Potter County Attorney Choose 1
The County Attorney is responsible for representing the County in a variety of civil legal matters as well as prosecution of misdemeanor offenses.
Biographical Information
Full Name
Campbell Scott Brumley
Party
Republican
Current job
Potter County Attorney
Campaign Mailing Address
500 South Fillmore, Room 301
Amarillo, TX 79101
Amarillo, TX 79101
Background: What training, experience, and background qualify you for this position?
I have served as Potter County Attorney since January 1, 2005. Before taking office, I served for over nine years as chief of the Civil Division of the Potter County Attorney's Office. As far as professional qualifications are concerned, I have been licensed to practice law in Texas since 1992, and I am admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. In 2022, I was named the State Bar of Texas Criminal Justice Section Prosecutor of the Year, and have served as president and chairman of the board of the Texas District and County Attorney's Association. I have handled scores of cases, criminal and civil, for the State and Potter County, and have supervised an efficient, well-regarded office for almost 20 years.
Goals: In your own words, explain the goals, responsibilities, and limitations of this role. (This question is exclusive to the online Vote411 Voter Guide.)
The mission of the Potter County Attorney's Office is summed up best, perhaps, by the provision of article 2.01 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, which says it shall be the primary duty of all prosecuting attorneys not to convict, but to see that justice is done. I understand that to mean that our office must be tenacious, yet fair, as prosecutors. We must provide the most legally sound, ethical representation to the county and its officers in the civil context. And, above all, we should focus all our efforts on ensuring that Potter County is a safer, better place to live.
Overcrowding: How will you deal with the current lack of capacity in our prison/jails? How do you feel about "early release" of low-level offenders as a solution to overcrowding?
A "low-level" offender may be a violent criminal who is simply charged at the time with a relatively minor offense while more serious charges are investigated. Meanwhile, jails and prisons exist to serve pretrial custodial, protective, punitive, and rehabilitative functions. The individual behavioral characteristics of each defendant must determine which of those functions, alone or in combination with the others, are appropriate and whether release at any particular time is appropriate.
Prevention: What ideas do you have for crime prevention in the county?
Education and engagement are the keys. The importance of helping people understand ways to avoid victimization are critical, as is promoting a sense of community commitment that values ordered liberty, and rejects behaviors that threaten it. To achieve that commitment, re-engaging citizens' ownership of the criminal justice system and the public safety that is its objective is essential.
Financial Concerns: If the prosecutor’s office is forced to make budget cuts, how would you determine which personnel or programs would be affected? (This question is exclusive to the online Vote411 Voter Guide.)
Adherence to a constitutional rule-of-law framework would require the clear constitutional and statutory duties of the office to be the baseline. The County Attorney's Office is legally charged with prosecuting misdemeanors, representing the State in CPS and mental commitment proceedings, and prosecuting juvenile offenders. Any function beyond those would necessarily be subject to tougher budgetary scrutiny.