Administrative Judicial Regions
The state is divided into eleven administrative judicial regions (AJR). Each region has a presiding judge that is appointed by the Governor to serve a four-year term.
The presiding judge may be a regular elected or retired district judge, a former judge with at least 12 years of service as a district judge, or a retired appellate judge with judicial experience on a district court.
The duties of the presiding judge include:
- promulgating and implementing regional rules of administration;
- advising local judges on judicial management;
- recommending changes to the Supreme Court for the improvement of judicial administration; and
- acting for local administrative judges in their absence.
The presiding judges also have the authority to assign visiting judges to hold court when necessary to dispose of accumulated business in the region.
- Regional Presiding Judges' Contact Information
- List of Counties by AJR (PDF, Excel)
- AJR Map
Death Penalty Qualified Attorney Appointment Lists
Pursuant to Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 26.052(c), the presiding judges are responsible for publishing regional lists of attorneys qualified to represent indigent defendants in death penalty cases. The qualifications and list of attorneys qualified to serve are available on each AJR webpage, which are provided under AJR Home. Along with the list of Death Penalty Approved Attorneys for each region, many of the AJR sites provide standards for qualifications as well as other information related to capital cases.
Capital Writs Attorney Appointment List
Pursuant to Government Code Sec. 78.056, the presiding judges are responsible for publishing a statewide list of attorneys qualified to represent indigent defendants in writs of habeas corpus in death penalty cases filed under Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 11.071.