Fort Bend County’s Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Judge Joel C. Clouser, Sr. has announced his retirement effective June 30.

Fort Bend County Commissioners Court last week accepted Clouser’s resignation and appointed Mark Gibson to be the Justice of the Peace until Clouser’s successor is chosen in the next general election.

After 29 years on the bench, Clouser wants to call it a day, a day not too soon because he wants to spend time with family and grandkids. He describes his retirement as another milestone in his life,

“I am proud of my service to Pct. 2 constituents. I am going to miss miss it, but it is time to move on,” Clouser said.

Each day on the bench, he had something new and it was a people’s court, where those who cannot afford an attorney could appear pro se. Clouser reminisces that his court room was known for fairness and equity.

Judge Clouser, a Democrat, took office as Justice of the Peace of Precinct Two on January 1, 1993. 

He and his wife, Gloria have lived and raised their children in the community since 1980, where he has been actively involved in civic and community affairs.

He has served on the board of directors of the Fort Bend YMCA and World Youth Foundation. He served on the Fort Bend Independent School District’s Safe and Drug Free Schools Advisory Board. He has also served on the Fort Bend County Bail Bond Board, the Clear Creek Watershed Flood Control District Board, as Voter Precinct Chairman, as President of the Chasewood Civic Club, and as President of the Missouri City N.A.A.C.P. He is Chaplain of the Tideland’s Chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute.

He established and directed the Justice Court 2/YMCA Teen Court since 1993, and is especially proud that it won first place honors in several mock trial competitions throughout the State.

He has used innovative alternative sentencing programs that place emphasis on the development of the youth in our community, and he is a regular speaker at area schools. 


In the past, he has worked diligently with school administrators to help abate the serious truancy problems that our community schools have experienced.