Dallas County JP Pct 3 No 2
4 year term. Must be a citizen, 18 years or older and a resident of the district represented. Does not need to be a lawyer. Responsible for civil and criminal misdemeanor cases punishable by fine only: assault, bail jumping, criminal mischief, bad check writing, public intoxication. Can hear civil cases up to $20,000. Issues occupational drivers licenses. May perform marriages, issue commitment papers for the mentally ill and search and arrest warrants.
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Michael L Geller
(Rep)
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Paula M Rosales
(Dem)
QUALIFICATIONS: What experience and training qualify you for this position?
ACCESSIBILITY: The JP Courts are often referred to as “The People’s Courts.” What measures do you support to make the JP courts more accessible to the public?
EVICTIONS: How would you rate the equity of eviction proceedings in JP courts?
OTHER ISSUES: What other issues do you believe will be most pressing for JP courts and how would you address them?
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Occupation
Managing Attorney
Ed Institutions Attended
Southern Methodist University, Texas Wesleyan School of Law (now, Texas A&M University School of Law
Ed Degrees Earned
Bachelor of Arts, Juris Doctorate
I regularly serve as Visiting Justice of the Peace for various JP courts, including this bench: JP 3-2. I have over 17 years of combined legal and judicial experience. As the managing attorney for a prominent personal injury law firm, I collaborate with senior trial attorneys and manage and mentor 20 staff members and young lawyers. I am regularly appointed as a mediator and guardian ad litem by Texas Judicial District Courts and County Courts at Law. As a former Dallas County Court at Law judge, I
was an appellate judge to the JP courts in Dallas. I am prepared, proven, and ready on day 1.
Accessibility is about making the court system navigable and understandable. I would support the following measures. 1) Convenient Hours: A few times a month, I will offer evening sessions for those who work or study during the day. I will offer virtual hearings upon the requestor's showing of good cause. 2) Simplifying Processes and Language: I will provide step-by-step guides and checklists in various languages. And, 3) Education and Outreach: I look forward to hosting workshops, mentoring interns and providing an interactive website.
JP courts are volume docket courts where proceedings can go fast. JP courts can become more equitable by maintaining access to legal assistance—continuing to encourage the lawyers of the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center's to maintain a presence at JP 3-2; providing a low-cost mediation program to assist the parties with generating mutually-agreeable solutions like phased move-outs or deferred rent; and providing tenant education through workshops, clinics, and multilingual guides.
This question touches on the biggest challenge facing JP courts: running an efficient docket for thousands of weekly cases without compromising due process. My background, training and experience as an attorney and former judge, have prepared me to resolve complex case management issues and complicated legal matters while maintaining and building the public's trust. I will bring the right temperament, be an active listener and keep an open mind. Further, I will clearly communicate and explain decisions and procedures in understandable terms, which promotes transparency for litigants.
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