District Attorney's Office
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office prosecutes criminal cases, supports crime victims and survivors, handles protective-order applications, reviews certain complaints and public-safety concerns, and provides information about the county’s criminal justice system. This article explains the office’s responsibilities, the services available to residents, the difference between the District Attorney and other justice agencies, and the information users should prepare before contacting a division or visiting an office.
Office Role and Responsibilities
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office represents the state in criminal prosecutions within Harris County. Prosecutors review evidence, evaluate whether a case is supported by probable cause, present criminal cases in court, communicate with victims, and make prosecution decisions based on the law and the available facts.
The office describes its responsibility as seeking justice rather than simply obtaining convictions. Its stated mission includes protecting the public, pursuing truth, serving crime survivors, respecting the rights of accused individuals, reducing case backlogs, and promoting a criminal justice system that is both fair and efficient.
The office is organized into bureaus that address different parts of criminal prosecution and agency operations. The listed bureaus include Domestic Violence, Felony Trial, General Litigation, Homicide, Intake, Investigators, Mental Health and Diversions, Operations, Post-Conviction, Professional Development, Special Crimes, and Special Victims. A person contacting the office does not ordinarily need to identify the correct bureau in advance. The reason for the contact and the status of the criminal matter will help office personnel determine where the inquiry belongs.
Prosecution Versus Crime Reporting
The District Attorney’s Office is not the first agency to contact when reporting a crime in progress or requesting an immediate police response. Emergency and non-emergency crimes should be reported to 911 or to the appropriate local law-enforcement agency’s non-emergency service. Law-enforcement officers investigate reported crimes and may present a case to prosecutors for review.
This distinction prevents a common mistake: submitting a general message to the District Attorney instead of making a police report. A message to the prosecutor’s office does not replace a report to the law-enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the incident.
After a criminal case has been accepted and filed, the District Attorney’s Office may become the appropriate contact for prosecution-related questions, especially for victims and survivors. The assigned prosecutor or Victim Assistance Coordinator can address matters connected to the pending prosecution.
Prosecution Standards
The office’s guiding principles and prosecution policies emphasize justice, fairness, public safety, transparency, accountability, victim support, reform, community engagement, and equal treatment under the law.
Prosecutors are expected to distinguish between cases that should be pursued and cases that are not supported by probable cause. The office states that unsupported cases can divert resources from cases that affect public safety. At the same time, the office recognizes that accused individuals have legal rights that must be respected throughout the criminal process.
Prosecutors do not serve as private attorneys for victims, witnesses, defendants, or members of the public. Information provided by the office about a case or procedure should not be treated as personal legal advice.
Choosing the Correct Contact
The District Attorney’s Office provides several contact channels based on the reason for the inquiry. Selecting the correct channel can reduce transfers and help the request reach personnel familiar with the issue.
General Office Questions
The office’s official contact page provides a form for general inquiries. The form requests the sender’s name, email address, phone number, subject, message, and completion of a verification step.
A useful message should identify the specific reason for contacting the office and explain how the issue relates to a Harris County criminal matter. Users should avoid sending the same request through several channels at once unless instructed to do so. Duplicate submissions can make it harder to identify the current request and determine whether someone has already responded.
The main office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding county holidays. It is located on the sixth floor of the Harris County Criminal Justice Center. Surface, garage, and street parking are available around the Criminal Justice Complex.
Victim Services Questions
A victim or survivor with questions about a pending criminal matter should first contact the Victim Assistance Coordinator or assistant district attorney assigned to the case. These assigned personnel are generally the best source for prosecution-related information because they are familiar with the case.
A person who does not know the assigned coordinator or prosecutor may contact the Victim Services Division at 713-274-0250 or DistrictAttorneyVictimServices@dao.hctx.net. The office’s support information for survivors also explains victim rights, protective orders, Victim Impact Statements, and custody notifications.
