County Attorney

The Family Violence Unit provides assistance to victims of domestic violence by seeking Protective Orders through the courts at no cost to the victims.

If a victim meets the legal criteria for a Protective Order, the unit will prepare and file all of the paperwork necessary to request a Protective Order from a court. Such orders provide effective tools for police officers and law enforcement when they are called upon for protection of the victim and their family.

How to to Apply for a Protective Order

If you are going to apply for a Protective Order, it is very important that you understand that the County Attorney’s Family Violence and Mental Health Coordinator must notarize your signature on the Protective Order affidavit, the form with the title of Exhibit A – Incidents of Family Violence.

If you have any questions about the process, please call (979) 361-4657 for assistance.

Required Documents

The Hot Check Unit assists merchants and other persons victimized by individuals who write and pass bad checks for the purpose of obtaining goods or services. We seek to collect these worthless checks and fees for victims to compensate them for their loss at no cost to the victim. We also vigorously prosecute offenders in an effort to deter their future issuance of bad checks.

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Little Known Fact: Hot checks under $2,499.99 are prosecuted by the County Attorney’s Office.  Hot checks over $2,500 are prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Office

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Recovering Restitution and Fees

Through aggressive collection efforts and prosecution, the Hot Check Division assists merchants and other victims of bad checks recover restitution and legally authorized fees for their losses.

The joint approach of collection and prosecution results in an extremely high collection rate, as well as a deterrence of this type of conduct in the future.

Forms and Instructions

Here are the three different forms that you may be required to use for Non-sufficient Funds (NSF) filings, and/or Account Closed filings.

1.  Worthless Check Information Form (Hot Check Form)

This is the primary form and is required for all filings.

2.  Mail Affidavit

This affidavit is used to prove mailing of first class letter and is used in NSF filings.

3.  Demand letter

This form is used for NSF filings.

Instructions for filing checks

NSF Checks 

For all NSF checks, a demand letter must be sent.  This letter, by law, must be sent by way of First-Class Mail. From the day that you send the letter, you must wait 10 business days. Once the 10 days are up, and no payment has been received, then you can file the check in our office. 

We will need three things from you to file the check:

1. The check or a legal copy of the check
2. Worthless Check Information Form (Hot Check Form) filled out completely and signed at the bottom
3. Mail Affidavit

Account Closed Checks

For all Account Closed checks, we will need two things from you to file the check:

1. The check or a legal copy of the check
2. Worthless Check Information Form (Hot Check Form) filled out completely and signed at the bottom
3. You are not required to send a demand letter for this bank stamping.

Helpful Tips: Get the Driver’s License Number

Please make sure that when checks are taken that the driver’s license number is written down by your employees. Without that information, we will not have the identification needed on the check writer, we will not be able to file the check, and would have to return it to your office.

PLEASE NOTE:  The only two types of checks we can take from a service establishment are the bank stampings of NSF/INSUFFICIENT FUNDS and ACCOUNT CLOSED.