Federal cases in the Northern District of Texas

The Northern District of Texas covers 100 counties in north and northwest Texas, including Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Amarillo and Abilene. It has seven divisions. Here is where the court sits, who prosecutes and defends cases there, and where its rules are published.

We handle federal cases nationwide.

Where does the court sit?

The district has seven divisions, and court for each is held in the city it is named for: Dallas, Fort Worth, Abilene, San Angelo, Amarillo, Wichita Falls and Lubbock (28 U.S.C. § 124(a)). The court's site lists these courthouses:

• Dallas

  1100 Commerce Street. Covers Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro and Rockwall counties.

• Fort Worth

  Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse, 501 West 10th Street. Covers Comanche, Erath, Hood, Jack, Palo Pinto, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties.

• Abilene

  341 Pine Street. Covers Taylor, Howard and 11 other counties.

• San Angelo

  O.C. Fisher Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 33 East Twohig Avenue. Covers Tom Green, Brown and 13 other counties.

• Amarillo

  J. Marvin Jones Federal Building and Courthouse, 205 SE 5th Avenue. Covers Potter, Randall and 24 other counties in the Panhandle.

• Lubbock

  George H. Mahon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 1205 Texas Avenue. Covers Lubbock and 18 other counties.

• Wichita Falls

  1000 Lamar Street. Covers Wichita and 11 other counties. The court's site says this courthouse is used only while court is in session, and filings for Wichita Falls cases go to the clerk's office in Fort Worth.

United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas

Which appeals court covers it?

Appeals from this court go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (28 U.S.C. §§ 41, 1294(1)). Its decisions are binding on the federal judges in this district, so its precedent governs cases here (uscourts.gov, About the U.S. Courts of Appeals).

Who prosecutes and who defends?

Federal prosecutors here work for the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas, part of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Anyone charged with a federal crime who can’t afford a lawyer can ask the court to appoint one (18 U.S.C. § 3006A). Here, appointed lawyers come from the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Texas, a Federal Public Defender office with offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock and Amarillo, or from a panel of private lawyers the court approves.

Where are the local rules and sentencing procedures?

Every federal court follows the national rules, such as the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, plus its own local rules. This court publishes them on its local rules page.

Local Criminal Rule 32.1 says the probation officer may not share any sentencing recommendation. The local rules set no separate report deadlines, so the federal rule applies: the report goes to the defense at least 35 days before sentencing, and objections are due within 14 days (Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(e)(2), (f)).

“A probation officer shall not disclose any recommendation regarding the sentence.”

Is Brandon Sample admitted in this court?

Yes. Brandon Sample is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He has also handled federal cases in courts across the country.

Which federal prisons are in this district?

Bureau of Prisons facilities in this district (from bop.gov, which lists their judicial district as Northern Texas; each is in a county that 28 U.S.C. § 124(a) places in the district):

• FCI Seagoville

  Low security, with a satellite camp and a detention center. Seagoville, Dallas County.

• FMC Carswell

  A federal medical center for women. Administrative security, with a satellite camp. Fort Worth, Tarrant County.

• FMC Fort Worth

  A federal medical center. Administrative security, with a detention center. Fort Worth, Tarrant County.

• FCI Big Spring

  Low security, with a satellite camp. Big Spring, Howard County.

A prison being in this district doesn’t mean someone sentenced here will go there. The Bureau of Prisons decides where each person serves their sentence (18 U.S.C. § 3621(b)).

What families should know about federal cases in this district

• The first hearing comes fast. After an arrest, the person goes before a magistrate judge without unnecessary delay for an initial appearance (Fed. R. Crim. P. 5(a)). The judge decides whether they stay in custody while the case goes on (18 U.S.C. § 3142).
• Most felony cases start with an indictment. A grand jury decides in private whether to approve the charges (Fed. R. Crim. P. 6, 7).
• The presentence report matters. A federal probation officer writes a report on the offense and the person’s life before sentencing, and the defense can object to mistakes in it (Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(c)–(f)). Check this court’s schedule above.
• The judge decides the sentence. The judge must consider the Sentencing Guidelines and the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), including the person’s history and background. Families can write letters; there is no limit on the background information a judge may consider (18 U.S.C. § 3661).
• The appeal clock is short. A defendant’s notice of appeal is usually due within 14 days after the judgment is entered (Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A)).
• Prison phones and email are monitored. Don’t discuss the case on them (28 C.F.R. § 540.102).

More questions families ask →

Sources

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• N.D. Tex. Dallas Division
• N.D. Tex. Fort Worth Division
• N.D. Tex. Abilene Division
• N.D. Tex. San Angelo Division
• N.D. Tex. Amarillo Division
• N.D. Tex. Lubbock Division
• N.D. Tex. Wichita Falls Division
• 28 U.S.C. § 124
• N.D. Tex. Rules and Orders
• N.D. Tex. Local Criminal Rules (eff. Sept. 1, 2026 PDF)
• 28 U.S.C. § 41 (circuits)
• uscourts.gov: About the U.S. Courts of Appeals
• USAO Northern District of Texas
• Federal Public Defender, N.D. Tex.
• FCI Seagoville (bop.gov)
• FMC Carswell (bop.gov)
• FMC Fort Worth (bop.gov)
• FCI Big Spring (bop.gov)
• BOP locations list

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