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COLUMBUS — Governor Greg Abbott appointed Leonard Peters, a Columbus municipal judge, to serve as the judge for the 492nd Judicial District Court in Colorado and Lavaca counties, Monday, Aug. 24.
The 492nd Judicial Court was created with the adoption of Texas House Bill 16 in the recent 89th Texas Legislature. The bill splits the Second 25th Judicial District Court of Colorado, Gonzales, Guadalupe and Lavaca counties into the 492nd and 522nd Judicial District Courts effective Sept. 1.
Peters will start his tenure Sept. 1 with a term set to expire Dec. 31, 2028, or until his successor shall be duly elected and qualified. He has been presiding over Columbus since 2003.
“I look forward to serving both counties, being fair and impartial, working hard and doing my job,” Peters said.
Peters is a member and past president of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, an attorney with Colorado County Habitat for Humanity and trustee with First Baptist Church Columbus. He received a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston and his peace officer’s license from the Texas A&M Police Academy.
Judge Jessica Crawford currently presides over the Second 25th Judicial District Court and will now preside over the 522nd Judicial District Court.
“I would like to say that I have very much enjoyed serving Colorado and Lavaca counties over the past almost 10 years of my career as district judge,” Crawford said. “The people I have met and worked with along this journey have been incredible. It has been an honor and my privilege to work alongside the staff, lawyers, litigants, and jurors. I wish the incoming judge and both counties the best moving forward.”
