KYJKnow Your Judge v0.6.2by SwansLake
Judge directoryKristin L. Bays

Active Trial judge

Kristin L. Bays

Texas 284th District Court

Texas · Montgomery

Identity verifiedOfficial profile locatedOfficial sources collectedPresentation intelligence
01

Overview

Identity and service

Official judge-specific and circuitwide procedural guidance has been located for this profile.

Judicial role
District Judge, Montgomery County 284th District Civil Court
Service status
Active
Court level
Trial
Jurisdiction
State
02

Background

Biography and career

Gender
Female
Race
White
Political affiliation
Republican (via other)

Education

  • Baylor Universitysumma cum laude, 1993
  • Baylor UniversityEducation, English, cum laude, 1990

Professional career

  • Practitioner, Dinkins, Kelly, Lenox, Gerstner & Lamb, Houston, TX, 1993-1994
  • Practitioner, Winner & Associates, Anchorage, AK, 1994-1995
  • Practitioner, Wetzel & Herron, LLP, The Woodlands, TX, 1995-1997
  • Practitioner, Solo Practice, The Woodlands, TX, 1997-2001
  • Practitioner, Bays and Bays, Conroe, TX, 2001-2016
  • Practitioner, Texas County Court at Law, Montgomery County Court at Law, TX, 2016-2017
  • Partner, Bays and Bays, Conroe, TX, 2017-2018

Judicial service

  • Presiding Judge, Texas 284th Judicial District Court, 2019-2022

Source: CourtListener / Free Law Project public biographical data. Demographic and political labels are incomplete, source-attributed, and are not used to infer judicial behavior. “Via appointer” describes CourtListener’s attribution method, not verified personal party membership.

03

Before you appear

Preparation checklist

  1. 01

    Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.

  2. 02

    Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.

  3. 03

    Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

Scope note

Judge-specific guidance is shown first. Broader applicable courtroom, courtwide, districtwide, and statewide guidance remains separately labeled below it.

04

Presentation rules

What the public sources say

Judge-specificExplicit
Civil Motion Or Hearing

Restricted

Judge Bays requires counsel to obtain a date from court staff before sending a hearing or submission notice. Ancillary matters are heard in person, while the submission docket is decided without appearance or oral argument.

Section
Frequently Asked Questions, Questions 1 through 5
Last checked
July 28, 2026
Verification
Automated checks passed
Read supporting source excerpt
Please DO NOT send a notice of submission or hearing without prior confirmation from the Court.

The requirement is stated in an official standing order naming this judge.

CourtwideExplicit
Civil Pretrial And Trial

Restricted

Montgomery County civil cases are controlled by a court-generated docket control order. Jury-trial requests must be written and served, and the assigned court has sole discretion over the jury-trial week.

Page
7
Section
Rule 3.5: Docket Settings
Last checked
July 28, 2026
Verification
Automated checks passed
Read supporting source excerpt
All requests for jury trials shall be in writing and copies of said request served upon all attorneys and parties pro se involved in the case. The court shall have sole discretion as to which jury trial week the case will be assigned.

The requirement is stated in current official court rules and is attached at court scope, not as a personal preference.

StatewideExplicit
Civil Hearing Or Trial

Allowed with notice

In civil district and county court proceedings, the court may permit or require electronic participation after appropriate notice; compelled electronic participation for oral-testimony proceedings requires good cause or party agreement, and a jury trial requires party agreement.

Page
Official PDF
Section
Rule 21d(b)-(f); civil district and county courts only; current July 1, 2026 compilation
Effective
February 1, 2023
Last checked
July 26, 2026
Verification
Automated checks passed
Read supporting source excerpt
Upon appropriate notice by a party or the court, a court may allow or require a participant to appear at a court proceeding by videoconference, teleconference, or other available electronic means, except as otherwise provided in (2).

The requirement is stated in an official statewide source and is attached as applicable guidance, not as a personal preference.

StatewideExplicit
Civil Proceeding

Leave required

Civil district and county trial courts may permit courtroom recording or broadcasting only under Supreme Court guidelines, with the required party and witness consent, or for ceremonial proceedings.

Page
Official PDF
Section
Rule 18c; civil district and county courts only; current July 1, 2026 compilation
Last checked
July 26, 2026
Verification
Automated checks passed
Read supporting source excerpt
A trial court may permit broadcasting, televising, recording, or photographing of proceedings in the courtroom only in the following circumstances:

The requirement is stated in an official statewide source and is attached as applicable guidance, not as a personal preference.

05

Courtroom technology

Published equipment guidance

Judge-specific

Allowed

There is an HDMI cord available at both counsel tables for laptop hookups. An Elmo is available for use in the courtroom.

Open official source ↗
06

Published opinion footprint

Decisions and citations

Opinion data is not yet indexed for this profile

This does not mean the judge has no published opinions or no caseload. KYJ will only show opinion counts after transparent, source-linked CourtListener matching is available.

07

Sources

Public documents behind this profile

08

Change history

How this profile entered KYJ

Current profile indexed

Identity imported from Montgomery County 284th District Court. 5 presentation-related claims migrated with source provenance.