When contacting Victim Services, explain that the inquiry concerns a pending criminal matter and provide enough context for staff to identify the appropriate case contact. Do not send original evidence, identification documents, medical records, or other sensitive materials through a general inquiry unless office personnel provide instructions for submitting them.
Financial Crime Reports
The District Attorney’s Office provides a dedicated contact number for reports involving financial crimes, including consumer fraud, money laundering, and cybercrime. The listed number is 713-274-5600.
Before calling, organize a clear description of the conduct being reported. Keep relevant records available, such as communications, transaction information, account statements, receipts, or other materials connected to the suspected activity. The reference information does not establish a universal document list, so callers should follow the division’s instructions regarding what to submit and how to submit it.
Bars and Nightclubs
Public-safety concerns involving a bar or nightclub may be reported to the office at 713-274-1500. This contact is intended for public-safety concerns associated with those establishments. An emergency, active threat, assault, or crime in progress should still be reported through 911 rather than through the District Attorney’s general contact channels.
Public Information Requests
The contact page provides access for submitting a request under the Texas Public Information Act. A public information request is different from asking a prosecutor for an explanation of a pending case. It is also different from searching court records maintained by the District Clerk.
A focused request should identify the records sought as clearly as possible. Broad questions, requests for legal interpretation, and general case-status inquiries may not function as specific records requests. Users should follow the instructions supplied through the official public information request process.
Support for Crime Survivors
The District Attorney’s Office states that its victim advocates help survivors understand their rights and connect with available support. Victim services are particularly relevant when a prosecution is pending, a survivor needs to identify the assigned case contact, or the survivor wants information about a Victim Impact Statement or custody notifications.
Assigned Case Contacts
The assigned Victim Assistance Coordinator or assistant district attorney is the preferred contact for questions about a pending prosecution. Depending on the case, that contact may communicate with the survivor about court dates, case developments, available services, and procedures connected to the prosecution.
Victims should keep contact information current with the assigned office personnel. A changed telephone number, email address, or mailing address can interfere with the delivery of notices. Information about changes should be provided directly to the assigned coordinator or prosecutor using the method requested by the office.
Victim Impact Statements
A Victim Impact Statement allows a victim or family member to describe the emotional, physical, and financial effects of a crime. The statement provides information that may be considered by prosecutors, judges, and parole authorities.
A person with a pending case may request assistance from the Victim Services Division to complete a Victim Impact Statement. The statement should address the effects of the crime from the victim’s perspective. Questions about the form, submission method, or case-specific use should be directed to Victim Services rather than answered through assumptions based on another person’s case.
Custody and Court Notifications
The Integrated Victim Services System allows eligible users to register for information concerning defendants who are currently in custody. After registration, the system can provide notifications about future court dates and a defendant’s release from custody.
Registration is a separate step. Contacting the District Attorney, speaking with a prosecutor, or participating in a criminal case does not by itself mean that a person has completed notification registration. Users seeking those alerts should follow the registration instructions provided through the survivor-support page.
Protective Order Services
A person who has experienced family violence, stalking, sexual assault, sexual abuse, or human trafficking may be able to apply for a protective order. The District Attorney’s protective-order information explains the qualifications, preparation requirements, review process, and court hearing.
A protective order is a lawsuit filed in family court. It may prohibit a respondent from committing violence or threats, contacting protected people, approaching specified locations, possessing a gun or license to carry a gun, or tracking and monitoring certain people or property. Protective orders are generally granted for two years but may remain in effect longer.
A protective order is not the same as a police report or a criminal prosecution. A violation of a protective order may result in arrest and a criminal charge, but a person facing immediate danger should call 911 rather than wait for the protective-order process.
Basic Eligibility Requirements
Either the applicant or the respondent must live in Harris County, or the violence must have occurred in Harris County. For family-violence applications, there must be or have been a qualifying dating, family, or household relationship. Examples include current or former spouses, blood relatives, relatives by marriage, parents of the same child, household members, or people who dated.
