Legislative Services

On June 30, the Texas Judicial Council designated the courts of Waller County Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace J.R. Woolley and Rockwall County Pct. 3 Justice of the Peace Mark Russo "centers of excellence." Judge Woolley and Judge Russo are the first Justice Courts and the first non-attorneys to earn this prestigious honor.

Rockwall County Justice of the Peace Mark Russo (left),
Chief Justice Nathan Hecht and Waller County Justice
of the Peace J.R. Woolley. (Credit: Kelsey Bernstein)

According to the Office of Court Administration, "the Centers of Excellence Program is an initiative by the Texas Judicial Council to identify, support, and highlight the excellent work done by courts across the state. The program seeks to find those courts with a commitment to excellence in serving their communities, supporting their counties, and representing the judiciary in an outstanding manner." More information on this program can be found on the Office of Court Administration's website.

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht presented the awards and expressed his gratitude for Judge Woolley's and Judge Russo's dedication to our state. Their courts exceeded the program's four key performance areas and five statutory compliance areas.

TAC congratulates Judge Woolley and Judge Russo and looks forward to seeing more courts get added to this exemplary list.

For more information about this article, please contact Kelsey Bernstein.