COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KXAN) -- Justices of the peace are judges, historically appointed or elected to help resolve local conflicts and keep the peace. They have both civil and criminal jurisdiction -- including being in charge of death investigations.
The justice of the peace originated in England and has been an “institution in Texas since the earliest days of the colony,” introduced 200 years ago by a man known as the “Father of Texas” – Stephen F. Austin, according to Braden's Annotated Texas Constitution. Through Austin’s Code of 1824, justices were part of the Constitution of the Republic of Texas and have appeared in every subsequent Texas Constitution.
They still operate in a majority of Texas counties today. Explore KXAN's project about Texas' unique system for investigating deaths, and how it played into the questions that persist about the 1965 strangulation of a young girl.
