Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 189 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 108, 36 Stat. 1125; May 29, 1912, ch. 144, 37 Stat. 120; Feb. 5, 1913, ch. 28, §§ 1, 2, 37 Stat. 663; Feb. 26, 1917, ch. 122, 39 Stat. 939; Mar. 1, 1919, ch. 87, 40 Stat. 1270; Mar. 2, 1923, ch. 172, §§ 1, 2, 42 Stat. 1373; Apr. 3, 1924, ch. 82, 43 Stat. 64; May 29, 1924, ch. 211, §§ 1, 2, 43 Stat. 244; May 26, 1928, ch. 752, § 1, 45 Stat. 747; June 6, 1930, ch. 408, 46 Stat. 521; June 24, 1930, ch. 596, 46 Stat. 807; Feb. 20, 1932, ch. 51, 47 Stat. 52; July 25, 1939, ch. 356, § 1, 53 Stat. 1082; June 6, 1940, ch. 252, 54 Stat. 241.)

Words “and all prosecutions against persons for offenses committed in the county of Reagan shall be tried in the court at San Angelo: Provided, That no civil or criminal cause begun and pending prior to May 29, 1924, shall be in any way affected,” words “and all prosecutions against persons for offenses committed in the county of Pecos shall be tried in the district court at El Paso, or Pecos City: Provided, That no civil or criminal cause begun and pending prior to March 2, 1923, shall be in any way affected,” and words “Provided, That no civil or criminal cause commenced prior to June 24, 1930, shall be in any way affected,” were all deleted as superseded by Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rules 18–22, and as obsolete, in view of the lapse of time after the dates included in such provisions.

Provisions for furnishing rooms and accommodations at Pecos and Wichita Falls were omitted as obsolete, on advice of the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts that Federal accommodations are now available at such places.

Provisions relating to the maintenance of offices at various cities by the clerks were omitted as covered by sections 452 and 751 of this title.

Provisions that process against residents of Pecos County shall issue from and be returnable to the court at Pecos City and against residents of Reagan County at San Angelo, were omitted since such matter can be regulated more appropriately by court rule or order. (See Rule 4 of Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.)

The provisions requiring notice to be given for time of holding court in Pecos division and at Corpus Christi, were omitted as covered by section 141 of this title.

Five counties included in this section were created since the enactment of section 189 of title 28. These were Kleberg County and Kenedy County of the Corpus Christi division of the southern district, Culberson County and Hudspeth County of the El Paso division of the western district, and Real County of the San Antonio division of the western district. Pecos County is included in the Pecos division and omitted from the El Paso division of the western district to conform to the practice of the court.

Changes in arrangement and phraseology were made.

2004—Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 108–455 inserted “, and may be held anywhere within the Federal courthouse in Texarkana that is located astride the State line between Texas and Arkansas” after “held at Texarkana”.

2003—Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 108–157, § 1(a)(1), substituted “Delta, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, Hopkins, and Lamar” for “Denton, and Grayson” and inserted “and Plano” after “held at Sherman”.

Subsec. (c)(4) to (7). Pub. L. 108–157, § 1(a)(2), (3), redesignated pars. (5) to (7) as (4) to (6), respectively, in par. (5) inserted “Red River,” after “Franklin,”, and struck out former par. (4) which read “The Paris Division comprises the counties of Delta, Fannin, Hopkins, Lamar, and Red River.

“Court for the Paris Division shall be held at Paris.”

1984—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–620, § 407(a)(1), substituted “seven” for “six” in provisions preceding par. (1).

Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 98–620, § 407(a)(2), struck out references to Hidalgo and Starr counties from the counties comprising the Brownsville Division of the Southern District.

Subsec. (b)(7). Pub. L. 98–620, § 407(a)(3), added par. (7).

1980—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 96–462, § 6(a), struck out references to Polk and Trinity counties in list of counties comprising Houston Division of Southern District.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96–462, § 6(b), in provisions preceding par. (1) substituted “seven” for “six”; in par. (1) struck out references to Angelina, Houston, Nacogdoches, and Shelby counties in list of counties comprising Tyler Division of Eastern District; in par. (2) struck out references to Sabine, San Augustine, and Tyler counties in list of counties comprising Beaumont Division of Eastern District; and added par. (7).

1967—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 90–216, § 1(4), enlarged from six to seven the number of divisions comprising Western District.

Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 90–216, § 1(1), transferred counties of Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, and Presidio from El Paso Division to Pecos Division.

Subsec. (d)(6). Pub. L. 90–216, § 1(2), added counties of Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, and Presidio to Pecos Division from El Paso Division, and transferred counties of Andrews, Crane, Ector, Martin, Midland, and Upton from Pecos Division to Midland-Odessa Division.

Subsec. (d)(7). Pub. L. 90–216, § 1(3), added par. (7), which created Midland-Odessa Division, comprised of counties of Andrews, Crane, Ector, Martin, Midland, and Upton, transferred from Pecos Division.

1964—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 88–282, § 1(a), struck out Austin, Fort Bend, and Wharton counties from list comprising Galveston Division.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 88–282, § 1(b), added Austin, Fort Bend, and Wharton counties to list comprising Houston Division.

Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 88–512, § 1(a), added county of Hopkins to Paris Division.

Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 88–512, § 1(b), struck out county of Hopkins from Marshall Division.

1961—Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 87–352 changed the name of Division from Jefferson to Marshall, and provided for holding court at Marshall.

1957—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 85–298, § 2, inserted Shelby County in list of counties comprising Tyler Division.

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 85–298, § 1, struck out Shelby County from list of counties comprising Beaumont Division.

1954—Subsec. (d)(4). Act Feb. 10, 1954, § 2(b)(9)(a), struck out Edwards County from list of counties comprising San Antonio Division of Western District.

Subsec. (d)(5). Act Feb. 10, 1954, § 2(b)(9)(b), inserted Edwards County in list of counties comprising Del Rio Division of Western District.

Pub. L. 108–157, § 1(b), Dec. 3, 2003, 117 Stat. 1947, provided that: “(1) In general.—This section [amending this section] and the amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 3, 2003]. “(2) Pending cases not affected.—This section and the amendments made by this section shall not affect any action commenced before the effective date of this section and pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on such date. “(3) Juries not affected.—This section and the amendments made by this section shall not affect the composition, or preclude the service, of any grand or petit jury summoned, impaneled, or actually serving in the Eastern Judicial District of Texas on the effective date of this section.”

Pub. L. 98–620, title IV, § 407(b), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3362, provided that: “The amendments made by subsection (a) of this section [amending this section] shall apply to any action commenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas on or after the effective date of this subtitle [Jan. 1, 1985], and shall not affect any action pending in such court on such effective date.”

Amendment by Pub. L. 98–620 effective Jan. 1, 1985, and not to affect the composition, or preclude the service, of any grand or petit jury summoned, impaneled, or actually serving on that date, see section 411 of Pub. L. 98–620, set out as a note under section 85 of this title.

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–462 effective Oct. 1, 1981, but not to affect the composition or preclude the service of any grand or petit juror summoned, empaneled, or actually serving in any judicial district on Oct. 1, 1981, see section 7 of Pub. L. 96–462, set out as a note under section 84 of this title.