EDITOR'S NOTE: The article has been updated to reflect that County Commissioner John Marez did not support the motion.
*****
ORIGINAL:
Nueces County Commissioners have decided to get rid of the Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, Place 2 office. But this decision is stirring up backlash from residents who said the decision was rushed and could make it harder for people to access justice.
The proposal, introduced by Precinct 1 County Commissioner Mike Pusley, would abolish the office currently held by Judge Henry Santana. The court handles civil cases, landlord and tenant disputes, traffic violations, and truancy matters.
During Wednesday’s commissioners court meeting, community members spoke out against the proposal, calling it unfair and poorly researched.
“Abolishing another judge in this county would hurt our county,” one resident said
“Please consider doing a little bit more research,” another resident added.
Many residents argued that the process lacked transparency and adequate notice, saying one week was not enough time to understand or respond to such a major proposal.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Pusley said the motion is part of a broader effort to streamline county government and reduce costs. He cited caseload data, staffing needs, and efficiency concerns.
County Judge Connie Scott also agreeing with the decision, noting that Nueces County currently has nine JP courts, compared to four or five in larger counties like Hidalgo, Bexar, and Travis.
“I just personally don’t believe we need nine JP’s for a county this size and the number of people that we have,” Pusley said.
Under the plan, cases and employees from Santana’s court would be distributed among the remaining JP courts.
Judge Santana, who plans to retire in December 2026, said he was not consulted before the proposal was introduced.
“I didn’t know anything about it. Nothing official, no document, no letter, no notice,” Santana said.
He believes eliminating the office could delay justice for local residents.
“People come to court wanting justice and they want justice as quickly as possible,” Santana said. “It’s going to mean people will have to wait longer.”
Precinct 3 Commissioner John Marez voted against the measure. He said he understood the purpose of the motion, emphasizing the importance of efficiency and fiscal responsibility. However, he acknowledged that the process could have been presented earlier.
“I wish this information could have been available to the public on Friday, but it couldn’t,” Marez said.
Pusley, Marez and other commissioners agreed the county should use the next year to study potential changes for the other JP courts.
“It gives us the rest of this year and all of next year to make plans,” Pusley said. “I’m even willing to modify my original motion to study how we can make our other JP courts more efficient, all for the benefit of taxpayers and constituents.”
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
