Judge Chu was a great option to officiate our wedding! Beautiful external on the courthouse and a great experience.

There isn't much to say about a government-run facility so I will just lay out the basics. The guards were really nice and informative. They have a metal detector at the front but it is quite painless and fast! There is barely any parking around the building so it is better for you to find a parking garage or lot nearby and just walk there. The restrooms were clean and all the staff was really friendly. Unfortunately the judge called the jury bystanders in 55 minutes after the initial stated time listed in the hearing letter. That was a bummer ... but then the judge explained why we had to wait so that was nice. Lots of construction nearby so be ready to walk through some dirty/dusty/muddy streets. read more

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I would not recommend going here for passport services. My fiance had his passport application processed and photo taken at this location. About 3 weeks later he got a letter in the mail from the Department of State saying they couldn't issue his passport because the photo was done incorrectly. The photo was an extreme closeup of his face with the top of his head cut off. Who would think that photo would be acceptable for a passport?! At least they agreed to retake the photo for free, but for $35 it should have been done right the first time. I'm glad he didn't wait until the last minute before our trip to get the passport or we would seriously be screwed. read more

I got married here after a lifetime of protesting courthouse weddings. I set up the appt over the phone a few weeks in advance, had to reschedule, and then called to confirm - all went super smoothly. I think you can easily book a week out or even less (apparently you can do walk-ins); we were just being precautious. Twas a lovely summer afternoon and we were both nervous and out of our minds, but as far as I can recall: I'd been to Blackwell-Thurmon, the criminal courthouse, before and let me tell you its charm severely lacks in comparison to this courthouse... old school "fallout" stickers, ancient bathroom fixtures, a truly lovely facade out front, weird stairways and entrances/exits that make no sense... staff was also so pleasant, the most pleasant I've encountered in a goverment building. Maybe it was just because we were dressed up in wedding regalia... Judge Chu was so kind, when do you ever get to joke about getting wasted in front of a judge... he was patient toward us, and took photos afterward. Paid with a check. So lovely, light streaming in through old windows in a peaceful room. read more

There are two court houses, if your heading for matters that are civil then go to the older looking building , the sweatt building, if your looking for the criminal section its the Blackwell building (its the more modern looking building). In the civil side, skip the elevators they take forever and are pretty small. Its easier to use the stairs. The help desk has a notary if you need one, there's also a copy machine but its expensive. On the criminal you have no choice but to use the slow elevatots. Its a nice building but everything takes forever. read more

