Jurisdiction of the Justice of the Peace Courts
Justices of the peace handle both civil and
criminal cases. Civil cases include small claims (up to $10,000 at
issue), justice court, and administrative hearings. JP courts in Texas
handle approximately 80% of all cases filed. The vast majority of these
cases are disputes over debts, evictions, car accidents, unlawful
towing, and property loss.
The criminal workload of a JP court
includes class C criminal misdemeanor complaints, including traffic
citations, bad checks and other cases punishable by fines only. The JP
schedules payment, sets contested cases for trial, and holds pretrial
hearings with the county prosecutor. JPs provide statutory warnings to
juveniles and, when necessary, preside over juvenile truancy trials.
Other
duties of the JP include presiding over peace bond hearings, reviewing
applications for mental health or chemically dependent commitments, as
well as issuing warrants for and conducting hearings concerning seizure
and disposition of cruelly treated animals. JPs are also authorized to
perform marriage ceremonies.
