeanor probation, and appeals from JP/municipal courts; also statutory county-court civil/probate. Records originate with the County Clerk. Guinn Justice Center, 204 S. Buffalo Ave., Cleburne · (817) 556-6353 (ext. 1340). |
| County Court at Law No. 2 | Hon. Steve McClure | Class A & B misdemeanors and related probation; appeals from JP/municipal courts; statutory county-court civil/probate. Records originate with the County Clerk. Guinn Justice Center, 204 S. Buffalo Ave., Cleburne · (817) 556-6395 (ext. 1353). |
| Constitutional County Court (Johnson County Court) | Hon. Christopher Boedeker (County Judge) | Listed for completeness only — not a primary criminal warrant court. The two statutory County Courts at Law carry the misdemeanor docket; the County Judge primarily runs the Commissioners Court and handles probate/administrative matters, retaining residual statutory criminal jurisdiction. Johnson County Courthouse, 2 N. Main St., Cleburne · (817) 556-6360. |
Because both courts at law file through the one Johnson County Clerk, a single records office — together with the county’s Odyssey case search — covers every misdemeanor warrant in the table; you do not need a separate lookup for No. 1 versus No. 2.
Johnson County Justice of the Peace Courts 4 precincts · Class C
Four justice-of-the-peace precincts cover Johnson County, each with a single elected justice rather than multiple “places.” A JP court hears Class C (fine-only) cases filed at the county level and issues a capias pro fine warrant when a fine or court cost stays unpaid after judgment. Because the precincts are seated in different towns — Cleburne, Burleson, and Alvarado — the office and phone change with the precinct number on your citation.
What sets a JP warrant apart is that it is fine-only, so it is never cleared with a jail-release bond. Instead you satisfy the balance, set up a payment plan, or request an ability-to-pay hearing under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 45 — the same fine-only mechanism detailed under how to clear below, and identical across all four precincts. Geography is the real variable: the precinct number on your ticket tells you which town to go to. Precincts 1 and 4 sit in Cleburne, Precinct 2 is at the Burleson sub-courthouse on the county’s north edge, and Precinct 3 is in Alvarado — so confirm the row before you drive anywhere.
| Precinct | Judge | Office location | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1 | Hon. Ronny McBroom | Cleburne — directory listings vary between the Guinn Justice Center vicinity and 1800 Ridgemar Dr., Cleburne, TX 76031. | (817) 556-6032 |
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 | Hon. Jeff Monk | Johnson County Sub-Courthouse, 247 Elk Dr., Suite 107, Burleson, TX 76028 (county’s north edge — not the Cleburne campus) | (817) 202-2953 |
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3 | Hon. Andy Nolan | Alvarado Sub-Courthouse, 206 N. Baugh St., Alvarado, TX 76009 (northeast Johnson County — not the Cleburne campus) | (817) 558-0111 |
| Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4 | Hon. Robert S. (Bob) Shaw | Johnson County Courthouse, 2 N. Main St., Cleburne, TX 76033 | (817) 556-6388 |
Each precinct keeps its own counter and case lookup, so confirm a JP warrant with the precinct named on your citation, then resolve it through the fine-only route under how to clear a Johnson County warrant.
Municipal courts in Johnson County city courts · Class C
A ticket written by a city police officer in Johnson County is answered in that city’s own municipal court, not at the Cleburne courthouse. Those courts handle Class C and traffic citations and issue alias and capias pro fine warrants when a city case is ignored. The city that wrote the citation is the one that holds and clears the warrant, so start with the town named at the top of your ticket.
City warrants run on the same fine-only logic as the JP courts: an alias warrant for a missed setting before judgment, or a capias pro fine for an unpaid fine after it, cleared by answering the case, paying, arranging installments, or asking for an ability-to-pay hearing under Chapter 45 — the route laid out under how to clear a Johnson County warrant. Each city keeps its own court, judge, and case lookup. A few Johnson County cities also straddle a county line — Burleson reaches into Tarrant County, Venus into Ellis County, and Crowley sits mostly in Tarrant — which can affect where a citation is answered, so confirm the court before you assume it is in Johnson. Use the page for the city named on your ticket:
City-court coverage is being expanded; some links above may point to a county-level page until that city’s court page publishes. Confirm whether a given Johnson County city operates its own municipal court or contracts it out before relying on the court named here.
