Incumbent Justice of the Peace Henry Santana for Precinct 1, Place 2, is running for reelection as a Democrat against Republican candidate Manuel "Manny" Rangel.
The following questions were posed by the League of Women Voters board and submitted by candidates via Vote411.org. Candidate responses are reprinted verbatim and are not edited.
Henry Santana, Democrat
Describe your credentials and life experiences that qualify you to hold this office.
I completed my Doctoral degree, master's degree and bachelor's degree and currently serve as the Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1, Place 2. This precinct is the largest in Nueces County where 3 of the nine Justice of the Peace serve as Judges. I have served as a Justice of the Peace for the past twenty years and presided over 60,000 criminal cases and 25,000 civil cases.
I attend yearly training of 20 hour sessions, webinars, and other seminars that would keep current in all the legal changes that affect our courts.
What are the three (3) most pressing issues in your precinct?
Evictions, Truancy and Inability to Pay are some issues that are needed to be addressed in a different format. Nueces County has a high percentage of poverty and these three areas can be addressed with unified community participation
The JP courts are frequently described as "The People's Court." As Justice of the Peace, how would you ensure that this role is fulfilled in your court?
Many of the people that come to the JP courts come with high levels of anxiety, nervousness and some degree of fear, since they are representing themselves without an attorney. It becomes apparent that a Judge should provide avenues to reduce all of these areas during court proceedings.
What changes, if any, are needed in JP court processes and procedures to make the court more efficient and effective?
JP courts have embraced technology in their courts at many levels. Since technology is constantly changing, the courts need to maintain a level of excellence. Some changes to consider would be to evolve into a paperless court but still maintain an avenue to those litigants who have no access to computer technology. Continuous training of staff is also important due to constantly changing laws.
Manuel "Manny" Rangel, Republican
No response was received from this candidate.
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