Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 23, 2026.
Karnes County, Texas, has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Karnes County District Court and the County Courts and Justice Courts, and the file of each case, kept by the District Clerk for district court cases and the County Clerk for county court cases, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Karnes County public records, Karnes County arrest records, Karnes County warrants, Karnes County inmate search, Karnes County criminal records, Texas arrest records and Texas inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Karnes County
Court cases from Karnes County are filed in the Karnes County District Court, which hears felonies, divorces, land title cases and civil cases without a dollar limit.
Below it, the County Courts and Justice Courts take misdemeanors in the County Court or County Court at Law; traffic tickets, evictions and small claims in the Justice Courts.
A city with a municipal court of its own tries the tickets written under its ordinances.
Divorces go to the District Court, and the file stays with the District Clerk.
The District Clerk for district court cases and the County Clerk for county court cases keep the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Texas Public Information Act.
Looking Up a Case from Karnes County
For Karnes County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at 81-218.txcourts.gov/dockets (page title: Dockets | 81st & 218th District Court), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Texas has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The appellate courts' case search is at search.txcourts.gov/CaseSearch.aspx?coa=cossup.
What Reaches the Court from Karnes County
Together, the three agencies in Karnes County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 213 arrests to the FBI that year; the District Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Karnes County District Court or the County Courts and Justice Courts.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at co.karnes.tx.us/page/karnes.District.Attorney (page title: Karnes County, Texas), phone 830-393-2200, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Karnes County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Karnes County criminal records, Karnes County divorce records, Karnes County traffic tickets, Karnes County DUI and Karnes County property records.
Cities in Karnes County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Karnes County District Court or the County Courts and Justice Courts; tickets under a city's own ordinances go to its municipal court where it has one.
The cities and towns in the county are Karnes City, Kenedy, Runge and Falls City.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Karnes County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at 81-218.txcourts.gov/dockets.
Which court hears felonies in Karnes County?
The Karnes County District Court, which hears felonies, divorces, land title cases and civil cases without a dollar limit. The County Courts and Justice Courts take misdemeanors in the County Court or County Court at Law; traffic tickets, evictions and small claims in the Justice Courts.
Who keeps the court records in Karnes County?
The District Clerk for district court cases and the County Clerk for county court cases. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Texas?
No. Each court's records are looked up through that court.
Is this the official Karnes County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.