Williamson County years away from getting medical examiner, county looking at other options

Texas law requires counties to establish a medical examiner's office when the population hits 2.5 million, but a county commissioners court may create one at any time.

TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) — Booths filled the Williamson County Exposition Center as job seekers looked for opportunities. 

On a Saturday in April, businesses came together at the job expo and business fair. Among the crowd three of the four Williamson County Justice of the Peace judges could be heard talking about health, court and deaths.

Their black robes hanging in the backdrop.

"I do more than just marry people," Judge Rhonda Redden, Williamson County Justice of the Peace in Precinct 4, said. "We do small claims, evictions, truancy, we handle criminal cases."

The judges explained it was a chance to connect with those they serve and share not only ways to stay healthy due to obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes but also talk more about their roles on the bench and outside the courtroom. 

"If somebody dies in Williamson County we are the ones that determine cause and manner of death and then sign the death certificates," said Judge Evelyn McLean, Williamson County Justice of the Peace in Precinct 3 to a couple who had stopped by to say hello. 

The county doesn't have a medical examiner, so the four Justice of the Peace judges handle deaths under Texas law. 

"It's the population that has just gotten so big. And there's a lot of deaths that are happening," McLean said to KXAN investigators. 

More growth, more deaths 

Data shows death cases across the county have increased by 122% over the past decade and include everything from natural causes, suicides, overdoses to murders. If an autopsy is requested, the judges work with either a local, private forensics firm or the medical examiner in Travis County. 

"We are the 12th-largest county in the state and every county above us has one and... many counties below us that have a smaller population... also have a medical examiner," McLean said. 

The judges first shared their concerns with KXAN investigators in March. 

Texas law requires counties to establish a medical examiner's office when the population hits 2.5 million, but a county commissioners court may create one at any time. Last year, lawmakers amended the law, changing the population requirement from 2 million to 2.5 million. Until 2019, it was one million.

"It is a concern to the public when they... hear we in Williamson County with a population of 700,000 people do not have a medical examiner's office — it is a concern of the public," said Judge Angela Williams, Williamson County Justice of the Peace in Precinct 2, during a budget meeting in April. 

The judges discussed the need for a medical examiner with Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell and other leaders and each requested a death investigator who could fill the gap and take death calls, go to the scenes, and prepare reports.

"It is unfair to the public for us to continue having the growth in this category of our job, where it is now affecting the other parts of our jobs such an extreme that is becoming unmanageable to balance all the things that we need to do," Judge KT Musselman, Williamson County Justice of the Peace in Precinct 1, said. 

After the judges spoke in that April meeting, Gravell called them out publicly for speaking to KXAN about the issue. He added that the judges should go to commissioners first instead of the media.

The judges explained they have months ago, even traveling with one of the commissioners to Fort Bend County earlier this year to see how its medical examiner's office works.

"There will be a day, probably not in our time as public officials but there will be a day that there is a medical examiner's office in Williamson County, and we continue to take steps moving in that direction," Gravell said. "We clearly care about people on their best day and on their last day."

He expressed similar concerns when he was a JP more than a decade ago publicly online. Gravell would not speak to KXAN about the need for a medical examiner.

'Sacrifice is my family'

A county spokesperson said the JPs and other leaders have met to discuss options and they’re working on job descriptions for death investigators as well as looking to other counties in similar situations. 

The spokesperson added that Commissioners Court will have a chance to look at the county's recommended budget in August. 

The judges explained any solution will be helpful as they juggle court dockets and death investigations when they're on call for a full week at a time. 

"It's physically, emotionally and mentally draining," McLean said. "We all struggle to do the workload that we're tasked to do in the courtroom and do the death inquests."

Redden told county leaders she spent more than 2,500 hours last year just on death investigations. 

"We are absolutely committed to this — absolutely committed to making sure that when we're working a death case that we give it — it's absolutely due diligence and we are trying to give everybody their due diligence on the bench," Redden said to a county resident at the job expo and business fair. "For me, my sacrifice is my family."