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CITY OF WILLOW PARK, TEXAS

Official Class Specification & Job Description

POSITION TITLE:	Municipal Court Judge / Presiding Magistrate
DEPARTMENT:	Municipal Court / Judicial Branch
REPORTS TO:	City Council (Appointed Position under TX Law)
CLASSIFICATION:	Part-Time / Contractual / Exempt

JOB SUMMARY

The Municipal Court Judge / Presiding Magistrate executes the constitutional and statutory judicial functions of the City of Willow Park, Texas. This position presides over the Willow Park Municipal Court, a court of non-record, exercising original jurisdiction over Class C misdemeanor criminal offenses, traffic violations, and municipal ordinance infractions. Operating strictly within the independent judicial branch of government, the Judge guarantees due process, presides over all court dockets and trials, issues legal mandates, and oversees the administration of court magistration duties in compliance with local rules, state statutes, and administrative orders.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Judicial Proceedings: Preside over regular municipal court sessions, typically held on the fourth Wednesday of each month, handling arraignments, pre-trial conferences, plea approvals, motions, and sentencing.
• Trial Adjudication: Conduct and maintain order during formal bench and jury trials, ensuring all constitutional safeguards, statutory timelines, and the Texas Rules of Evidence are meticulously observed.
• Magistrate Mandates: Perform statutory magisterial functions including issuing search warrants, arrest warrants, emergency protective orders, and summonses; administering oaths; and conducting statutory warnings for detainees when necessary.
• Digital Case Execution: Directly input, track, and close cases utilizing the Tyler Incode Municipal Justice 10 software platform. Legally execute digital signatures on judicial mandates, warrants, and judgments directly within the paperless docketing architecture.
• Docket & Registry Management: Review and supervise the court dockets and financial registries in close partnership with the Court Administrator to ensure compliance with State of Texas auditing laws and Office of Court Administration (OCA) reporting.
• Specialized Hearings: Adjudicate specialized legal processes including juvenile dockets, structural code violations, animal cruelty seizures, and driver's license suspension hearings.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Texas Legal Architecture: Masterful command of the Texas Penal Code, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Texas Transportation Code, Texas Rules of Evidence, and procedural rules specific to municipal courts.
• Tyler Incode 10 Proficiency: Expert operational knowledge of Tyler Incode Municipal Justice 10 court management software. Ability to seamlessly navigate digital case histories, execute electronic dockets, log judge notes, and interface with state databases directly through the application.
• Judicial Temperament: Exceptional capacity to maintain decorum, objectivity, patience, and professional boundaries when interacting with defense attorneys, prosecutors, court staff, witnesses, and pro se defendants.
• Analytical Clarity: Advanced capacity to interpret complex statutory provisions, synthesize conflicting legal arguments, and deliver unambiguous oral and written judicial findings.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience Prerequisite: Must have a minimum of three (3) years of documented, active experience as a licensed practicing attorney in the State of Texas AND as a sitting Municipal Court Judge/Magistrate within a Texas municipality.
• Educational Standing: Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited school of law.
• Licensure & Status: Current, active license to practice law in the State of Texas and member in good standing with the State Bar of Texas.
• Core Software Experience: Proven, prior hands-on operational background using Tyler Incode 10 Municipal Justice systems is strictly required.
• Statutory Compliance: Satisfactory completion of, or current compliance with, all mandatory initial and continuing judicial education training tracking hours prescribed by the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center (TMCEC) and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
• Background Clearances: Must possess a valid Texas Class C Driver’s License and successfully pass a comprehensive background evaluation, including Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) biometric fingerprint screening.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is predominantly performed inside a climate-controlled, secure municipal courtroom and associated judicial chambers. Requires prolonged sitting at the judicial bench or office desk, standard finger dexterity to manipulate keyboard layouts and input software commands into Tyler Incode 10, and clear vocalization and auditory acuity to direct formal legal proceedings. The position requires compliance with strict judicial ethics canons and localized security protocols.