Student Story: Here’s the Truth about Eviction

Dallas County Precinct 1 Court 1 hears eviction cases four days a week. (Fall 2022) Photo by Maddie Smith, UNT. Here's the Truth About Evictions written by Braydon Lambert, Maddie Smith, & Reagan Mathews. University of North Texas

Story by Braydon Lambert, Maddie Smith, & Reagan Mathews. University of North Texas

Fluorescent lights buzzed above anxious tenants and eager landlords in Dallas County justice of the peace Precinct 1 Court 1 on a Friday morning. Both groups wait for the court doors to open. The tenants–most without lawyers–tapped their feet and paced as they waited to see if they would get to stay in their homes. Landlords–many with representatives –waited confidently with case files in hand.

This scene plays out Monday through Friday in Dallas County courthouses, and it’s not an uncommon occurrence. According to the Child Poverty Action Lab’s 2022 Dallas Court Observation Project, there have been 28,845 evictions filed in 2022 through August alone, averaging 119 filings per day.

“Everyone you’re talking to is having the worst day of their lives,” said pro bono attorney Mark Melton.