VOTE411 Voter Guide

My life has been shaped by public service. I have 16 years of law enforcement experience. I have been a detective, supervisor, and mental health officer. Our family chose Kerr County as our home seeking a small town environment where neighbors know each other and children have a positive environment of opportunity. My experience has given me an incredible respect for the application of law. I have worked with the district attorneys, county attorney, and probation department. Based on this experience, I understand the need for strong bonds for violent offenders as well as creative bond conditions to ensure self-accountability for people accused of crimes who are out on bond. JP Court is the people’s court and requires someone who has the experience to know how to solve problems and produce adaptable solutions to our community’s issues. I have the experience, knowledge, and judgement to handle this duty.

The Justice of the Peace is the people’s court. Justices of the Peace are responsible for magistration of people accused of crimes. Magistration is more than just setting a bond amount and includes bond conditions and protective orders as conditions of bond. The Justice of the Peace holds mental health court and is responsible for signing mental health warrants allowing for the detention of persons for their safety or the safety of others. In addition to mental health warrants the JP signs arrest warrants after reviewing affidavits from law enforcement. Justices of the Peace hold hearings for small claims up to $20,000. Civil duties include landlord tenant issues relating to eviction. JP’s hear class C misdemeanors where the defendant faces no jail time as a consequence of their accused crime. The Justice of the Peace also acts as the coroner in Kerr County conducting inquests and death investigations.

I am a sixth-generation Kerr County local and have spent the past decade serving in local law enforcement, including with the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office and currently with the Kerrville Police Department. My experience includes assignments as an investigator, patrol officer, classroom instructor, field training officer, and supervisor. Throughout these roles, I have worked directly with Justices of the Peace on numerous occasions. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from McMurry University and a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from Wayland Baptist University. I have also earned Level I and Level II professional certificates in Forensic and Investigative Sciences from Texas A&M University. In addition, I have completed over 5,700 hours of continuing education through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. I currently serve as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at both Schreiner University and McMurry University.

Justices of the Peace (JPs) in Kerr County are responsible for criminal, civil, and administrative judicial duties. In civil matters, JPs have original jurisdiction over cases involving amounts of less than $20,000. They also mediate landlord-tenant disputes and issue writs of possession when an eviction is necessary. In the criminal realm, JPs hear cases punishable by fine only, primarily traffic violations. They also magistrate individuals who have been arrested by evaluating probable cause affidavits, advising arrestees of their constitutional rights, and setting bail amounts. Additionally, JPs have the authority to issue arrest warrants. Administratively, JPs investigate and determine the cause of death in cases where a physician is unable to sign the death certificate. They issue Emergency Protective Orders in domestic violence situations, Mental Health Emergency Detention Orders, and have the authority to officiate weddings.