The 474th District Court has disposed of 265 cases since Judge Alan Bennett took office in January 2023. This includes 153 civil and family law cases and 112 juvenile cases. Judge Bennett has conducted 2 civil jury trials thus far, disposing of cases that had been pending on the dockets of McLennan County district courts for over 6 years. Other jury trial settings have led to the resolution of 2 personal injury cases where the parties finally reached agreements to resolve their disputes rather than subject themselves to the time, expense and uncertainty of a jury trial. Finally, a juvenile court jury trial setting led to a juvenile respondent charged with 2 serious felonies pleading “true” to those allegations while 50 potential jurors were in the lobby awaiting jury selection. After hearing the evidence, and subject to a plea agreement by the State capping the respondent’s maximum potential sentences, Judge Bennett imposed a determinate sentence of 10 years in each case.
