Longtime Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Peggy Mayer turned in a letter of retirement to the DeWitt County Commissioners Court last week, effective Friday, March 28. Her term would normally have expired in 2026.
Mayer said she was retiring to concentrate on family.
"It has been an honor to serve the people of DeWitt County," she said. "I want to thank them for trusting in me and believing in me."
For now, Precinct 2 JP Blanca McBride will oversee the duties of Precinct 1 JP, prioritizing time sensitive duties. However, the commissioner's court will appoint an applicant to fill out the term.
One of the responsibilities of a justice of peace is acting as coroner, or witness to “deaths that were not observed by anyone,” according to County Judge Daryl Fowler. The two county JPs have alternated weekends on call for such duties. Until an appointee is approved, McBride will be responsible for all such duties.
Applications for the yearlong position will be taken until April 25.
Fowler said “one or two applications have already come in and there is more interest.”
“Nobody likes to run against an incumbent,” he said, “and people have held off running due to the respect they hold for her.”
Mayer first became the PCT1 JP in 2002 as a write-in candidate, prevailing over the incumbent. She said she had always done public service, but the JP position brought forth her lifelong belief in treating people fairly. Twenty years later, she fended off challenger Selena Condie for a decisive victory in 2022.
Mayer said one of the hardest parts of the job is in small claims court where someone will walk away unhappy. She said she tries to explain that they have other remedies, but people can get quite upset.
She said she will continue to hold municipal court in Yorktown and Yoakum, but she will not be "wearing all the hats" that she has been.
In February, the Commissioners Court approved the adoption of an electronic record-keeping system offered by Legal Government Solutions (LGS) for use by both of the Justice of the Peace offices.
E-filing will soon be mandatory in Texas, and since the conversion process may take a while, the court granted permission to begin the groundwork. At the March 24 commissioner’s meeting McBride said the system would “bring a consistency to what the county clerk, county attorney, and district attorney see.”
Fowler said that McBride will oversee the establishment of a common e-filing system, but “the new appointee needs to be able to do that as seamlessly as possible.”
Other duties of a justice of peace include hearing minor criminal cases such as traffic citations, truancy cases, and civil lawsuits up to $20,000. As a magistrate the JP oversees eviction notices and criminal arraignments.
Fowler described the process for arrests, saying the next morning a JP goes into the jail and appoints an attorney, if needed, then sets bond and bail.
He said in addition to being a self-starter and disciplined, the JP needs “a good head on their shoulders in regard to budgeting.”
“It’s important to know that the justice of peace, many times, is closest to people,” Fowler said. “Small claims, neighbors, there’s a lot of humanity involved and it needs sensibility and compassion, a good reputation and the ability to deal with people in the public domain.”
He said the person holding the job is definitely in the public eye. “It’s all a part of it. People want to see and touch and talk to you.”
Mayer said the office responsibilities changed many times over her terms in office.
"The minute you think you've learned it all, it changes," she said, citing increases in small claims amounts as well as criminal and civil jurisdictions. She advised the next office holder to be ready to learn, ready to change.
