Justice of the peace race: Educator Long seeks to serve the public
By Garner Roberts Special to the Reporter-News
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Lydia Long says a justice of the peace administers "a people's court," and she calls the position "a great fit for me."
A nine-year resident of Abilene, Long is one of three candidates in next year's Republican primary to replace Bryan Smith as justice of the peace for Place 1, Precinct 1. Smith is not seeking re-election.
"This is a position that serves the community," she said, "which I love doing, and it ties into my criminal justice background. It's a great fit for me. I have a base of expertise."
A former professor at the University of Houston, Long is an adjunct professor of criminal justice for Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y., a distance learning institution and online education member of the State University of New York system. She also is a grant reviewer for the Department of Justice.
Over her 25-year career, Long also has taught at Abilene Christian University, Indiana State University and Sul Ross State University.
Long said a justice of the peace serves the public at
"a very basic level. It's the people's court. They (justices of the peace) don't have to be a lawyer, but they have to listen to people in a fair and impartial manner. Not everybody can afford to hire a lawyer to hear their story. This may be the only contact a lot of people have with the court system."
She said that, if elected, she hopes to improve the efficiency of the justice of the peace office and improve the flow of information to the public. She said she has visited such offices across the state to improve her understanding of the role.
Long said the wide range of duties of a justice of the peace include small claims court, evictions and arrest warrants.
"It's a judicial step in-between and should be very accessible to the public," she added.
Long has a doctorate in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. In addition to her other undergraduate and graduate degrees, she completed the Missouri Police Academy and attended classes at the FBI Academy. She has been a certified child advocate for Harris County and is a member of the American Society of Criminology and the American Correctional Association.
I hope I have your support and Vote! Please "like" my Campaign FB page at:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lydia-M-Long-Phd-for-Taylor-Co-Justice-of-the-Peace/131424240302699
