About the Justices

Overview

Today, there are approximately 835 Justices of the Peace in the State of Texas. These Justice Courts afford our citizenry with a valuable and readily accessible forum for the impartial adjudication of minor conflicts. More than 90% of Texans will have only contact in the court system through the Justice of the Peace Courts or Municipal Courts.

These courts have a profound influence on citizens' attitude toward the entire court system and the judiciary.

Established By the Constitution

Since the Justice Court is created by the Constitution, and its life and jurisdiction come from the Constitution, the Legislature has no power to destroy what the Constitution has created. Any change in matters such as the authority of the justice court, the number or boundaries of precincts, and the qualifications of the justices of the peace can be accomplished only by constitutional amendments, or by acts of the Legislature specifically authorized by the Constitution.

Precincts

Justice of Peace precincts are established by the commissioners' court in accordance with the Constitution and depending on the population of the county according to the most recent federal census.

There may be as few as one precinct in small counties and as many as eight precincts in the larger counties. In some circumstances, there may be two or more justice of the peace courts (Places) in each precinct. The justice of the peace precincts do not necessarily have to conform to the commissioner precinct lines.

Find Your Justice

Brazos County has a total of four justices in four precincts:

Contact the justices.