Johnson County clerks & Sheriff
No matter which court signed your warrant, the file sits with a clerk and the arrest power sits with the Sheriff. The County Clerk keeps the Class A and Class B misdemeanor records, the District Clerk keeps the felony records, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office serves warrants countywide and runs the jail where bookings happen.
- Johnson County District Clerk (felony records)
- The Johnson County District Clerk — Dean Sullivan, Guinn Justice Center, 204 S. Buffalo Ave. (P.O. Box 495), Cleburne, TX 76033, keeps the felony case files for the 18th, 249th, and 413th District Courts and the warrants they issue. Phone (817) 556-6839.
- Johnson County Clerk (Class A / B misdemeanor records)
- The Johnson County Clerk — April Long, Johnson County Courthouse, 2 N. Main St. (P.O. Box 662), Cleburne, TX 76033, maintains the records for the two county courts at law (Class A and Class B misdemeanors) plus probate and official public records. Phone (817) 556-6323 (ext. 1300); official record search at johnson.tx.publicsearch.us.
- Johnson County Sheriff (enforcement)
- The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, 1102 E. Kingsbury St., Cleburne, TX 76031, serves Johnson County arrest warrants and capiases countywide. Phone (817) 556-6058. Time-sensitive: as of June 2026 the elected Sheriff (Adam King) was on restricted duty under indictment, with Capt. Ben Arriola serving as acting/interim sheriff; confirm who is the operative sheriff at publish, and consider naming the office generically rather than an individual.
- Johnson County Corrections Center (booking)
- If you are arrested or surrender on a county-level (misdemeanor or felony) warrant, booking is at the Johnson County Corrections Center (Law Enforcement Center), 1800 Ridgemar Dr., Cleburne, TX 76031, the primary adult intake facility for the county, where bond is processed. Booking/main (817) 556-6000; detention info (817) 556-6005 / (817) 556-6006. City (municipal) and JP Class C warrants are typically handled at the issuing court or city jail rather than the county facility. Inmate search runs through the county jail roster and Texas VINE.
How to check for a Johnson County warrant
Johnson County does not publish a standalone public warrant list, so a county warrant is found by searching the underlying criminal case rather than a dedicated “warrant” page. The Odyssey Public Access portal is the main county tool; for a city ticket you check the issuing municipal court; and the most discreet option is to have a lawyer confirm the warrant before you surface anywhere in person.
Begin with the Johnson County Odyssey Public Access portal at pa.johnsoncountytx.org/PublicAccess/default.aspx, searching by name or case number; when a warrant exists, it shows under that case’s “Events & Orders of the Court” rather than on a separate list. The County Clerk’s official records search at johnson.tx.publicsearch.us covers misdemeanor and public records, and the county jail roster (linked from johnsoncountytx.org) shows who is currently in custody. For a city citation, go to that municipal court’s own lookup. Keep in mind that an online case search will not always surface every warrant, and that walking into a courthouse or jail to ask can itself trigger an arrest — which is why having a defense lawyer verify it quietly is usually the safer first move. Our guide on how to find out if you have a warrant steps through each option.
How to clear a Johnson County warrant
Clearing a Johnson County warrant comes down to four moves: pin down the issuing court, confirm the charge and bond, choose a path with a lawyer, and then appear with the bond posted or the matter resolved so the court recalls it. Working through counsel often turns what would be a roadside arrest into a planned, same-day surrender.
- Pin down which Johnson County court issued the warrant. Work out whether it came from a city municipal court, a JP precinct, a county court at law, or one of the three district courts — that single fact sets the procedure and the clerk you will deal with.
- Confirm the charge, the bond, and any no-bond hold. Check the underlying case or citation, the bond amount already set, and whether a hold (for example a probation or out-of-county matter) blocks a routine bond.
- Choose your path with a lawyer. Depending on the warrant, that means posting a bond for a court setting, filing a motion to recall, or paying or otherwise resolving a fine-only Class C balance.
- Appear on the set date with the bond or resolution in hand. Show up at the correct Cleburne, Burleson, or Alvarado court with the bond posted or the case resolved so the judge recalls the warrant and the matter moves forward.
