County Judge
Judge John Viertel
john.viertel@shackelfordcounty.org
County Courthouse, 2nd Floor
225 South Main Street
Albany, TX
Mailing Address:
PO Box 2797
Albany, TX 76430
Phone: 325-762-9405
Fax: 325-762-9406
Description of Office: County Judge
~ From the Texas Association of Counties ~
The Texas Constitution vests broad judicial and administrative powers
in the position of county judge, who presides over a five-member
commissioners court, which has budgetary and administrative authority
over county government operations.
The county judge handles such widely varying matters as hearings for
beer and wine license applications, hearing on admittance to state
hospitals for the mentally ill and mentally retarded, juvenile work
permits and temporary guardianships for special purposes. The judge is
also responsible for calling elections, posting election notices and for
receiving and canvassing the election returns. The county judge may
perform marriages.
A county judge in Texas may have judicial responsibility for certain
criminal, civil and probate matters – responsibility for these functions
vary from county to county. In those counties in which the judge has
judicial responsibilities, the judge has appellate jurisdiction over
matters arising from the justice courts. The county judge is also head
of civil defense and disaster relief, county welfare and in counties
under 225,000 population, the judge prepares the county budget along
with the county auditor or county clerk.