Paschal County, covering much of northeast Texas including present-day Cass County, was one of a number of “Judicial Counties” created by the Congress of the Republic of Texas in 1840 and 1841. It appears their main purpose was to speed land grants to approved settlers. Judicial Counties were much like traditional counties, except they lacked representation in Congress. Because the Article I, Section 5 of the Republic of Texas Constitution required that “Each county shall be entitled to at least one Representative (in Congress),” the Texas Supreme Court struck down the acts which created the Judicial Counties during its Spring 1842 term.