Both candidates acknowledge that local courts in Dallas are failing at keeping proper records - and both believe they're the best person to fix the system.Both the candidates in a local judge’s race are calling out the county’s antiquated and dysfunctional system for tracking criminal cases in justice of the peace courts, which in many cases leaves people who have paid fines subject to arrest because of outdated records.
Judges in JP courts handle minor criminal charges like traffic violations and other class C misdemeanors punished mainly by fine. JPs also hear truancy cases, disputes between landlords and tenants and sometimes adjudicate on minor civil disputes. That presents a glaring problem, according to Jones’ challenger LaSonja Flowers-Ivory: Arrest warrants that should be inactivated are left in the system, leaving people who should be clear of criminal charges listed as targets for arrest and detainment.
According to the county’s latest audit of JP Court 4-1, which was published in late December last year, auditors found that 1,022 warrants that should have been closed after defendants paid their fines were left active.