VOTE411 Voter Guide

I am the former judge of the 177th Criminal District Court in Harris County, Texas. I served as the presiding judge of that court for eight years (2017-2024) and oversaw the entire pre-trial, trial and post-trial process for felony cases ( e.g., ruling on objections, jury selection, and sentencing). I have a proven track record of managing complex criminal cases and making well-reasoned decisions. I have over two decades of experience in the area of criminal law and had an extensive criminal defense practice prior to taking the bench. If elected, I am committed to following the law and remaining fair/impartial at all times. We need judges on the bench who are truly committed to improving our criminal justice system.

If I am elected as judge, the two key issues for my initial focus will be reducing the case backlog and court trial docket. Based on the Harris County criminal district courts dashboard, the 209th Court has the lowest clearance rate for cases of the 29 criminal district courts. I will immediately put in place a docket management control system to address the backlog and trial docket, which I was able to successfully do in my prior tenure on the bench. All parties and the overall justice system is impacted when judges allow criminal cases to continuously get reset.

I am a criminal defense attorney with 14 years experience. My practice is primarily criminal in nature. I handle all levels of criminal cases - both misdemeanors and felonies. I am a criminal trial attorney and have represented clients from arraignment to jury verdict and sentencing.

Prior to becoming licensed attorney, I was employed by Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department ("HCCSCD") as a community supervision officer ("CSO"), i.e., probation officer. My stint with HCCSCD lasted nearly a decade. While there, I was assigned to specialized caseloads and tasked with supervising persons charged with substance abuse and sex offenses. The experience I gained as a CSO introduced me to the court system.

One issue will be that of maintaining public trust. When people walk into a courtroom, it is imperative that they feel a sense of trust as it relates to the person presiding over their cases.

Second is the issue of political pressure. Both issues are related, but different. Yes, it is extremely important that people trust their judges, but what is equally important is the assurance that a judge's rulings are based solely on the law and that they are not the results of political persuasion and prompting.

I strongly believe that by extending an open ear to the community and actively listening to the community's concerns, I will be successful in not only establishing trust, but also a respectful rapport within the community.

I have 17 years as an attorney (5 as prosecutor, 12 as criminal defense attorney) and 7 years as judge. I tried approximately 75 cases as a lawyer and presided over almost 100 trials as judge, including capital murders. I have never been reversed by an appellate court in seven years—proving my legal expertise and sound judgment. I am the only candidate with death penalty experience from all three perspectives: prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge. I've reduced our docket from the highest in Harris County (1,700) to one of the lowest (700s) twice through innovative management. I'm consistently ranked among the top three judges by the Houston Bar Association. I was honored to be named the 2022 Texas District Judge of the Year.

Issue #1: Defending Judicial Independence Governor Abbott can now remove judges for bail decisions he disagrees with—a direct attack on Harris County's Democratic judges. My plan: continue making legally sound decisions that cannot be reversed on appeal. My seven-year record of never being reversed provides the strongest defense against politically motivated removal attempts. Issue #2: Criminal Justice Reform Harris County needs to continue eliminating wealth-based bail, reducing mass incarceration, and treating all defendants fairly. I will continue efficient docket management that has eliminated the 209th backlog, make individualized bond decisions based on risk not wealth, and connect defendants to treatment rather than warehousing them