I have 23 years of experience in criminal law as a prosecutor, defense attorney and over half of my career has been dedicated to being a county court at law Judge. Over my 3 terms on the bench, I have run an efficient, fair court. I apply the law consistently and accurately, having no decision over-turned on appeal in my career. I believe in showing up everyday and doing the work. That commitment is reflected in a consistently low docket and a court with zero trial backlog.
I believe they all have had a fairly impressive measure of success. Having attended several drug court graduations, the stories of the accomplishments and the lives changed within that program are truly heart-warming and something the community should be proud of. Community Court, a relatively new specialty court has a very much needed focus of providing services to our communities' homeless population. Our community would greatly benefit from its success and I support it's efforts.
The costs associated with having a criminal charge can add up significantly. Drug tests and alcohol monitors as a part of pre- or post conviction court supervision included with fines and court costs can be quite difficult to maintain on a low-income. Further, the bail system as directed by law, can create inequities in pre-trial incarceration among the classes.
It is my privilege to be made a part of any couple's special day! True love is one of the greatest things this life has to offer and humans should be free to love who they want to love without being judged, ridiculed or treated differently.
Currently, I am the supervising judicial officer. Myself and Sheriff Salazar co-supervise the program. It is an excellent program that we are working to improve and grow. The program allows for low-level offenders to perform community service in lieu of incarceration. It should be noted that the program services more than county facilities. Recently participants have cleaned-up homeless encampments in our city and handed out food to those in need with the assistance of local charities.
I have been attorney for almost 8 years and have handled a wide variety of cases but perhaps what matters as much as my professional experience is my personal background and upbringing. I'm the first in my family to go to College, from the South Side of San Antonio and like many people in the community, I have family on both sides of the criminal justice system. This gives me a unique understanding for people who do enter the system. I will be a Judge from the Community, for the Community.
The most successful are the Drug and DWI Courts, Mental Health Courts and the Domestic Violence Courts. I would support a Young Adult Court focused on helping individuals between the ages of 17-25. I believe this court would be successful because it could help with lower reoffending rates. It would help this young population with finding employment, housing and if needed give them access to educational/vocational programs. It could help to identify any future cognitive/substance abuse issues.
I do not believe it impacts all economic classes equally. County Courts handle cases that touch every day life- misdemeanors, which include domestic assaults and DWIs. These cases don't discriminate by income but the consequences can. Sometimes people of a lower income can face a harsher punishment, have trouble taking off from work to make court appearances and this creates a ripple effect on their lives. This can impact an individual's ability to get a job, find housing and family stability.
Yes, absolutely. Marriage equality is the law of the land and everyone deserves to be treated with fairness, respect and have their rights protected. My role as Judge would not be to impose personal beliefs but to uphold the law and the law protects the rights of same sex couples.
I am in favor of the Bexar Gives Back Program because it allows for people to remain in the community and gives them the opportunity to do real good for the community. It allows people to remain accountable for their actions without unnecessary incarceration. It can reduce recidivism, allows for people to maintain employment and potentially gain job skills. I think the biggest factor is that it avoids some of the consequences a short term jail sentence can have on people's lives.