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On Yelp, 4 stars equals "Yay! I'm a fan". I hesitate to apply this rather positive, optimistic sentiment to something that instills such fear in me as a courthouse. Nothing good ever happens in a courthouse, despite what the writers of "Night Court" would have had you believe. I suppose years of watching Law & Order's gritty portrayal of criminals who get caught for jaywalking and then through some prosecutorial maneuver end up thrown into Rikers or Bellvue for the rest of their lives has really taken its mental toll. I think I watch too much TV. The only--and I mean only--occasion I can ever "be a fan" of a courthouse is perhaps when it is to witness the marriage between my brother and his fiancee. Specifically, the marriage that was to take place in the Travis County Courthouse in the chambers of The Honorable Herb Evans, Justice of the Peace, Precinct Five. I met Neal in front of the courthouse, where we spent the last few minutes of his single life together at 1000 Guadalupe. I reminded him that he was probably better suited for a settled down existence, so there wasn't a whole lot of boozing and cruising in his past to lament leaving behind. I, on the other hand, would find some way to make "boozing and cruising" the theme of my future wedding. The family started to arrive, and Lisa looked absolutely stunning for her wedding day. I stood back amidst the flurry of "awws" and boutonniere pinning so I could snap a few photos to remember the moment. Once we were assembled, it was time to face security. Of course, some of the magic of the moment is inevitably put on hold as the bride is assuming the position for a magnetic wand to be waved over her white David Meister dress. I was just happy we didn't have to remove our shoes a la the TSA, and unfortunately none of the guards were the types I'd willingly allow to do one of those invasive, provocative pat downs. Once we were all through, I was gearing up for a long slog to some office on an upper floor, but Neal simply turned around and walked into a door that was right behind us, past the entrance for security. We literally could have walked in and immediately turned left, and been at the judge's office. I understand the need for the security procedure, it just struck me as a little silly. The chambers were comfortable, and appeared to fit our party perfectly down to the last bench. The judge showed up precisely on time, and Neal and Lisa were invited to sit at a table at the front to answer a few questions about their backgrounds and occupations. It seems like a nice, congenial gesture, but I figured it was mostly designed to smoke out any illegal aliens or marriages of convenience. Cue the Debbie Downer "Wah, wahhhhh." Finally, it was time. I sat in the front row, utterly taken with how surreal the whole thing was. Just twenty minutes ago I was at my job, going about my routine, and instead of the usual happy hour at some bar, I was attending my brother's wedding. It'd be cliche to say I had flashes of holding him the day he was born or playing with him on our swing-set as children, but I actually did. I could only imagine what Mom and Dad were feeling. It was all a little overwhelming. The judge had this really eloquent way of wording the vows and extolling the virtues of marriage (One day, I hope the sex of the participants won't matter across the country, as nothing he said was particularly gender-specific, if you know what I mean). He was able to keep it secular while *just* skirting the line of mentioning a Deity, which someone as concerned about the separation of church and state as I am was listening for. Not that I would be THAT offended being a believer myself, I just wanted to see how theocratic the State of Texas might be leaning these days under Pastor Perry. All in all, I felt it was done appropriately and beautifully. Later, a friend of my dad's commented "Who knew a justice of the peace could wax so poetically?" I concur. The bride cried, which I totally hadn't factored into the whole event, but luckily Mom had a tissue at the ready. Neal didn't tear up, but that's OK; the only thing that makes me squirm and extremely uncomfortable at straight weddings is when the groom cries and everyone goes "Awwww" in unison. I am not having it. The ring exchange was sweet, and it was quite a kiss after they were pronounced man and wife. Like I said: It was definitely a happy, if surreal, occasion. As we exited the chambers, I heard a clerk explaining to a woman that she had her choice of pleading no contest or guilty to her most recent crime. Ahh, yes...and back to reality. It also made me realize marriages are probably the best part about the judge's job. The civil marriage was dignified, efficient, and we even had some poetic flourish to boot. I'd also like to say in keeping with the surreal aspect of the event, I could have never predicted I'd be writing a review of my brother's wedding, but well...there you have it. read more

Oh gawd, I'm a regular at the Travis County Courthouse. And I'm not a lawyer. That being said, if you have business to attend to involving a judge or Johnny Law, this place ain't half bad. I always manage a smile and a greeting to the officers manning the metal detector, and it genuinely seems to surprise them, netting me a smile and kind words in return. I guess most people getting searched aren't wildly friendly. All the interactions I've had, be it clerks, judges, lawyers, or support staff, have been helpful and pleasant, which is A) surprising in a government building, and B) extremely comforting considering the circumstances. So go ahead! Run that red light! Punch a horse! Pee on a lamppost! Get that divorce you've been contemplating! It's all good down here! (Don't actually punch a horse. That's not cool.) read more

I got my passport here instead of at the post office. Courthouse: no wait at all; Post Office: 23 day waiting list...hmm So I went with the courthouse; parking was awful, but everyone was surprisingly nice (it caught me off guard). Best decision I've made in a while. read more

