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Friday, July 30, 2010 |
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Friesenhahn trying for JP post
Published December 13, 2009
SEGUIN — A home-grown sheriff’s deputy with nearly two decades of experience patrolling the county’s roads has decided he wants a new job — and hopes the voters will give it to him.
Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Deputy Todd Friesenhahn has announced he is a candidate to replace Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Larry Morawietz, who announces his retirement in today’s edition of the Seguin Gazette Enterprise.
The job of Justice of the Peace is the first rung on the criminal and civil judicial ladder. A justice of the peace presides over class C misdemeanor criminal cases that include violations of traffic and nuisance laws and hears civil and small claims cases up to $5,000.
The justice of the peace hears evictions and can issue writs of garnishment, sequestration and attachment. In addition, the justice of the peace can issue arrest warrants, conducts death inquests and magistrates prisoners, determining whether probable cause exists to hold them for trial, and setting their bail.
The deadline for filing for elective office in the 2010 election cycle is Jan. 4. The primary election will be held March 2. The general election will be Nov. 2.
Friesenhahn was raised in Cibolo by his parents, Freddy and Nancy Friesenhahn, and is a graduate of Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz.
He attended Texas A&M’s extension engineering service, learning about airframe mechanics, knowledge Friesenhahn put to work in his job in the Texas National Guard.
The law enforcement bug bit Friesenhahn when he was learning about mechanics.
“What happened was, I was going to A&M, and I met (retired) Sheriff Melvin Harborth, and he talked to me about law enforcement a little bit. He said, ‘If this is something that interests you, go get certified and come back and talk to me.”
Friesenhahn rode with a couple of sheriff’s deputies and learned about the job, went to school, got certified and went back to Harborth and asked for a job.
One of the people who trained him was the county’s chief investigator — Larry Morawietz.
“Y’all taught me a lot of good stuff,” Friesenhahn told Morawietz the other day.
“We tried to,” Morawietz said.
Besides the basics of patrol work, Friesenhahn also learned about criminal investigation and took courses in civil law. He got his advanced peace officer’s certification and became certified as well by Texas Parks and Wildlife as a marine safety enforcement officer.
Friesenhahn’s goal has been to continue learning — and continue serving his community.
When he heard his old mentor at the sheriff’s office was thinking about retiring from the justice court, Friesenhahn decided he’d run for the job.
“I think it’s a role where I could help people more than by simply being a sheriff’s deputy,” Friesenhahn said. “I’m not really big on the political part, though. If I could have just applied for this job, I would have, but you have to run for it, so I’m doing that. I’m excited because I’m learning a bunch of new things, and when you think you can’t learn anything, it’s probably time to retire.”
Friesenhahn understands the rich history and tradition of the justice of the peace court and its role in the community.
He understands, also, that the Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace court has a history all its own — and is called the “Morawietz Court” because three members of the Morawietz family were chosen by voters to spend decades of their lives presiding there.
“Precinct 4 can count on me to keep this a court for the people just as Larry has,” Friesenhahn said. “I’ll be absolutely fair and treat everybody who comes into this courtroom equally.”
Whoever gets the job next year when Morawietz steps down, Morawietz says he wishes them well.
“I’ve enjoyed it, and I’ll have my photo up there with my mother and father’s, if Todd or whoever comes in doesn’t take it down,” Morawietz said.
If Friesenhahn is the next judge, the photo will stay.
“It’ll be up there,” he told Morawietz.
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