El Paso County, Texas: Administration, Jail, Clerk of Court, Sheriff’s Office

Only two men held the job between 1984 and 2024. That’s the kind of stability the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office had for four decades — Leo Samaniego, then Richard Wiles after him — before Oscar Ugarte, a former constable in his 30s, won the 2024 election and became the youngest sheriff in the department’s history. He inherited an office that had just weathered a gang-related killing at one of its jail facilities and a genuinely competitive five-way primary that signaled real appetite for change. El Paso County, anchored by the border city of the same name and home to roughly 865,000 residents, runs a government structure worth understanding in its own right. Here’s how it works.

Quick Facts

A Border County With Its Own Time Zone

El Paso County sits at the far western tip of Texas, and it’s the state’s only county on Mountain Time rather than Central Time — a detail that trips up plenty of people scheduling calls or filings from elsewhere in Texas. County Judge Ricardo Samaniego has led the Commissioners Court since 2019, a tenure that included a high-profile clash with the state over pandemic-era business shutdown orders, when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office publicly challenged Samaniego’s authority to issue county-wide closures.

The Commissioners Court handles budget and policy, while several offices — the Sheriff, District Attorney, and District Clerk — are independently elected and operate outside the Judge’s direct authority. James Montoya, elected District Attorney in 2024 in the same election cycle that brought in the new sheriff, unseated the Republican incumbent and now leads prosecution for the 34th Judicial District, which covers El Paso, Hudspeth, and Culberson counties together.

The Sheriff’s Office Under New Leadership

Oscar Ugarte’s election ended one of the more remarkable stretches of continuity in Texas county government — only three sheriffs led the office across 40 years before him. He previously served as Constable for Precinct 1, covering parts of West, Central, and Northeast El Paso, and campaigned with backing from prominent local Democrats including former Congressman Beto O’Rourke and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar. His platform centered on bringing “a new generation of leadership” to the department, including a proposed Civilian Social Services Unit to connect residents with community resources rather than relying solely on enforcement.

He took over an office facing real challenges. A gang-influenced killing of an inmate at the Jail Annex shortly before the election became a central issue in the sheriff’s race, with rival candidates specifically citing it as evidence the department needed improvement.

The Sheriff’s Office’s core responsibilities include:

• Public safety in unincorporated areas of El Paso County
• Operating the county’s two-facility jail system — the Downtown Jail and the Jail Annex on the far East Side
• Court security and prisoner transport
• Civil process service, including warrants and evictions

Because the City of El Paso runs its own large municipal police department, the Sheriff’s Office focuses primarily on unincorporated county areas and jail operations, similar to the structure in many large Texas counties.

Understanding the Jail System

El Paso County operates two separate detention facilities rather than one central jail:

• Downtown Jail — the county’s primary intake and processing facility
• Jail Annex — located on the far East Side, housing a significant portion of the county’s incarcerated population, and the site of the widely reported gang-related inmate killing that became a campaign issue in 2024

For anyone trying to locate or support someone in custody:

• The Sheriff’s Office maintains an online inmate search tool, typically searchable by name
• Confirm which facility — Downtown or the Jail Annex — holds the individual before making a trip, since bookings and transfers can shift between the two
• Booking information generally takes a few hours to post after an arrest
• Bond can typically be posted at the relevant facility or through approved payment channels
• Visitation requires advance scheduling and valid photo ID; given the new sheriff’s stated focus on jail safety, confirm current procedures directly before visiting

Courts and the District Clerk’s Office

El Paso County splits case types the way most Texas counties do: the District Clerk handles felony criminal cases, family law, and major civil disputes, while the County Clerk manages misdemeanors, probate, and smaller civil matters.

A few practical points:

• Case records can often be checked online through the District Clerk’s system before an in-person visit
• Confirm which clerk’s office applies to your case type before filing
• Self-help resources exist for people without an attorney, though staff can’t offer legal advice
• Given El Paso’s proximity to the 34th Judicial District’s multi-county coverage, confirm your case is filed in the correct county if it involves Hudspeth or Culberson County as well

Before You Visit

• Bring valid, government-issued photo ID to any county building, courthouse, or jail facility
• Remember El Paso runs on Mountain Time, not Central Time like the rest of Texas — double-check deadlines and appointment times against your own time zone
• Confirm whether your matter is a District Clerk or County Clerk case before showing up
• Call ahead for jail visitation and bond questions, particularly given the department’s recent leadership transition and stated focus on facility safety

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How do I find out if someone is in the El Paso County Jail?

Use the Sheriff’s Office online inmate search tool with the person’s full name. Since the county operates two separate facilities — the Downtown Jail and the Jail Annex — confirm which one holds the individual before visiting, and allow a few hours after a recent arrest for booking information to appear.

Q2. Why does El Paso run on Mountain Time when the rest of Texas uses Central Time?

El Paso County’s geographic position at the far western edge of Texas puts it in the Mountain Time zone, unlike every other Texas county. This matters for scheduling court dates, filing deadlines, or coordinating with any county office from elsewhere in the state.

Q3. What’s the difference between the District Clerk and County Clerk in El Paso County?

The District Clerk handles felony criminal cases, family law matters, and major civil litigation. The County Clerk manages misdemeanors, probate, and smaller civil cases, along with vital records like marriage licenses. Confirm which applies to your specific matter before filing to avoid a wasted trip.

Q4. Has the El Paso County Jail had safety issues recently?

A gang-related inmate death at the Jail Annex became a significant issue during the 2024 sheriff’s race, with the newly elected sheriff, Oscar Ugarte, running partly on a platform of improving department practices. If jail safety and current conditions are relevant to your situation, confirm the latest status directly with the Sheriff’s Office rather than relying on older reporting.