GROVETON — A reporting requirement regarding completed court cases could mean Trinity County becomes ineligible for certain state grant funds.
County Attorney Colton Hay reported at the April 14 meeting of the Trinity County Commissioners Court that all county departments dealing with criminal cases must be at 90 percent in reporting closed cases into the state’s Criminal Justice Information System. Departments include the Sheriff’s Office, the County Clerk, the District Attorney’s Office, and even the County Attorney’s Office.
Hay said the state of Texas over the past couple years has said entities are not eligible for grant funds unless the information is logged in in a timely manner — which according to an order issued by Gov. Greg Abbott, is within 30 of the disposition of a case.
The latest figures for Trinity County show the reporting percentage was 68 percent in 2024.
County Clerk Shasta Bergman said that after the criminal clerk in her office quit in December 2025, they uncovered more than 150 files that were not submitted to CJIS, which will affect the completion percentage. Hay said, however, that slow reporting has been a problem for years; in 2022 the percent was 82, and in 2023, 85.
The COVID shutdown was said to have been a factor.
County Judge Danny Martin said that he has been informed that two grants for his office will not continue unless the information is brought up to date.
While the county took no action, all agencies were admonished to get reporting requirements in line.
The order from the governor, issued Sept. 5, 2019, states that “Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, all future grant awards from the Office of the Governor to counties shall require a commitment that the county will report at least within seven business days to the Criminal Justice Information System at the Department of Public Safety. By Jan. 1, 2021, such reporting must take place within five business days."
Information from the Department of Public Safety states the order refers to reducing the submission timeframe, requiring counties to submit final dispositions within 37 days in year 2020 and within 35 days in year 2021 and beyond.
