This court handles all levels of felony cases: state jail felonies (180 days to 2 years and $10K fine), third degree felonies (2 to 10 years in prison and $10K fine), second degree felonies (2 to 20 years in prison and $10K fine), first degree felonies (5 years to 99 years or life and $10K fine), and death penalty cases. Typical felony cases range from drug and gun cases, serious assaults, and property crimes and of course child abuse, sexual assault and murder cases. The judge serves a 4 year term and all appeals are heard by the 5th Court of Appeals, except death penalty cases which go directly to the Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin. Must be a US citizen and Texas resident between 25 and 74 years old, a practicing lawyer or judge, or both combined for at least 4 years (per 2021 constitutional amendment this requirement changes to 8 years for terms beginning after 1/1/25), and have lived in Dallas County for at least 2 years.
Occupation
Attorney
Education
JD South Texas College of Law
Campaign Phone
469-349-4739
I am a Dallas County native born and raised in Oak Cliff. I am a proud graduate of Skyline High School. My ties to the community provide me with first-hand knowledge of Dallas County needs. Likewise, I have been a licensed attorney for over 21 years practicing in Dallas County. I am currently employed with a local law firm but have experience as a solo practitioner. I worked as a public servant serving criminal defendants as an assistant public defender in the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office for almost 11 years. I will bring my experience from the felony courtrooms to the bench.
Ethics has always been at the forefront of my legal career. This will remain the same presiding over Criminal District Court 1. To date, I have no major campaign donors. I am expecting most of my donations to come from family and friends as a grassroot effort. I do expect to have donations from attorneys who will most likely practice in my courtroom. However, campaign donations will not influence my decisions or rulings. Ethics will always come first. My duty will be to uphold the law, protect the community, and safeguard constitutional rights regardless of any political pressure.
Conversation. Parties that come before my court will be people not numbers or statistics. From my experience, many people move through the criminal justice system with no one knowing who they are. Cases are moved where no one has asked about a person’s mental health status, employment status, or housing needs. Often time, underserved people are unrecognized. Having the compassion to speak with a person who may not have the money to afford a bond, opens the door to provide that person with access to whatever resources they do not have when possible.
It is no secret that Dallas County has been plagued with backlogged dockets. The blame has been put on software issues, Covid, clerk issues, and lack of performance inside the courtrooms. No matter the cause, I plan to get to work in managing the court docket. I do believe that accessibility will be a major factor in moving the docket. There have been complaints of excessive absences from all courtroom staff including prosecutors, the judge, clerks, and probation officers. I want to work to have a fully staffed courtroom. I know any solution starts with me being present and accessible.
My judicial philosophy is to follow the rule of law. There must be fairness and equality in the courtroom. I will ensure that due process, accountability, rehabilitation, and restoration will be equally enforced in Criminal District Court 1.
Occupation
Attorney
Education
B.A. in Psychology from Texas Tech; J.D. from Oklahoma City University
Campaign Phone
2147362914
I have practiced law for 27 years - two years as a prosecutor and 25 years running a solo practice without support staff, primarily representing indigent defendants. I have handled every part of my cases, from intake to trial and resolution. A small portion of my practice has also included representing children and parents in CPS cases. This experience gives me insight into both sides of the system and prepares me to manage a diverse docket with fairness, efficiency, and respect for people from all backgrounds.
My philosophy throughout my career has been that once you lose someone's trust - a judge, opposing counsel, your client - you will never regain it. I have worked hard to ensure that my reputation is beyond reproach. If elected, I will continue this philosophy.
Accessible courts need to be a priority. So often, people charged with criminal offenses are expected to make multiple court appearances from 9am-12pm. This interferes with their ability to keep a job. We learned during Covid how to operate remotely. I believe it is essential that we utilize the things we learned about working remotely to lessen the burden of appearing in court if an in-person appearance is not necessary.
The public's perception of the judiciary is the most pressing challenge. Recent news articles have led the public to believe that judges are not showing up to do their jobs. While this is not true for most of our current judges, it does apply to some. I will work hard to maintain the trust of the Dallas County voters by showing up, on time, everyday, and staying until the work of the day is complete. I will also strive to treat everyone fairly, regardless of their background, origin, and socioeconomic status.
My judicial philosophy is that serving as a judge does not mean applying rules mechanically, but carries a responsibility to apply the law in a way that promotes justice, equality, and public trust in a changing society.
