What are the three main reasons you are running for this office? Do you see any potential conflicts of interest?

I graduated Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Police Science - Law Enforcement and then received a Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law. While attending each school, I interned in the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office as an Investigator and then as a Prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, respectively.

For more than 16 years I have been responsible for all three justice courts (adult and juvenile) in Grimes County and all adult criminal cases in the County Court at Law. In both the County Court at Law and the three Justice Courts, I am tasked with reviewing, approving or representing the public’s interest in all Occupational Driver’s Licenses. In addition to these responsibilities, I also represent the State in the bulk of felony cases in the 12th and 506th District Courts including State Jail, Third Degree, and cases arising from the two. As a prosecutor, I review cases for presentation to Grand Jury, review and file the misdemeanor caseload, and handle pretrial, trial, and appeals of my caseload.

As needed, I volunteer as a judge in Navasota ISD Teen Court. I supervise subordinates and work with victims and their parents/guardians in our Kids in Court Program. I represent the District Attorney’s Office on the Bail Bond Board. I helped organize the three Justices of Peace to work on a rotation for the reviewing of Blood Search Warrants. I am available 24/7 for any law enforcement operating in Grimes County for scene assists, warrant drafting or review, or for answering questions while they are on a traffic stop. I have organized training sessions for our law enforcement and have taught at training sessions for law enforcement.

I was instrumental in the development, implementation, and am the administrator of the JusticeWeb software used by the District Attorney’s Office for case management and discovery compliance through its Discovery Web Portal. I am the audio/video/technical administrator for the District Attorney’s Office and review, purchase, and maintain all their equipment. I am the web designer and administrator for the District Attorney’s Website, www.grimesocuntyda.org. I supervise the daily activity of subordinates including handling personnel problems, assigning and reviewing work, conducting performance evaluations and making recommendations on disciplinary issues. I inventory and maintain the District Attorney Armory.

I have been married to my high school sweetheart for almost 20 years have two great kids (8 and 10) who attend Magnolia ISD schools. My wife and I have been members of Trinity Lutheran Church for almost 30 years where we are voting members, members of the Serve Team where she is a Stewardship Board member and I am a member of the Usher Team. My wife and I have led multiple Financial Peace Classes the past four years and we lead a small group bible study.  

My family and church life, my education, my past and continued experience with several levels of court, my technological knowledge, and managerial experience makes me the most qualified, well rounded and best candidate for Justice of the Peace in Precinct Three. I have always enjoyed JP court because it is where I feel the most impact on the community can be made and I have done it in Grimes County by trying to make those just entering the “system” to realize how serious it can get and try to make the future better for them and for society.

Do you think judges should be elected by the people, or appointed by a commission?

By and large, Judges should be elected by the people. Justices of the Peace definitely should be elected by the people because they rule on the law, but they are presiding over the lowest court where the bulk of the citizenry will come in contact with the judicial system. Since Justices preside over a court system designed to hear both civil and criminal cases with a wide range of individuals, social stature, and knowledge, making sure they are “of the people” is paramount.

What differentiates you from your opponents?

What sets me apart is my many years of experience in all levels of court. I am responsible for the three of the Grimes County Justice Courts, the Grimes County Court at Law and a bulk of the caseload of the 12th and 506th District Courts in Grimes County from intake and preparation for Grand Jury to trial and appeal in each court listed. I am responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the Grimes County District Attorney Software, the design, operation, and maintenance of the Grimes County District Attorney website, the implantation and administration of the Grimes County District Attorney web portal for Defense Discovery. As an attorney, if elected, I am the only candidate allowed under Texas Law to review and sign blood draw evidentiary search warrants on DWI cases.

Please describe the changes you will make to improve the efficiency of your court, yet remain thoughful about rulings/orders - that allows all parties to be heard and their arguments considered. Please specifically address how many days a year your court will be “in session.”

The court needs more trial settings and more docket settings. I would have more civil and criminal dockets. I would have separate dockets for victim crimes such as assault, criminal mischief, and motor vehicle collisions as victim crimes are different than non-victim crimes and tend to be more hands on. I would implement a technology plan to aid both non-represented individuals and attorney’s either representing the state or criminal defendants or civil litigants. I believe technology used prior to court proceedings would make the legal process more easily understood by those not familiar. For example, monitors with looping information regarding types of filings with fees, types of potential pleas on criminal cases with their respective limits on availability, information on Occupational Licenses, FAQ’s, etc. If individuals have answers to common questions prior to speaking with a clerk, court staff, or a prosecutor in a criminal case, the time saved not answering those questions would be free for other tasks…such as more trial, more dockets, and larger dockets being handled more efficiently. As far as days of the year court will be "in session", there are roughly 260 work days in 2017 for 5 days a week. I plan on being on the bench at least three days a week, but available for hearings and motions the other two days upon scheduling recieved setting requests. If scheduling allows, I would have more days up front to try and alleviate any backlog of cases. I will be hands on. 

Are the United States and Texas constitutions living documents? Please answer in the context of Progressivism versus Originalism.

I believe in an originalist view when it comes to the Constitution(s). The founding fathers had a fundamental understanding of what rights we were endowed with and how the government is a servant of the people. The government is given its power by the Constitution and it should be bound by it. The Constitution does not grant power to the people; in fact, it states the powers, the inalienable rights, we are born with. The originalist view uses the Constitution to hold the government accountable to the people in the creation of laws, the enforcement of law, and the review of each by the judiciary. If we change the view of the Constitution based on current events instead of applying the intent with the written word, we jeopardize the rights we have by just existing and turning rights into something simly given to us by the government…which can be easily taken away. 

Please describe what you believe are the most significant issues in this race, why and what you'll do to address them?

