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Travis County Justice of the Peace Court, Texas
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The Travis County Justice of the Peace Court resides in Texas. Click on the links below to learn more about the court's...
Jurisdiction
This court holds the following jurisdiction:[1]
| “ | The Texas Constitution requires that each county in the State establish between one and eight justice of the peace precincts, depending upon the population of the county. Also, depending on the population of the precinct, either one or two justice of the peace courts are to be established in each precinct.
Justice of the peace courts have original jurisdiction in Class C misdemeanor criminal cases, which are less serious minor offenses. These courts also have jurisdiction over minor civil matters. A justice of the peace may issue search or arrest warrants, and may serve as the coroner in counties where there is no provision for a medical examiner. These courts also have jurisdiction over small claims matters.[2] |
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Judges
| Office | Name | Party | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travis County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 | Yvonne Williams | Democratic | 2011 |
| Travis County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 | Randall Slagle | Democratic | 2015 |
| Travis County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 | Sylvia Holmes | Democratic | 2019 |
| Travis County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 | Raúl Arturo González | Democratic | 2007 |
| Travis County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 | Tanisa Jeffers | Democratic | January 1, 2025 |
Elections
Texas is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. To learn more about judicial selection in Texas, click here.
- Texas local trial court judicial elections, 2025
- Texas local trial court judicial elections, 2024
- Texas local trial court judicial elections, 2023
- Texas local trial court judicial elections, 2022
- Texas local trial court judicial elections, 2021
- Texas local trial court judicial elections, 2020
- Texas local trial court judicial elections, 2019
- Texas local trial court judicial elections, 2018
- Texas local trial court judicial elections, 2017
- Texas local trial court judicial elections, 2016
- Texas judicial elections, 2014
- Texas judicial elections, 2012
- Texas judicial elections, 2010
Selection method
- See also: Judicial selection in the states
The members of the Texas Justice of the Peace Courts are elected in partisan elections and serve four-year terms. They are elected in a precinct-wide election.[3]
To serve as a justice of the peace, justices must complete a 40-hour course on relevant duties within one year of his or her election. They must also complete a similar 20-hour course each year they continue to serve.[4]
Judicial elections in Texas
- See also: Texas judicial elections
Texas is one of 11 states that uses partisan elections to select judges and does not use retention elections for subsequent terms. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.
Primary election
Partisan primaries are held if even one candidate has filed for a position. To advance to the general election, a candidate must win a majority (over 50 percent) of the vote. If no candidate in a race wins the majority—as in cases where more than two candidates are competing for a seat—a runoff election is held between the top two candidates.[5][6]
Though Texas officially has closed primaries (requiring that voters declare party affiliation in advance in order to participate), the state's primaries are functionally open: registered voters may vote in any single party's primary if they have not voted in the primary of another party. The elections are closed, however, in that voters may not participate in the proceedings (a runoff primary or a convention) of another party thereafter.[5]
General election
The winning candidates from each major party's primary, as well as any additional minor party candidates, compete in a general election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. If a candidate was unopposed in the general election, his or her name will still appear on the general election ballot.[5][7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Judicial Branch, "About Texas Courts," accessed May 22, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for Office," accessed January 14, 2016
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Texas; Limited Jurisdiction Courts," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 The University of Texas at Austin: Texas Politics, "Winning Public Office: General Elections and Special Elections," January 29, 2014
- ↑ Texas Election Code, "Title 10, Sec. 172.003 and 172.004," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑ Office of the Secretary of State, 1992-Current Election History (Select "2012 General" & "County Race"; then click "Anderson" to view sample results)
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas
State courts:
Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts
State resources:
Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas
