STATE BAR DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT OCTOBER 2022
Jason Charbonnet
Interview by Will Korn
Photo courtesy of Jason Charbonnet
Hometown: Fort Worth
Position: Justice of the Peace, Tarrant County,
Precinct 6
Board Member: Public member since 2021
I spent most of my law enforcement career as a
detective.
The cases I investigated exposed me to an expanded view of the law, and
the more I experienced, the more I liked it. Law enforcement officers
have a lot of contact with justices of the peace while performing their
duties. I often thought that being a JP would be an excellent way to
continue my service to the citizens of Tarrant County.
I remember being as young as 6 years old and wanting to be a
police officer. My parents often tell stories of me being a
young boy and expressing my dream. As I grew up, my interest in the law
increased. I have always liked working outside and talking to people
face to face, so being a police officer was a great fit and the best
decision of my life. Becoming a JP has allowed me to bring my love for
public service to a different level of law enforcement.
When I entered law enforcement, my goal was to help and serve
the public to the best of my ability. I was raised and taught
to always do what is fair and right in every aspect of life. This is how
I have lived my life and raised my family. My main goal for conducting
business as a JP has been to be a good listener, follow the law, and
refrain from legislating from the bench. Doing the right thing is not
always easy, but I can lay my head down at night and know I have done my
absolute best to be fair and just. I also believe the goal of any public
servant should be to provide efficient service to the citizens and be a
good steward of taxpayers’ money. I am proud to say I run my court this
way daily.
I put in an application to the governor’s office to be
appointed to a board or commission. I did this to continue my
public service and give back to the state that I love so much. The
governor’s office called and told me that they reviewed my application
and asked if I would be interested in serving the State Bar as a
director. I was honored to assist in any way, but I will tell you that I
was excited that the State Bar wanted me to serve.
This being my second year and coming out of COVID lockdowns, we
are not yet fully up and running, in person. But I am very
proud to have worked with former Chair Santos Vargas and now getting to
interact with Chair Chad Baruch to further the mission of the State Bar,
which is quite fulfilling. The knowledge and willingness of all the
board members to serve the state of Texas is very inspiring. I think the
greatest contribution I can make to the State Bar is to bring the
perspective of a seasoned law enforcement officer to the board. I am
very proud to be able to contribute this “street wise” perspective.
It is about the members of the bar and the public. Part
of our mission statement is “enable its members to better serve their
clients and the public.” We should never lose focus on this mission. If
we begin to think about ourselves and our self-interests, then we have
failed. At the close of every meeting, we recite the mission statement
aloud to reiterate the reason we are all serving.TBJ
