If the office of justice of the peace is vacant in a precinct or if the justice is absent or unable or unwilling to perform his duties, the nearest justice in the county may temporarily perform the duties of the office.
Tex. Gov't Code § 27.052
VACANCY OR ABSENCE
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, Sec. 1, eff
Official source: Texas Constitution and Statutes. Reproduced from public-domain Texas statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.