Source Information

Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Ancestry.com. Texas, U.S., Court of Criminal Appeal Indexes, 1892-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors.
Original data: Indexes, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals records. Austin, Texas: Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

About Texas, U.S., Court of Criminal Appeal Indexes, 1892-1947

What You Can Find in These Records

This database contains a list of appellants and appellees involved in criminal court cases in the state of Texas (1892–1947). These records are an index to case records and so typically contain only the names of the appellant and appellee (which may be the state) and county. They may also indicate how a case was disposed of, who offered the opinion, and (beginning in 1909) docket number.

Historical Background

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals was established in 1892 and became the highest criminal court in the state. The Court hears both misdemeanors and felony appeals. Originally, the Court met for three three-month terms a year, one in Dallas, one in Austin, and one in Tyler. This changed in 1909 when the court sat in Austin from October through June. Some of the original records index a specific term.