Judge Herb Evans--A Very Scary Man If you need redress in small claims court DO NOT choose Judge Herb Evans in Precinct Five, if at all possible. I write not as a disgruntled loser but as someone who was sued in his court and not even allowed to put on a defense because I never received a notice of the hearing on my case. He got agitated and angry when I tried to explain why the notice didn't arrive and then ambushed me with an affidavit from one of his clerks claiming that I had called on the day of the hearing--a provable lie--he must have coerced the poor woman into signing a false affidavit. I know it sounds crazy, but that's because it was--it's a cliche to say "Kafka-esque" but that's exactly how it felt. He drew an opponent in this year's election--which doesn't usually happen unless the judge is incompetent, lazy, or dishonest. I highly recommend voting against this Judge Evans. read more

I don't ever want to go to court. I don't even want to be a juror unless the case is non-medical, medical stuff grosses me out. I used to come here to file papers with the Travis County District Court all the time and I miss it so so so much since they've switched to e-filing for asbestos cases. I loved the staff here. Billy in 302 was always fun to talk to and I miss arguing with John (also in 302). Coming to court was such a nice little break in my day and I enjoyed walking up and down the old staircase and the old musty smell of the building. The only part I didn't like was dealing with the women who set dates - they always seemed too busy and important to care about helping anyone, but you just know that their busy-busy-busy act is just a cover for the fact that they have Solitaire on the other side of that screen, and dealing with their attitude kind of added to the charm and mystique of coming to Court. So it's not the prettiest little courthouse in Texas, but the Travis County Court does have it's charms including a pretty cool staircase and nice slow elevators with mirrors on three sides so you can check the back of your hair. There's also a nice little cafeteria on the bottom floor of the building in case you ever get hungry or thirsty hauling papers into Court bright and early in the morn. read more

I'm going to go out on a limb here and give this place 4 stars. I'm not a "fan" exactly but I was able to find parking easily, able to find where I needed to go immediately, the restroom was functional and clean, any staff I interacted with was pleasant, my hearing started on time and took all of 10 minutes, and I was out the door. what more do you want? read more

This review is for the Passport office, which is located on the 3rd floor. Parking in the area can be a bit limited, so be sure to give yourself some extra time. I checked in at room 302 and the desk clerk was friendly but new, so she wasn't sure if my expired passport counted as proof of citizenship (which it does). The main drawback is that there is only one staff member processing passports, so depending on the line it could be a long wait. Expect around 15 minutes per customer or longer if a family rolls in. The lady who processed the passports was very sweet, but got slightly distracted by her breakfast tacos, which were hand delivered by another employee and served to delay the process even more. So all in all it lived up to its government office expectations: generally pleasant but inefficient. Kinda Cool. read more

I have to spend a lot of time here for work so I've had a couple years of regular visits to form an opinion. I know it's confusing that you can only enter on the basement level, I see people all the time start to climb the front steps to the grand entrance only to turn around and climb back down them. Those doors have never been open in my lifetime. One thing that bothers me though about this courthouse is the notary service. I had to get a document notarized and stopped by on my way to the post office. The cost is $3 cash only, exact change only. If you happen to carry around exactly that odd number of bills and/or coins then you'll have no problem. Now I'm a notary myself and I give my clients as much flexibility as possible. You can pay me in cash, check or money order. The only reason I don't offer credit/debit cards is because I don't have one of the machines. So the moral of the story is find another notary if you don't keep three dollars on you. Other than that it's a nice enough building from a historical standpoint. There's no parking lot so if you're in court for longer than the 2 hours the meters allow then you'll get a lovely ticket waiting for you upon returning to your car. The attorneys in my office get about one a week but there's really not anything we can do about it since you can't ask the judge to wait while you go feed the parking meter. read more

Hey, Courthouse! Remember me? We've had so many visits together! Remember, years ago, when you granted me a divorce? Thanks a million for that. And thanks so much for giving me everything, and leaving him nothing. You're awesome! High fives! And remember when I was sleeping and driving? And then you took like $30k from me? That's cool, Courthouse. You were just doing your job! Oh, Courthouse, remember that one "incident;" that felony? Oops! Sorry! Thanks for making that disappear, although that cost me another twenty grand! I really like you, Courthouse, although I feel like I'm going to throw up when I visit you. Nothing personal! And, dear sweet Courthouse, although you've always been there for me, I need a little break. No! It's not you, it's me! I swear. You're great. You really are. And I know you'll find another special person to share your time with. But right now, I can't be that person for you. Oh, don't cry. It'll be okay. I'm sure I'll be back. read more

