The Eastern District of Texas

The Eastern District of Texas covers East Texas, from the Red River down to the Beaumont–Port Arthur area, and includes Collin and Denton counties north of Dallas. Court is held in Tyler, Beaumont, Sherman, Plano, Marshall, Texarkana, and Lufkin.

Divisions and courthouse cities

Federal law divides the Eastern District into divisions by county. The table below follows the text of 28 U.S.C. §124. Section 124(c) states that the Eastern District "comprises seven divisions" and then lists six, with the Sherman Division holding court in both Sherman and Plano, and the Texarkana Division in the federal courthouse that straddles the Texas–Arkansas line.

Court locations, local rules, and judges' procedures are posted on the court's official website. Check there for current addresses and filing requirements.

Cities in the district

Cities in the district include Tyler (Smith County), Longview (Gregg County), Beaumont and Port Arthur (Jefferson County), Plano and Frisco (Collin and Denton counties), McKinney (Collin County), Denton (Denton County), Sherman (Grayson County), Texarkana (Bowie County), Lufkin (Angelina County), Nacogdoches (Nacogdoches County), and Marshall (Harrison County).

Civil rights cases in this district

Federal courts have jurisdiction over civil actions "arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States" (28 U.S.C. §1331). That includes claims under 42 U.S.C. §1983 for excessive force, false arrest, and First Amendment retaliation. A §1983 case is usually filed in the district, and often the division, where the events happened or where the defendants are located. The two-year Texas filing deadline applies statewide; see §1983 deadlines.

Appeals to the Fifth Circuit

Appeals from final decisions of the Eastern District go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (28 U.S.C. §1291), which hears appeals from Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi (28 U.S.C. §41). Some orders, including many denials of qualified immunity, can be appealed before trial. See our appeals and qualified immunity pages.

Brandon J. Grable is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Selected result in the Eastern District

Gray v. City of Carthage, No. 6:26-cv-00238 (E.D. Tex.). Brandon J. Grable represented Jeffrey Gray in a §1983 suit raising First and Fourth Amendment claims arising from a September 2024 encounter outside Carthage City Hall. The City of Carthage settled the case for $17,910, and the case was dismissed. See the case update.

Past results disclaimer:Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts and law. Results described depend on the facts and circumstances of each case. Client testimonials are not a guarantee of any result.

Grable PLLC is based in San Antonio and serves clients across Texas. See all four districts on our Texas federal courts page.

This page is general information about Texas and federal law, not legal advice for your situation. Laws and court decisions change, and every case turns on its own facts.