Wilco Justice Of The Peace 3 Win State Awards

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX —The Williamson County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 office was recognized Thursday to have some of the best civil servants in Texas.

Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Judge Evelyn McLean and her staff were honored with the Best Practices of the Year Award at the Texas Justices of the Peace and Constable Association's annual awards.

The office was awarded for its development of a Financial Literacy Program, which provides Williamson County individuals who receive driving citations for no driver’s license or no insurance with the option to enroll in a free financial education class in lieu of paying fines.

McLean said the program has been successful because it serves to educate and help offenders, instead of simply punishing them.

“I am grateful this team is being recognized for their outstanding efforts,” McLean said. “When we developed this program, we did not move forward with the goal of winning awards, we did it with the goal of improving the lives of Williamson County residents. And I’m proud to say that so far, it’s working.”

Crystal Kaderka, the precinct's court administrator, also was recognized as the Texas Clerk of the Year, officials said.

Kaderka was recognized for her efforts in establishing a curbside payment service for defendants during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to creating and managing an online scheduling system for appointments which enabled her team to maintain the highest case rate in Williamson County.

The annual award show recognizes offices and individuals across the state for exceptional performance and outstanding representation of the court. Winners are selected from nominations submitted from 254 counties across Texas, authorities said Thursday.

For more information, visit WilCo's website.