Are they serious that the ONLY parking for jury duty is meter parking??? So does this mean during jury interrogations...you have to say excuse me and run put money in your meter?? I think this is ridiculous.... read more

"for six dollars a day" For six dollars a day, unless you are selected to be a juror (selected jurors get $40 a day), one can sit back and enjoy watching the US legal process in action. First off, bring plenty of quarters. For two bucks, you can legally park on the street for two hours. Second off, don't be early. In fact you can be a little late without even getting a glare from the judge. Before I knew all that, I was just standing in the foyer of floor five wondering what was going to happen next. Well, of all the things I was thinking about, which I cannot rembember any of them now, nothing got my attention more than one woman saying to two others about being "bi-curios." I honestly thought I heard wrong, but when I began to eavesdrop after the inital "bi-curious bomb," there was no mistaking I heard right. The oldest woman, 40ish, was gacking to the other two about it and the 30ish woman seemed to be just being polite, while the woman in her late 20s was very interested in the topic. A few quick lesbian fantasies easily passed the time until the jurors were ushered into the courtroom. But, before we sat down, our names were called one at a time. So, all the jurors were in a hallway and huddled up so the bailiff wouldn't have to yell. Turns out I get stuck standing next to someone who had obviously just come from a long stay at the bar (it's about 915am at this point). They smelled exactly like a bar, but we weren't at a bar -- ashtray, booze, and a strong aura of "bartender give me another." At first I was disgusted and then I was like, I want to be at a bar right now. I could so use a Lone Star right now. Anyways, then the plantiff's lawyer starts with his spiel about how we all need to be opinionated about his inquiries into our lives and/or experiences. Since the plaintiff was suing the defendant for damages resulting from a car wreck, he was fishing for anyone who had been awarded signifigant damages in the same manner. He also wanted anyone who thought significant damages were wrong to go take a hike. I personally didn't indicate one way or the other in the court, but feel that although the high judgements seem wrong in some way, it's never been my family on trial. So, I just wanted to see the facts before deciding one way or the other about how much damages seemed appropriate. The defendant, who didn't speak English very well even though he had been in the US since the 60s (yes this caused a big ruckus amongst the jurors) had an interpreter and his lawyer sitting with him. His lawyer wanted to identify the people who believe just because a medical test was performed doesn't mean it was necessarily necessary. And in such a scenario, his client wouldn't have to pay for it. He also wanted the hikers to be ones who believed if a hospital performed a test, it must obviously be necessary. I could relate more to this position as I am not sure which profession I trust less, doctors in the era of writing a scrip for every medical issue ever, or a lawyer looking to get paid. Well, I guess I don't have a poker face because neither party was interested in me being part of the jury of the peers. Even so, I had a great time and felt I contributed more to society today than at my normal job. It only cost me some time and parking money, and I got to donate my six dollar check to a Texas Children's Fund. read more

I have never been to court and there does seem to be a strange mix off folks that mingle in courthouses. I went here yesterday to finalize my divorce. While the whole experience will leave even the toughest of broads weepy eyed, here is why it's getting 4 stars. I did not have an attorney as we were going the amicable route, at least as amicable as a divorce can really be, so the state attorney was assigned to go over my final paperwork. He was very compassionate and thorough when going over the paperwork. He would definitely get five stars. I wanted to tip him because he was free but I'm pretty sure that's not kosher. Then came the judge, an older southern gentlemen type. He spoke of the beautiful gift we shared in our child, gave me Kleenex and told my ex he liked his tattooed sleeves pronounced us divorced and told us to have a really nice afternoon in the most sincere of ways. He would also get 5 stars. I didn't feel like tipping him because , well because he's the judge and he just awarded me a small sum for child support. I can't give this place 5 stars for the obvious reasons, but for something I kept putting off, the way you put off scheduling a root canal, it was not such a bad experience as I had feared. So thank you Mr. State lawyer and thank you Your Honor. I'm sorry I forgot your names, hopefully I won't be seeing you anytime soon. Can I get a Hallelujah? read more

