(Seguin) — A retired Bexar County judge and local attorney Kelly Cross has filed for a place on the March 1, 2022, Republican Primary ballot. Cross is seeking the Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 position currently being served by JP Judge Darrell Hunter.
Cross says she has a listing of reasons of why she has thrown her name in the hat for JP 1.
First, she says Justice of the Peace is often referred to as “the people’s court” and believes the rule of law should be handed with a seasoned, legal perspective. She says the people of Precinct 1 deserve a “what you know” instead of a “who you know” judge on the bench.
“I believe that if you are in a county where you do have lawyers, lawyers should be judges and I know that Texas was built for unpopulated areas and populated areas so when I see the demographics of our state and our rural and suburban areas changing, I believe that if you have an opportunity because you have lawyers in the area that a lawyer should be in a judicial position even in the JP position.”
“While it’s not mandated by law, if you had a lawyer in there, then you would have more exposure to the law as people who are coming to that court primarily don’t even have to have lawyers, so I believe it’s a better service to the citizens if you have available talent in a legal profession for judicial positions even if it is not mandated,” said Cross.
Second, Cross believes there should be a limit as to how long someone can politically serve in a position.
“Reason two is I believe in term limits and when I was a judge in another county, I took over a court that had been held by one person for 25 years. Well, I lived the experience of that and I live in Precinct 1 and I’ve been involved in Precinct 1 since I moved here and getting to know the county and the cities and all this stuff, I started looking at my elected officials and while I think Judge Hunter certainly is an admirable man, a nice man, he has been on that bench for over 23 years – since the last century and I believe in term limits even if they are not mandated. You should more or less impose them upon yourself,” said Cross.
Third, Cross believes she has the ideas to further expand the operation and scope of the JP 1 position. She says not only is she a big believer in mediation but believes it is especially important when it comes to evictions. Plus, she believes the courts should be a voice for local animals.
“Because the Justice of the Peace is on the front line of animal welfare in our county, one of my first priorities will be creating a community engagement program regarding the new Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, going into effect in the New Year. I believe making our community aware of what individual accountability will be under the new law will make us all better at protecting innocent pets. I also want to investigate the creation of a special animal cruelty docket,” said Cross.
Prior to her move to Guadalupe County two years ago, Cross served as the presiding Judge of Bexar County’s Probate (Statutory) Court. No. 1. Cross was elected in 2015 and served in that position until 2018. She is currently a practicing attorney and has been for nearly 30 years. Cross’ announcement follows the Dec. 13 deadline in which candidates could file for a place on the March Primary ballot