A relationship with the respondent is not required for applications based on stalking, sexual abuse, or human trafficking.
The respondent must be personally served. For that reason, applicants must provide a physical location where the respondent can be served. Service may occur at the respondent’s home, workplace, jail, or court.
Documents and Evidence
Applicants should bring the following items when filing:
A picture identification document.
Names and contact information for witnesses.
A physical address for the respondent.
Relevant evidence, such as photographs, recordings, or medical records.
Other information the applicant believes is important to the reported violence, threats, stalking, abuse, or trafficking.
The respondent’s physical address is especially significant because personal service is required. An application may be delayed when there is no usable location where the respondent can be found and served.
Application and Court Process
The process begins with a meeting with a specially trained domestic violence caseworker or social worker. That person helps the applicant document a statement and prepare a file for review by a domestic violence prosecutor.
If the prosecutor approves the application, it is filed in family court. The applicant then receives a letter concerning the court date. Attendance at the hearing is required. The case may be dismissed if the applicant does not appear in person.
The office states that obtaining a protective order may take four to six weeks. The application must be filed, reviewed, and decided by a judge, and the applicant must appear in court and provide testimony.
Filing Costs
An applicant cannot be charged a fee for filing, serving, or entering a protective order or for obtaining additional certified copies of the order. A court may order the respondent to pay attorney fees, when applicable, and other fees, charges, or expenses associated with the protective-order proceeding.
Temporary Protective Orders
A judge may issue a temporary ex parte protective order when a request for a final protective order is filed. The temporary order takes effect when the respondent is served and expires after the applicable period. Police may arrest a respondent for violations after the temporary order has been served.
Emergency Protection Orders
A Magistrate’s Order of Emergency Protection may be issued by a criminal court after an arrest for family violence, sexual assault, sexual abuse, or stalking. The order may remain in effect for 31 to 61 days. When the arrest involves assault with a deadly weapon, it may remain in effect for 61 to 91 days.
The criminal court may issue this order at the request of the victim, the victim’s guardian, a police officer, the prosecutor, or the presiding judge.
Alternatives to Prosecution
The office recognizes that some cases may be addressed through structured alternatives to traditional prosecution or incarceration. Its alternatives to prosecution information describes diversion as an approach that may emphasize treatment, rehabilitation, community service, accountability, and support for underlying problems.
The office identifies mental health conditions and substance-use disorders as examples of issues that may contribute to criminal behavior. Diversion programs are intended to address root causes, reduce repeat offenses, and decrease reliance on incarceration while maintaining accountability.
Programs identified by the office include RIC Court, Veterans Court, and STAR Court. The reference information does not state that every defendant or every charge qualifies. A person should not assume that participation is available based only on the program name or on another defendant’s experience. Eligibility and case handling are determined through the applicable criminal justice process.
Victims, defendants, and family members should direct case-specific questions to the attorney or agency responsible for the case. The District Attorney’s general information channels cannot replace advice from a defendant’s lawyer or a victim’s personal legal counsel.
Court Records and Case Filings
The District Attorney and District Clerk perform different functions. The District Attorney prosecutes criminal cases. The District Clerk maintains court records and supports court-related administrative services, including records access, jury services, e-filing information, payments, and certain forms.
Users looking for filed court records should begin with the Harris County District Clerk’s official website. Contacting the prosecutor’s office is not a substitute for searching the records maintained by the clerk.
This division of responsibility matters when a person needs a copy of a filed document, wants to search the court record, has a jury-service question, or needs information about court filing procedures. Those administrative requests belong with the District Clerk rather than the District Attorney.
A victim may still need to contact the assigned prosecutor or Victim Assistance Coordinator about the meaning of a prosecution-related development. However, the court record itself is maintained through the clerk’s system. Keeping those roles separate helps users avoid sending record requests to prosecutors or case questions to a records office.
