SAN ANTONIO -- If you’re a Texas resident who has lived in Bexar County Precinct 3 for six months, you just may be a candidate for justice of the peace.
“On the ninth of October commissioners’ court will vote on the process of how to apply for the position, how long it will be open, and what the interview process will be,” said Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner Kevin Wolff.
The future job applicant would serve out the rest of Judge Keith Baker’s term, in a precinct where a backlog of business was discovered.
An investigation revealed Judge Baker had been fighting computer upgrades, and hadn’t issued warrants for 9 months. That’s a lot of forgotten money in fines and court costs in the largest JP district in the county.
It’s so big; Commissioner Kevin Wolff says the court will look at making the part-time judge a full-time position, and possibly adding another judge to handle the caseload.
But those kinds of changes, he cautions, would take Justice Department approval. And Wolff wants to wait until the office is fully automated, in order to see what kind of workload is created.
“We’ve got contingency plans if we need to put in temporaries to help. We have volunteers and other judges if we need that as well,” said Wolff.
Applicants for the job would be able to apply online through the county’s website.
While the appointment is a decision before the whole court, the court traditionally backs the nominee put forth by the precinct’s commissioner.
Meantime, if you’ve been dodging one of those traffic citations, the district attorney says re-think it. Nearly 3,000 warning notices have gone out this week. And thousands are expected to follow.
“What could eventually happen to them: They could be arrested on that failure to appear warrant. And that means you get taken to the jail, and you sit there until you get the whole thing cleared up,” said Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed.