All the staff seemed nice and whatnot, but the jug of water left for us only had about a 1/4 cup of water in it. I didn't ask for more, but felt I shouldn't have to. read more

The downtown courthouse is the greatest courthouse of all time. i love the way it's full of courts and coffee cups for all of the people who love, or don't love, to go to the courthouse, for whatever reason(s). read more

What can I say about Herb Evans? First I agree with Jodi Z. He refused to Evict tenants whose dogs were chronically defecating,urinating chewing scratching every surface of the unit, despite the fact that they signed a pet agreement which stated they could be forced to leave.A settlement to have them leave was made and he told them they would be back for damages.Told them they must clean the unit when vacating and that he would be unable to preside over the next case against them.They left the place a mess and stole the door. 20k later I filed but for only the max 10k,was told by Judge Meeker that because the amount was over 10k it had to be dismissed but that I could refile for a lesser amount and I did.The tenant responded saying they would pay $2700 in their response. I responded with a "yes" if I could include the door that the tenant stole when he left.Tenant had installed it and charged me $250 cash and gave me a signed hand written receipt. This judge dismissed the case again,refused to even acknowledge the tenants response. said because it had been dismissed previously he was dismissing it again.In this case I originally asked for labor,carpet and door reimbursement .He said I couldnt ask for just labor.When I reminded him that I asked for carpet reimbursement(as well as reimbursement for the door), HE ACCUSED ME of WANTING MORE than the original amount.Hes rude and angry.It was very clearly written and had he taken the time to read both the original and the response he would have seen what I was asking for. So Your Honor if you are reading this, justice was not served in your court. In other words, hard working people like myself (who happens to be the victim in this case and pay the outrageous taxes that pay your salary) get screwed in your court. And the lying cheating filthy tenants can go about their day destroying other peoples property. I lost my home ,my retirement as a result of these deadbeats. I hope you sleep well at night,have a nice day read more

I realize my expectations should not be high as this is a representative of the US government...which is almost always without fail a disorganized , unprofessional mess. However....this I think takes the cake for worst experiences ever. My wife and I came down to renew our passports. We thought we were prepared...had all the documents, etc. We sat for 40 minutes in a cramped office where I got to see Sheila declare that she's going on break....while there are 15+ people in line for passports....and they close in less than an hour. I also got to hear Armanda wax on about how angry she is with her son and how teenagers are the worst...I even got to hear half the conversation with her son that is "in so much trouble right now" that she "can't even". And how her daughter forgot to drop off their rent check...good times. This waste of breathing space also failed to sign us in, just told us to wait...so we waited and waited some more after someone else came to do her job...guess she was too distracted by her personal life to keep on top of the grueling task of having people sign a piece of paper. She also forgot to tell us that we needed a money order and either a cash or charge to pay two seperate fees....and please bear in mind that this is also the person I spoke to on the phone to ensure we had everything we needed and everything. When I asked about payment she said they took care of it in house. Once we got back (and found street parking in downtown Austin for the second time on a week day) we waited again....Once we finally got called back the whole process took about 15 minutes....which begs the question "why the heck do the lines back up the way they do???" Oh right...stupid and disorganized...like the rest of the government. Is it too much to ask that these people handle our documents and time with a little respect, decorum, and professionalism? Even the sheriffs downstairs (oh yeah...we had to go thru security twice) said they were noticing a "pattern of misinformation". Come on Travis County....get it together. read more