(Houston, Texas)— Jack Ezell, candidate for Harris County justice of the peace, Precinct 2, Place 2, is calling for greater transparency following a review of county filing statistics showing a significant shift in criminal and civil cases between Precinct 2’s two justice courts since January 2023.According to Harris County Justice Court filing data reviewed by the campaign, criminal filings were comparatively balanced during the three years preceding January 2023. Place 1 received 18,247 criminal filings, while Place 2 received 15,928.
Since January 2023, however, the data shows Place 1 receiving 60,668 criminal filings, compared with 9,975 in Place 2. Based on those figures, more than 85% of new criminal filings within the precinct went to Place 1 during the period examined.
Civil filings followed a similar pattern. Before January 2023, Place 1 recorded 10,827 civil filings, while Place 2 received 13,499. Since then, Place 1 has received 25,636 civil filings, compared with 13,357 in Place 2.
“These numbers raise legitimate questions that Precinct 2 residents deserve to have answered,” Ezell said. “When one court’s caseload increases dramatically while filings in the other court decline or remain relatively flat, voters have a right to ask what changed, how it affects court operations and whether justice is being administered efficiently and impartially.”
Class C criminal citations issued by the precinct’s constable are handled through the justice court system. In civil matters, filers generally may select either justice court within the precinct. The statistics alone do not establish why filing patterns changed, but Ezell said the scale of the shift warrants public examination.
An uneven distribution of cases may affect court congestion, hearing schedules, taxpayer-funded
resources and the time residents must wait to have their cases resolved. It also raises questions about
whether both elected courts are being used effectively to serve the public.
“This campaign is about fairness, impartiality, accountability and equal access to justice,” Ezell said. “The courthouse belongs to the people. Its workload, procedures and performance should be transparent to the community it serves.”
Ezell is encouraging residents, attorneys and civic leaders to review the filing information and participate in a broader conversation about how Precinct 2’s justice courts operate.
For more information about Jack Ezell and his campaign for Harris County justice of the peace, Precinct 2, Place 2, visit www.JackEzellVoter.com.
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