For the full walk-through, see how to lift a warrant and weigh your options in bond vs. surrender.
How a lawyer helps in Johnson County
A defense lawyer can quietly confirm the warrant, name the issuing court, arrange a walk-through bond where one is available, file a motion to recall, and stand with you to resolve the underlying case. The aim is simple: replace the risk of a surprise arrest with a scheduled, controlled appearance.
L and L Law Group is a Frisco criminal-defense firm led by Co-Founding Partners Reggie London and Njeri London, and the firm takes warrant matters in the Johnson County courts — the district courts and county courts at law in Cleburne, the JP precincts in Cleburne, Burleson, and Alvarado, and the city municipal courts. Once you reach out, the firm can verify the warrant, estimate the likely bond, line up release ahead of time, and appear with you at the courthouse. Read more about the L&L Law Group team, or learn about this resource.
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Johnson County warrant FAQ
Where do I look up a warrant in Johnson County?
Johnson County does not post a standalone public warrant list. Criminal cases and any warrant tied to them are searched through the Johnson County Odyssey Public Access portal at pa.johnsoncountytx.org, where warrant activity shows under a case’s “Events & Orders of the Court.” For a city ticket, you check the municipal court in the city where it was written. Because in-person checks can end in an arrest, having a defense lawyer confirm it for you is the safer route.
Is my Johnson County case in Cleburne or Burleson?
Most county-level criminal cases run through Cleburne — the felony district courts and both county courts at law sit in the Guinn Justice Center at 204 S. Buffalo Ave. The justice-of-the-peace precincts are spread across the county: Precinct 2 sits at the Burleson sub-courthouse, Precinct 3 in Alvarado, and Precincts 1 and 4 in Cleburne. The address on your paperwork tells you which building to deal with.
Which Johnson County court handles a felony versus a misdemeanor?
Felonies are filed in the 18th, 249th, or 413th District Court and tracked by the District Clerk. Class A and Class B misdemeanors go to County Court at Law No. 1 or No. 2, with records kept by the County Clerk. Fine-only Class C matters belong to a JP precinct or a city municipal court. The court named on your warrant tells you which path applies.
What is a capias pro fine in Johnson County?
A capias pro fine is the warrant a JP or municipal court issues after judgment when a fine or court cost on a Class C case is not paid. It is resolved under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 45 — by paying the balance, arranging a payment plan, or asking the court for an ability-to-pay hearing — rather than by posting a jail-release bond.
The 18th District Court — why does it also cover another county?
The 18th is a shared (regional) district court that serves both Johnson County and neighboring Somervell County, so the same judge sits in both counties. When the 18th handles a Johnson County felony, it does so from the Guinn Justice Center in Cleburne. The 249th and 413th District Courts, by contrast, serve Johnson County alone. The shared bench does not change how a felony warrant is cleared.
Where would I be booked on a Johnson County warrant?
Adult arrests on county-level warrants are booked into the Johnson County Corrections Center at 1800 Ridgemar Dr. in Cleburne, where bond is processed. City Class C warrants are often handled at the issuing municipal court or city jail instead. A lawyer can frequently arrange a planned surrender so release happens the same day rather than after an unexpected arrest.
Can I clear a Johnson County warrant without going to jail?
Frequently, yes. For many Class C, capias, alias, and bench warrants, a lawyer can arrange a walk-through bond so you surrender and are released the same day, or resolve a fine-only balance with no bond at all. Whether that works depends on the charge, the bond amount, and whether a no-bond hold applies — which is why confirming the specifics first matters.
How do I clear a warrant from a Johnson County JP or city court?
JP and municipal warrants are fine-only. Contact the precinct or city court named on your citation to confirm the case and balance, then clear it by paying, setting up a payment plan, or requesting an ability-to-pay hearing under Chapter 45 — or have a lawyer file to recall it. Handling it through counsel helps you avoid being picked up unexpectedly while the matter is open.
This page is general legal information about Texas law, not legal advice for your specific situation. Court rosters, contact details, and procedures change — and several Johnson County entries are time-sensitive (the sitting Sheriff, certain judges, and the Odyssey portal path); verify current details with the relevant court, the District or County Clerk, or a licensed Texas attorney before relying on them. Last reviewed June 22, 2026.