Our Court handles business and constitutional appeals. I was an appellate partner at a top business litigation boutique. I am chair elect of the State Bar Constitutional Law section.
I take my oath to defend the constitution seriously. A judge has the obligation to rule without fear or favor. I have already developed a strong reputation for impartiality and fairness, even when criticized by powerful interests. Judicial campaign contribution limits are low in Texas. I have donors from both parties and divergent interests who believe in my ability to fairly interpret the law.
Texans often know very little about the legal system. Our court is a new court that many Texans may not know about. I have spoken at many legal and civic functions to inform people about the Fifteenth Court of Appeals and what it does. The judge that I clerked for taught me to personally review pro bono cases and not rely exclusively on staff attorneys to analyze them.
Factors include the constitutional soundness of the prior ruling, the workability of the prior ruling, and whether there have been any sweeping changes in technology that might not have been accounted for in the prior ruling.
I am a textualist. I believe that words have meaning, and that meaning can be interpreted from statutory context and tools like dictionaries. My role is to call balls and strikes. It is not to rewrite the law to suit my policy preferences.
While I have not been a judge, I am a trial attorney, Board Certified in Administrative Law, (highly relevant for the 15th Court), and I am a retired firefighter and RN with real world life experience
If elected, I am bound by the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct. As noted in the preamble to the Code, the legal system is based on the principle that an independent, fair and competent judiciary must honor and respect judicial office as a public trust. While the system to elect judges is a political system, judges must remain impartial to maintain confidence in the judicial system.
The greatest barriers to access is the cost of litigation with high legal fee and steep court costs that limit low income individuals from asserting their rights; and the complexity of the process due to specialized legal jargon, and confusing paperwork. The courts can address these issues by advocating for expanded legal aid and streamlined court proceedings.
Stare decisis is an important legal doctrine, and Appellate Courts should not take lightly any consideration of overturning a prior ruling. Some factors to consider:
- Is there controlling precedent from the Supreme Court of Texas;
- Is there splits between the other 14 Courts of Appeals;
- Is there a compelling factual or legal issue that raises an issue with real world consequences
To a large extent my judicial philosophy would be based on prudentialism, a philosophy that emphasizes pragmatism, caution, and consideration of the real-world consequences of judicial decisions, rather than focusing solely on abstract legal principles or moral arguments.
