Hays County JP race presents a choice between experience, fresh perspective
After serving for 12 years as the Hays County Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1, Place 1, Democrat Jo Anne Prado considers experience to be her strongest suit.
“I’m dedicated to this, and I have the knowledge and experience that it takes to run the court,” said Prado, who is seeking her fourth term. “I hope that I have earned the faith and trust of this community that I can do this job.”
But Republican nominee Sylvia De Leon Muzzy, who has worked as a juvenile caseworker in the justice of the peace courts, argues the precinct needs “fresh ideas and change.” For example, De Leon Muzzy said she would reach out to community organizations and work on preventative measures to keep youth out of the court system.
“My big goal is to bring the courts closer to the community,” De Leon Muzzy said. “In that seat you don’t have to just rule from behind the bench. You can extend an arm out into the community.”
Prado defended her record, saying she makes referrals to nonprofits and other resources when possible, but as a judge, her first point of contact is court, and it’s difficult to reach students before they get into trouble.
“I really don’t know where it is that that comment is coming from,” Prado said. “I guess it goes back to show she just really does not know what’s going on with the court.”
For more than a year, Prado pulled double duty by taking on the caseload of fellow Justice of the Peace Margie Hernandez, who died of cancer in April 2015. Prado points to this as testimony to her dedication and competence in keeping two courts in compliance with state law.
The two courts became separate again in October, when Hernandez’s daughter Maggie Hernandez Moreno took office in Place 2. Both candidates agreed that managing that transition will be one of the biggest challenges facing the winner of the Place 1 race.
As a caseworker, De Leon Muzzy said, she helped connect children and families to resources such as job fairs, tutoring and youth-focused nonprofits. She said she resigned Oct. 15, however, after her supervisors told her the grant fund- ing source for her position had changed from the state to the federal government. The Hatch Act prohibits those holding federally-funded positions from running for partisan office.
De Leon Muzzy has raised $5,605 for the general election while Prado has raised $700, according to campaign finance reports.
Both women are San Marcos High School grads who boast strong ties to the community. They also both identify as Latinas and speak Spanish, which both said would be an advantage on and off the bench. About 38 percent of San Marcos residents are Hispanic or Latino, according to the most recent census data.