I bring more than 26 years of judicial experience, currently serving as Judge of the 144th Criminal District Court, with prior service on the 37th District Court and Bexar County Court at Law #12. I have presided over thousands of criminal cases and hundreds of jury trials, both criminal and civil. My career also includes public service as an Assistant Attorney General and Assistant District Attorney protecting children from abuse, and 43 years as a lawyer, including 12 in private practice.
Bail reform was addressed during the most recent legislative session, and as such, I am obligated to faithfully implement the reforms signed into law. Those changes reflect clear policy decisions by state leaders regarding bail, public safety, and pretrial procedures. My responsibility is not to relitigate those choices, but to ensure they are applied consistently, fairly, and in accordance with the law—while protecting constitutional rights and maintaining the integrity of the justice system.
During more than 11 years as Judge of County Court at Law # 12, I presided over thousands of DWI cases. One clear lesson from that experience is that underage alcohol consumption often leads to impaired driving. Preventing DWIs requires early intervention which includes educating students from middle school through high school about the health risks of alcohol, the legal consequences of underage drinking, and the serious, often life-altering consequences of driving while intoxicated.
Our Public Defender’s Office plays a critical role in upholding the constitutional right to counsel and ensuring that justice is not determined by one’s ability to pay. The office does excellent work under challenging conditions, and I support increased funding to expand attorney and support staff positions. Strengthening the Public Defender’s Office will broaden access to quality representation, reduce caseload pressures, and help ensure fairness and integrity throughout our justice system.
As Bexar County grows, jail overcrowding remains a serious challenge. Addressing it requires innovative solutions that link community resources with the justice system. One example is the misdemeanor Mental Health Court, which I helped establish in the mid-2000s and presided over through 2010. That court continues to divert mentally ill misdemeanor defendants from jail through coordinated efforts among law enforcement, mental health providers, and the court.
Unfortunately, our current judicial system does not impact all socioeconomic classes equally. Truth be told, few things in life do. However, what the justice system can and must do is treat every person with fairness, respect, and dignity. As Judge of the 144th District Court, I strive to ensure that each case is decided on its facts and merits, and that true justice is pursued notwithstanding the economic circumstances of the defendant or the victim.
I’m running on my 25 years of public service serving Bexar County. I was a prosecutor for 18 years with the District Attorney’s Office, a domestic violence court judge for 4 years during COVID, and a criminal defense attorney for the past three years protecting the rights of the accused. I have tried over 125 jury trials including sexual crimes against children and adults, aggravated assaults, murder and capital murder. This experience makes me qualified to be a judge of a felony court.
As a Judge, I am required to follow the laws of the State of Texas and that is what I will do. As an elected district court judge, I can make sure that citizens being accused of low-level, non-violent offenses do not remain in jail due to not being able to have the money to bond out of jail. There are options in place to reduce the jail population while keeping our community safe.
Citizens accused of Driving while Intoxicated need to be held accountable for their actions. In most cases, probation may be appropriate to get help for those who need alcohol or drug dependency treatment and make sure they do not commit another DWI endangering our community
I am supportive of any initiatives that provide a speedier court process. Quality representation of citizens accused of a crime will, at the same time, provide speedy justice to victims of crime. Currently, there are not enough attorneys to meet the demand of court appointed counsel. Any improvement in our system will assist all the parties who come to find justice at the courthouse.
Low-level, non-violent offenders need to be properly evaluated and provided a low bond amount so they can bond out of jail. Just because a person cannot afford a bond doesn’t mean the best use of taxpayer resources is to leave that person in jail. We can keep our community safe while ensuring defendants return to the courthouse.
No. The poor do not get the ability to bond out of jail due to a lack of resources. That is not fair. Improvements need to be made so we ensure that citizens who do not have money are treated fairly and responsibly by our criminal justice system. As a Judge I can help in that respect.
