Now in his fourth year on the bench, Pattel said his focus is no longer eliminating old cases but ensuring new filings continue moving efficiently When Judge Surendran K. Pattel started on the bench in January 2023, Fort Bend County’s 240th District Court was in rough shape. The backlog was overwhelming— more than 4,500 pending cases. Some trials were from as far back as 2016, 2017, and 2018. Fast forward three years, and the picture looks completely different.