Two candidates are already vying for the office of Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace after longtime Judge Jan Morrow announced her plans to retire earlier this week.
Retired law enforcement officer Bill Hogg and attorney Jason Lee Van Dyke have both shared their intent to run for the position in the March Republican primary.
Morrow’s retirement will be effective Jan. 1, 2026, leaving one unexpired year on her term. Wise County commissioners plan to fill the vacancy by appointment, but will do so after the filing period for the office closes Dec. 8.
Hogg, who was in attendance for Morrow’s retirement announcement to county commissioners, informed the Messenger of his campaign plans Monday.
He served as a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper in Wise County from 1989 to 1997.
Hogg was later promoted to aviation, working as a helicopter pilot for DPS in Waco and later as chief pilot for the Fort Worth Police Department before his retirement and return to Wise County around nine years ago.
Bill Hogg
“This is something I’ve always been interested in since being a trooper here,” Hogg said, adding that he often worked with former Precinct 1 JP Mary Motsenbacker and her assistant, Jan Morrow.
“I bring a lot of relevant experience, and I think, common sense,” he added. “I’ve enjoyed living here — about 17 years of my life. The judge’s office oversees civil court and issues civil process. It also holds traffic court and other Class C misdemeanors. There are civil disputes up to $20,000, occasionally a wedding, arraignment of prisoners, and in some cases, an inquest of a questionable death. All of those things are relevant to what I’ve done.”
Jason Lee Van Dyke
Van Dyke, an attorney with Magaña & Van Dyke, PLLC, a Denton-based firm, also informed the Messenger of his plans to run for the Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace opening Tuesday. The Decatur resident — who has gained widespread media attention for past associations with the Proud Boys, a litigious feud with a rival, a 2018 arrest, representation of clients his firm described on its website as “the so-called ‘dissident right'” and run-ins with the State Bar of Texas — has practiced law for just under 20 years.
“I am running for Justice of the Peace because the people of Wise County deserve the education and experience of a Texas attorney in this position,” Van Dyke said in an email.
Van Dyke has specialized in both criminal defense and civil litigation, focusing primarily on debt collection cases on the civil side. Increases to the monetary cap on civil claims in justice courts — which he noted have risen from $5,000 to $20,000 since he began practicing law — attracted his interest in the JP office.
“This change means that more of our citizens facing debt-related lawsuits will appear before a justice court,” Van Dyke said. “The consequences of a money judgment can be devastating, and if elected, I will ensure that creditors and debt buyers are held to their burden of proof and that the due process rights of the citizens of Wise County are protected.”
Representing the indigent and fringe groups in First and Second Amendment cases has been a common thread throughout his career.
He said he plans to treat defendants with dignity if elected.
“I have also practiced criminal defense for most of my career. I understand that defendants are more than just names on a docket sheet — they are human beings deserving of dignity and respect as children of God. I do not believe, and have never believed, that protecting the constitutional rights of the accused is somehow inconsistent with public safety,” Van Dyke said. “Wise County deserves a judge who will protect both, and if elected, that is exactly what I intend to do.”
Van Dyke, a Michigan native, has lived in Wise County since 2019. He is a member of VX Marksmanship, a local firearm training facility, and holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
The filing period for the March primary opens Nov. 8.
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