SAN ANGELO, TX - A new Justice of the Peace (JP) for Precinct 1, Susan Werner, was appointed Tuesday, December 7th by the Tom Green County’s Commissioners Court. Werner talked to LIVE! about her aspirations for the position and the passion she has to do it.
"I’m honored to be selected by the commissioners and Judge Floyd," she explained. "I felt they handled the selection professionally and fairly. I’ve been working in the Justice of the Peace office for nine years, and it’s become a passion for me to get involved with the county and its citizens. I’ve thought about if for some time now, prayed about it, and it feels right.”
Werner said she has learned many of the qualities necessary for the position by working with other justices in the past.
“The most important duties are fairness, equality, listening and knowing the law,” Werner said.
Bill Ford, Commissioner of Precinct 4, talked about the interview process and what made Werner stand out amongst the other five candidates.
“She’s got that disposition that understands the responsibilities,” Ford said.
Ford emphasized that this is not an easy job with the late night accidents and the constant upkeep of information, but what stood out to him was Werner’s passion.
“I wanted to look for someone who was passionate about the job,” Ford said. “I think that’s a quality you don’t always find in people anymore.”
The executive session after the interviews lasted two hours, and even after these discussions, the voting members came back and asked more questions before making the final decision.
“It was a tough decision for all of us,” Ford said.
Ralph Hoelscher, Commissioner of Precinct 1, was in full support of Werner, as he felt she would best represent the citizens in his precinct.
Her experience with working with the last three justices, and having “mastered” being a court clerk is what made her stand out.
“She’s familiar with the procedures and can step right off into the office and go to work,” Hoelscher said.
The vote was unanimous in the final decision to pick Werner for the appointment of JP.
“Everybody agreed she has the best qualities to fit the job straight away,” Ford said (Click here to read the original story going into the interview process).
After her training, the commissioners have confidence Werner will hit the ground running and be able to take charge of the JP court. They understand she will be learning through this process, and will eventually rise to the standard set by her many predecessors, like the late Kay Longest.
“I will get my required 80 hours of training right away with the Texas Justice Court Training Center," Werner said. “I will use all my qualities and do my job while learning along the way.”
Werner will be appointed as the new Justice of Piece at the beginning of January.
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