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Friday, July 30, 2010 |
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Judge Castellanos aims to hold onto JP seat
Published January 3, 2010
SEGUIN — A while back when Edmundo “Cass” Castellanos moved, his new neighbors might have become uneasy over the police or sheriff’s cars showing up at odd hours on nights and weekends, and probably weren’t comforted much to see him coming and going at all hours on the nights and weekends — until they learned what he did for work, which is preside over Guadalupe County’s Precinct 2 Justice Court.
And a justice of the peace doesn’t just work in the courtroom, but has to be available day or night for police officers who need warrants — or who need him to conduct death inquests.
“They don’t make appointments,” Castellanos said. “When they need a warrant, they need it — now. You have to make yourself available.”
Castellanos has held the job for some 14 years, and today announces that he will be a candidate for re-election in 2010.
Precinct 2 encompasses a good portion of Seguin, Geronimo and much of the area north to the Redwood subdivision outside San Marcos.
The deadline for filing for elective office in the 2010 general election cycle is Monday. The primary election will be conducted March 2. The general election will be Nov. 2. So far, no other Democrat has announced intention to seek the post. In the general election, Castellanos will likely have a rematch with Republican Sheryl Sachtleben, who unsuccessfully contested the office four years ago.
A justice of the peace presides over class C misdemeanor criminal cases punishable only by fine that include traffic violations, public nuisances and violations of county orders.
A JP also hears civil and small claims cases up to $10,000 and performs civil wedding ceremonies. Justice court is where evictions are decided, and the judge also has the authority to issue writs of garnishment, sequestration and attachment.
The justice of the peace is often the first jurist an accused criminal sees — deciding in magistration hearings whether probable cause exists to hold a suspect and, if it does, setting bail to ensure that suspect appears in court — not necessarily that he stay in jail.
“Bail should be reasonable and it should do its job,” Castellanos said, noting that in situations where there is no danger to the community, he prefers to set bail amounts a suspect can make so he or she doesn’t lose their job and can still feed their families.
For Castellanos, the job of “people’s judge” is a very personal one. It doesn’t just happen in his courtroom. He can be in H-E-B or at any public place and gets approached all the time by people who know him and are familiar with his role.
“No matter where I go, people come up to me and say, ‘Hey, Cass’ or, ‘Hey, Judge’ and you have to be able to listen to them and maybe give them a little guidance as to who to go see or talk to,” Castellanos said.
During business hours, Castellanos isn’t difficult to find — he’s usually in his office, which is on the south end of the North Guadalupe Street complex that houses the sheriff’s office, the county jail and juvenile probation and its detention facility.
“I’m always in the office, and my door is always open,” Castellanos said.
He is the county’s only bilingual justice, and sometimes conducts court in English, sometimes in Spanish and sometimes in a mixture of both, translating both sides.
In court, Castellanos often has to preside over civil matters involving people he knows, and he offers recusal and to refer cases to another judge, but is rarely taken up on it. People usually understand a judge’s role, he said.
“It’s a two-way street where you’re kind of mediating, looking at both sides and you have to decide as you see fit in accordance with the law,” Castellanos said.
Sometimes, Castellanos, who fills in on some juvenile detention hearings when the judges who regularly preside are not available, is asked by parents or school officials to help out when there are problems with kids. Sometimes, it’s formal, but oftentimes, it isn’t. Castellanos will set an appointment in his office with the kid in question and with the parents or educators involved and tries to work things out.
“We sit and we talk, and if I can’t make headway, we have the juvenile probation department next door, and they’ll come in and talk to the parent and talk to the child,” Castellanos said.
In really extreme situations, the judge said, he has arranged for the child in question to get a tour in the juvenile detention facility just for a taste of where wrong-headed behavior can lead.
Castellanos said he didn’t want to say anything negative about his likely opponent next November. But he did say that he believed the work she does as Executive Director of Seguin Youth Services would preclude her also being a justice of the peace.
“I know Sheryl believes she can do both jobs, but this is a very full-time job, and you have to be available,” Castellanos said. “You have a lot of responsibility, and there’s a lot of accountability. You have to be able to make sure the office is run correctly.”
Castellanos is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam war who completed a 30-year military career in the reserves. He serves as volunteer chairman of the city’s Building and Standards Commission. In his alter ego, Castellanos is known as “DJ Cass” for the entertainment business he conducts — mostly for free for local benefits and non-profits.
“I call it my stress-relief job,” Castellanos said. “It makes me feel good if I can lighten people’s problems and do something to help them.”
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