City of Victoria Legal Department

361-485-3520

105 W. Juan Linn St.

P.O. Box 1758
Victoria, Texas, 77902

City Attorney

Miles K. Risley 

Assistant City Attorney

Linda Champion

Municipal Court Prosecutor

Doug Anderson

Charles Zech's recommendations for Victoria City Charter

Charles Zech's Analysis of Texas City Charters

The Legal Department's mission is:

1. Provide legal advice to our clients, who are the City's administrators, City Council members, and certain municipal boards and organizations,
2. Review or prepare all documents in which the City may have a legal interest, including contracts involving the City, covenants in deeds from/to the City, and resolutions and ordinances of the City Council,
3. Prosecute violations of Class C misdemeanors that occur in the City limits,
4. Represent the City in lawsuits in which the City or one of its officials in their official capacity is a plaintiff or defendant,
5. Serve as counsel to organizations that are officially affiliated with the City, such as the Victoria Planning Commission, the Victoria Building Boards, the Victoria Building and Standards Commission, the Victoria Sales Tax Development Corporation, and the Victoria Recreation Association,
6. Evaluate, manage, and assert claims on behalf of the City, and
7. Evaluate, manage, and defend claims against the City.

Questions involving Municipal Court prosecution should be directed to the prosecutor in the Municipal Court at (361) 485-3050.  He appears in Municipal Court on a part-time basis, and he will want to review the court's file before responding to any calls.  Therefore, it may take up to a week for him to return your calls.

City of Victoria Warrant List (Acrobat Reader Required) - The list is only valid as of December 2, 2008.  Names are not removed until a new list is issued. New lists are issued approximately every month.  This list is not all inclusive. If your name is not listed, and you have an outstanding ticket in Municipal Court, you need to call Municipal Court at 361-485-3050.

List of tax-foreclosed properties for sale by Victoria County (contact Jeff Rutledge at 1-361-888-6898 or Jeff.Rutledge@publicans.com to make a bid on a property on this list).

Frequently Asked Questions:

I need to schedule an appointment to speak with the prosecutor about my Municipal Court Case. How do I do so?  Questions involving Municipal Court prosecution should be directed to the prosecutor in the Municipal Court at (361) 485-3050. 

Am I complying with the law? Citizens of Victoria must comply with the Victoria City Code, as well as state and federal law.  The Victoria City Code may be viewed at http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=10065&sid=43.  State statutes may be viewed at http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/statutes.html.  Federal laws may be viewed at http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/uscodes/.

Am I going to jail? The Victoria Municipal Court warrant list may be viewed at http://www.victoriatx.org/legal/pdfs/warrant.pdf.  This list is not all inclusive. If your name is not listed, and you have an outstanding ticket in Municipal Court, you need to call Municipal Court at (361)485-3050.

I have a warrant for my arrest, who do I need to speak with? You need to deal with your charges and fines by appearing at the Municipal Court at 107 W. Juan Linn, Victoria, Texas. You may call the Victoria Municipal Court at (361)485-3050 to find out your fine amount. Please do not delay. We actively enforce arrest warrants by arresting persons at home, work, and school, at all times of the day and night.

Does the City Attorney's Office handle landlord/tenant disputes, divorces, or any other personal legal problem I may have? No. The City Attorney's office represents the City of Victoria as a municipal entity and cannot represent individual citizens in private legal matters. If an individual desires legal representation in a private matter, he or she must retain an attorney who has a private practice.

What can the City do when a neighbor's tree limbs extend over the property onto my property? Neighborhood disputes are best handled by approaching the neighbor and attempting to arrive at a solution acceptable to both parties. However, this is a private legal matter for which the City Attorney's office can offer no legal advice.

What can be done if my neighbor engages in activities that make loud noises or if his dog barks continually? First, if possible, attempt to resolve the dispute with your neighbor by talking with him about the problem. If this approach is unsuccessful or impractical, you can contact the Victoria Police Department at 911.

Does the City Attorney handle child support issues? No, child support is handled through a private attorney or the Texas Attorney General's Office. Their number is 576-6088.

What time and date is my Court setting? You must contact the Victoria Municipal Court at (361) 485-3050.

Someone has received a ticket in my name, how can I get this corrected? You may report identity theft at the Victoria Police Department at 911.

Legal Disclaimer