Criminal District Court Judge, District 497
District courts are trial courts of general jurisdiction of Texas. They have original jurisdiction in felony criminal cases, divorce cases, cases involving title to land, election contest cases, civil matters in which the amount of money or damages involved is $200 or more, and any matters in which jurisdiction is not placed in another trial court. The courts may specialize in civil, criminal, juvenile, or family law matters. Four-year term.
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Peyton Peebles
(Rep)
Qualifications:
What training, experience and characteristics qualify you for this position?
Issues:
What are the two (2) most pressing issues that you will face in the office that you seek? Describe your "specific" plans/ideas for addressing these issues.
district
497th District Court
Education
Doctor of Jurisprudence, University of Houston (1999); Bachelor of Science, University of Florida (1994)
Occupation
Judge, 497th District Court
I've been an active participant in the criminal justice system for over 25 years...first as an assistant district attorney (and DA investigator), then as a defense attorney, and then as the legal counsel for the Harris County judges. I've advised and supervised other critical participants over the years. I have personally tried many serious criminal cases to juries and have authored hundreds of appellate briefs in criminal cases, including multiple briefs in the United States Supreme Court. I've presided over the 497th District Court since my appointment in January 2025. In the course of 11 months I presided over 21 serious felony jury trials and resolved hundreds of other felony cases.
(1) Scrutinizing all factors in a case to ensure an appropriate bail amount is set (unless a hearing to deny bail has been requested and is applicable) and then maximizing community safety while facilitating a defendant's interest in speedy discovery and trial, which can be done by closely monitoring release conditions and staffing cases regularly to ensure discovery is flowing.
(2) Reducing the number of cases on the trial docket, which can be done by staggering trial settings and keeping cases "on call" so that one or more cases are ready to begin trial as soon as another trial concludes.
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