Complaints About Investigators
The District Attorney’s resource information provides a contact for complaints involving Harris County District Attorney investigators. A person may contact the Chief Investigator or an Assistant Chief Investigator at 713-274-5813 or DA@dao.hctx.net.
A complaint should identify the investigator or incident as specifically as possible and explain the conduct being reported. Relevant dates, locations, communications, and names of witnesses can help distinguish the complaint from a general disagreement with the outcome of a case.
Complaints involving officers employed by a police department, sheriff’s office, or constable precinct generally belong with the internal-affairs or complaint process of the officer’s own agency. The District Attorney’s official resources page identifies government complaint channels for several local law-enforcement agencies.
Data and Public Transparency
The District Attorney’s Office operates a Data Transparency Dashboard through its Research Center. The dashboard is intended to provide information about the local justice system to the public, news media, and researchers.
The District Attorney’s Research Center also provides instructions for using the dashboard. The tool is designed for public access to aggregated justice-system data rather than for obtaining legal advice or receiving an official explanation of a particular defendant’s case.
Users should distinguish dashboard information from court records and case communications. Dashboard data provides a broader view of the justice system. Filed documents belong to the District Clerk’s records system, while questions concerning a pending prosecution should be directed to the assigned prosecutor or Victim Assistance Coordinator.
Preparing Before an Office Visit
Before visiting or contacting the office, identify the purpose of the request. A person reporting an active crime needs law enforcement. A crime victim with a pending case needs the assigned prosecutor, Victim Assistance Coordinator, or Victim Services. A person seeking a protective order needs the Protective Orders Section. A user seeking court filings or jury information needs the District Clerk.
For a general contact submission, prepare a concise explanation that includes the subject of the request and how it relates to the office. For a protective-order application, bring the identification, witness information, respondent address, and evidence specified by the office. For an inquiry about a pending victim matter, identify the assigned coordinator or attorney when known.
Do not rely on a general email for an emergency. Do not assume a public information request will provide an immediate case update. Do not send a court-record search request to the prosecutor, and do not treat an online message to the District Attorney as a police report.
Relevant Offices and Contacts
Harris County District Attorney’s Office
1201 Franklin Street, Suite 600, Houston, TX 77002
713-274-5800
Protective Orders Section
1200 Congress Street, Second Floor, Houston, TX
713-274-0212
Harris County District Clerk’s Office
201 Caroline Street, Suite 420, Houston, TX 77002
832-927-5800
District Attorney's Office FAQs
Can the office help remove a criminal record?
The District Attorney’s Office provides official information about expunction filings through its criminal record clearing resources. However, an expunction is a court process, and eligibility depends on the charge, case outcome, waiting period, and other requirements under Texas law. The prosecutor’s office cannot guarantee that a record will be erased. Applicants should carefully review the official filing instructions and verify which court maintains the case before submitting documents.
Are language services available for protective orders?
Yes. The Protective Orders Section uses a language service that can communicate in many languages, including American Sign Language. Some caseworkers also speak additional languages. Applicants who need interpretation should explain their language needs when beginning the application process. Language assistance does not change the filing requirements, including providing identification, details about the reported conduct, and a physical location where the respondent may be personally served.
How can a community group request a speaker?
Neighborhood associations, schools, local agencies, and other community groups may use the office’s community engagement page to request participation in an event. A useful request should identify the sponsoring organization, event date, intended audience, location, expected attendance, and the criminal justice or public-safety topic to be addressed. Submitting a request does not guarantee that a representative will be available.
Does the office hire people who are not attorneys?
Yes. The office states that its workforce includes prosecutors as well as investigators, paralegals, administrative assistants, communications personnel, financial staff, and other professionals. Current opportunities and application information are posted on the official District Attorney careers page. Law school graduates and third-year law students may also review the Post Bar Fellowship program, which provides supervised prosecution experience while participants await bar examination results.