Round Rock, Texas
Round Rock, Texas is 15 miles north of Austin and just north of Pflugerville in central Texas. Round Rock is primarily in Williamson County, with a small portion on the southern edge of the city at Interstate 35, in Travis County. The City of Round Rock has experienced rapid population growth over the past two decades. The 2009 estimated Round Rock population was 94,777 (U.S. Census), up from 61,136 residents in 2000.
In 1851, a small community named Brushy was formed on the banks of Brushy Creek, near a large round and anvil-shaped rock located in the middle of the creek. This round rock marked a convenient low-water crossing for wagons, horses, and cattle. In 1854, the small settlement was renamed Round Rock in honor of this, now famous, rock.
Round Rock was just a small Texas town, with an agricultural based economy, which evolved into a capitol city bedroom community in the 1960's; residents of Austin moved to Round Rock to take advantage of the quality schools and affordable housing, while maintaining an easy commute to jobs in Austin. Round Rock's second evolution occurred in the 1990's with the arrival of a number of companies in the computer sector, the most notable being Dell, Inc.
Round Rock-based Dell, Inc., which employs approximately 16,000 at its headquarters, is the major employer in Round Rock. Other significant employers include Cypress Semiconductor, Toppan Photomasks, Texas Guaranteed Student Loans, Sears Teleserv Customer Care Network, Cintas, and TECO/Westinghouse.
On the southern edge of the Round Rock, at the Interstate 35 and State Highway 45 interchange, where Dell, Inc. and a number of other businesses are located, there are 9,000 to 12,000 people employed within a mile of the interchange. It is one of the region's major employment centers as well as one of the region's most congested areas for commuters.
Round Rock has a wide array of hospitals and extensive health care services including Saint David's Round Rock Medical Center, Scott & White Healthcare-Round Rock Hospital, and Seton Medical Center Williamson.
A variety of arts and cultural opportunities are available to residents and visitors in Round Rock. The Dell Diamond, home to Nolan Ryan’s Triple A baseball team called the Round Rock Express, is a major tourist draw for the city. The Chisholm Trail Crossing Park showcases Round Rock's historical role in the Chisholm Trail cattle drives of the late 1800's with bronze sculptures of four steers and pioneer woman, Hattie Cluck, and her son, Emmitt.
District courts are the primary trial courts in Texas as state trial courts of general jurisdiction. The Texas Constitution also provides for a county court in each of Texas' 254 counties. Each county in Texas is divided according to population into at least one and not more than eight justice precincts.
Residents located within the city of Round Rock utilize the Williamson County court system. All five district courts for Williamson County, 26th District Court, 277th District Court, 368th District Court, 395th District Court, and the 425th District Court, are located in the Justice Center in Georgetown, the county seat.
Justice courts generally have exclusive jurisdiction of civil matters, including personal injury lawsuits, only when the amount in controversy does not exceed $200. Generally, the county courts have concurrent jurisdiction with justice courts in civil cases where the matter in controversy exceeds $200 but does not exceed $10,000 and concurrent jurisdiction with the district courts in civil cases where the matter in controversy exceeds $500 but does not exceed $5,000. The district courts have jurisdiction in civil matters with a minimum monetary limit but no maximum limit. The fourteen Texas Courts of Appeals handles most of Texas’ civil appeals from the district and county-level courts, while the Texas Supreme Court has statewide, final appellate jurisdiction in most civil cases.
The Guide to Texas Legislative Information provides brief definitions of terms associated with the legislative process to help you understand the terms you may hear in court.
