Justices of the peace are judges who handle both civil and criminal cases, including small claims court, justice court, and administrative hearings. In practical terms, these are lawsuits over debts, evictions, car accidents, unlawful towing, and property.
Their criminal workload involves disposing of all class C criminal misdemeanor complaints, such as traffic citations, issuance of bad check, and others. These cases involve payment, setting contested cases for trial, and pretrial hearings with the county prosecutor.
Other duties include presiding over peace bond hearings, reviewing applications for mental health or chemically dependent commitments, conducting compulsory school attendance trials, and giving warnings to juveniles required by law. They issue warrants for and conduct hearings concerning seizure and disposition of cruelly treated animals. Most justices of the peace perform marriage ceremonies as well.
In Texas, justices of the peace are judicial officers who preside over a variety of legal matters at the local level. They handle civil cases such as small claims (where the amount in controversy is typically up to $20,000), evictions, car accidents, unlawful towing, and other property disputes. They also oversee justice court cases, which are similar to small claims but may involve different types of disputes. In the criminal realm, justices of the peace deal with Class C misdemeanors, which are the least serious criminal offenses in Texas and often include traffic citations and minor violations like issuing bad checks. They are responsible for setting trials, conducting pretrial hearings, and working with county prosecutors. Additionally, justices of the peace have administrative duties such as presiding over peace bond hearings, reviewing mental health or chemical dependency commitment applications, overseeing compulsory school attendance trials, and providing legally required warnings to juveniles. They also have the authority to issue warrants and conduct hearings related to the mistreatment of animals. Furthermore, many justices of the peace in Texas perform marriage ceremonies. Their role is crucial in ensuring access to justice for various legal issues at the community level.
