VOTE411 Voter Guide

I am a practicing attorney of some 40 years. I have handled a wide variety of civil matters and have been in and out of courtrooms my entire life. I have been before good judges and some not so good judges, and I believe a good judge does not forget that they are public servants first. Litigants should be treated with respect, and they should be able to count on the fact that the judge is well educated in the law; willing to give the case his or her full attention and to give a ruling within a reasonable time. Litigants need resolution of their disputes in an impartial setting.

I believe fully in letting the parties work out a resolution that works for them. They know their situation better than anyone. I encourage discussion and mediation if necessary. At the end of the day, however, I believe in the rule of law and that both parties should be treated fairly and impartially by the court, applying the applicable law to the facts of the case. We have to remember that there are two sides to every landlord/tenant matter. On the tenant side, there is the need for housing. On the landlord side there is the need for the property to generate income because it is the landlord's responsibility to pay taxes, insurance and fulfill certain duties to maintain the property.

I'm a Baylor graduate and first-generation college student, born and raised in Southeast Harris County. I began my career as a speech therapist serving children in underserved communities before moving into civic leadership. In 2022, I was elected the first minority and youngest woman ever to serve as JP in Harris County. Since 2023, I've presided over thousands of cases and stay current through the Texas Justice Court Training Center. I've built a court recognized statewide, home to the most-used free legal kiosk in Texas and the award-winning Eviction Diversion Initiative. I bring empathy, decisiveness, and deep community roots to the bench.

Our Eviction Diversion Initiative is the foundation. A full-time facilitator inside our courthouse connects both landlords and tenants with rental assistance, legal aid, and mediation before a judgment is entered - helping families secure over $500,000 in assistance and earning the 2024 TAC Best Practice Award. For small claims, I encourage settlement whenever possible, pausing hearings so parties can resolve things themselves. In eviction proceedings, I protect the rights of both sides: tenants are often one paycheck from homelessness, and small landlords are often protecting their only investment. I make sure every party understands the process, has a real opportunity to be heard, and receives a ruling grounded in the facts and the law.