WHAT A JUSTICE OF THE PEACE DOES

Even though the Justice of the Peace court has been around for over 200 years, we’ve found that most people are unaware of exactly what a JP does beyond handling traffic violations and performing marriages.

It’s impossible for you, the voter, to make an educated decision on who the best candidate for a position is without knowing what the position does. Therefore, we’ve included the office’s roles & responsibilities directly from the Texas Association of Counties website. We’ve also given you the tools to research how this particular office compares to others across the state on an annual basis. 

We did this so that you can specifically see just how important it is for us to choose the best candidate for the job. 

1. What is a Justice of the Peace?

The Justice of the Peace presides over the justice court in cases involving misdemeanors, small civil disputes, landlord/tenant disputes and more. They also conduct inquests and may perform marriage ceremonies.

2. What Does a Justice of the Peace Do in Texas?

A Justice of the Peace in Texas has the following duties:

Hears traffic and other Class C misdemeanor cases punishable by fine only. Chase will continue to protect Brazoria County families and make sure our neighbor’s values and rights come first!

Hears civil cases with up to $20,000 in controversy. Chase has professional experience in mediation.

Hears landlord and tenant disputes. Chase has worked with businesses & families in situations like this.

Hears truancy & other Juvenile cases. This is Chase’s strongest aspect as he’s dedicated his entire professional career to helping youth & families overcome obstacles to succeed. 

Performs magistrate duties. Chase is a firm believer in our individual rights coming from GOD and the Constitution is meant to limit the role of government. Chase will ensure law enforcement has the tools required for them to perform their duties safely AND ensure each of our neighbors’ rights are protected.

Conducts inquests. In addition to his strong belief in protecting individuals’ rights, Chase’s professional experience will be used to provide the best service possible. 

The above list is the condensed version of course. There are several websites available for those that would like additional information. 

Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4, Place 2 Records:

Every month, JP offices across the state are required to submit a record of the court’s cases from the previous month to The Texas Office of Court Administration (OCA). Did you know you have the right to access this data to learn more about what your local JP office does? 

You can see what types of cases they’re hearing, how “productive” they are (which often means how much money they bring in through traffic tickets and other fees and penalties), etc. The following site will allow you to search by county or by court as far back as 1992: https://card.txcourts.gov/ 

Observations of Precinct 4, Place 2: 

- Depending on the month and year, up to 80% of Precinct 4, Place 2’s caseload involves working with youth & families in some capacity. 

- For some reason, historically Precinct 4 does not feel comfortable filing civil cases in Place 2. The vast majority of civil cases are filed in Place 1. 

- Precinct 4, Place 2 does bring in a higher than average amount of funding from tickets. This is often what people base “how hard a JP is working” off of. However, as you can see from the records, 100% of the funds collected from tickets DO NOT stay in the county as many believe. A good portion is sent to the state. Remember, these are funds collected primarily from Precinct 4 voters AFTER they have already been taxed multiple ways. 

Charles “Chase” Burgin for Justice of the Peace Pct. 4, Pl. 2.

Chase is in the Race! 

Early voting begins February 14, 2022. Primary election is on March 1, 2022