The most significant issue in this race is making this court, Justice Court 3, the best court it can be by having more dockets with the ability to serve the needs of more people based on the continued growth of the area. This is done by building on a good foundation and using fresh ideas such as technology in the court room and lobby and a new vision based on many years of experience in several levels of courts.

What Texas State court decision do you think has most impacted society? How and Why?

I would say one of the landmark cases in Texas is one most people don’t remember. Sweatt v. Painter, a Texas case that went all the way to the Supreme Court and paved the way for Brown v. Board of Education. Mr. Sweatt was a black mail man from Houston who wanted to apply to UT Law, but was turned down because of his race. Sweat sued Mr. Theophilous Painter, the UT President at the time. Mr. Sweat was represented by future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. In 1950, the Supreme Court ruled Mr. Sweatt must be admitted to the Law School under the Equal Protection Clause. 

As a judge, what do you believe the goals of the criminal justice system should be?

The criminal justice system is designed to rehabilitate, punish and deter. Rehabilitation is a great tool to make a defendant a responsible and contributing member of society. On a case by case basis, though, rehabilitation must give way to punishment when the crime is egregious or the defendant is not a candidate for rehabilitation due to nature of the crime or obvious inability to learn from prior mistakes. Deterrence comes from both sides of the coin. Punishment and rehabilitation cause discomfort or pain, requires time, and is not something most want to experience; thereby, others see the steps of each and they are cognizant of their choices to make sure they avoid potential outcomes of those “other” choices.

CSPOA says "Civil forfeiture laws pose one of the greatest threats to property rights in the nation today. They encourage law enforcement to favor the pursuit of property over the pursuit of justice, and they typically give the innocent little recourse for recovering seized property. And without meaningful transparency, law enforcement faces little public accountability for its forfeiture activity or expenditures from forfeiture funds." How should these Civil Forfieture issues be addressed?

I am the attorney who reviews, files, and represents the State’s interest in all civil forfeiture actions filed by the Grimes County District Attorney’s Office. As such, I realize the importance of making sure the rights of the respondent/defendant are taken into consideration when reviewing the criminal case in conjunction with the civil case. I do not file on all cases where the State can factually and legally file an asset forfeiture action. I make sure to review the case with the officer, review the facts of the criminal case, the actions and history of the respondent/defendant, and, as a prosecutor, I am sworn to seek justice…not property. I file forfeiture actions where the defendant has a clear criminal offense and the subject of the forfeiture is an obvious tool of the crime, proceeds from the crime, or similar. As such, since the civil and criminal cases are intertwined, plea agreements between the defendant, the defense/civil attorney and the state will dispose of both the criminal and civil cases amicably. If not, there will be a trial of one or the other or both. Every step of the legal process is public record in the courts the respective cases are filed. Are there agencies who strive to seize everything they can? I am sure there are. However, the proceeds from forfeitures are to be used for law enforcement purposes. As with any agency, if it disposes of proceeds outside the bounds of what is legal, the actors should be held civilly and criminally accountable.

Is there anything in your background of an embarrassing nature that should be explained before your election? Arrests/Convictions? Bankruptcys?

No.

How will you improve the transparency and access to financial and other records for the public?

Just as a prosecutor is required to be transparent to the defense in providing all discovery and all exculpatory evidence, I believe transparency is the best policy. As I always say, if I cannot prove a case beyond reasonable doubt with all its foibles, then I won’t file it or try it. The same as an agency. Transparency makes the public rest assured you are doing what you are supposed to be. They have rules and so do agencies. An agency should be transparent to those it serves, thereby building trust. As such, there shouldn’t be any reason the budget of a judicial office could not be available online.

Please list Civic, Political or union organization or individuals to whom you have contributed (five years).

I am a member of the Tomball Gun Club, NRA, NRA Business Alliance, Texas State Rifle Association, NFA Freedom Alliance, Ducks Unlimited, Sam Houston Alumni Association, South Texas College of Law Association, a Texas District and County Attorney’s Association, Criminal Law, Government Law, and Justice of the Peace Sections of the State Bar of Texas, The Republican National Committe. I am an associate member of the Woodlands Republican Women Club, Lake Conroe Area Republican Women, Magnolia Area Republican Women, Montgomery County Republican Women, North Shore Republican Women, Liberty Belles Republican Women.

What standards of behavior would you impose on yourself—inside and outside the courtroom?

Just as I do as a prosecutor, I would act professionally with an air of openness and a conversational attitude. I would also expect my court and staff to be professional, open, and inviting.

Among the nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court(SCOTUS), which one do you respect the most, and why? Which one do you respect the least, and why? What judicial philosophy should a SCOTUS Justice have?

Of the current Justices, I have most respect for Clarence Thomas. His rulings tend to follow my own beliefs when it comes to Constitutional matters such as smaller, limited government, interpret the law and not make policy with their rulings, strong first amendment beliefs, pro person and not affirmative action, and state’s rights.  Ruth Ginsberg is my least respected Justice because of her liberal leanings on things such as necessity of the voting rights act, funding abortion, and pro affirmative action. 

What is the job of a judge?   What is your judicial philosophy?

The role of a judge in both civil and criminal cases is to preside over their court and apply the law as needed. If asked to make a final ruling, order, or judgment, the judge is tasked with listening to or reading opinions and arguments by the parties and using their knowledge of the law, their training and experience to make their decision based on the application of the law to the facts and evidence.

To what extent do you believe the state or federal government should be able to obtain court orders directing parents to do things for their children that the parent does not believe should be done?

I believe the parent should have the final say so in their children’s life. If the parent is proven to have done something negligent or intentional to harm their child, and their child is actually harmed, they should be answerable for their actions or lack, thereof.

What carries the greatest influence on your ruling: case law, the Constitution, or other?

The Constitution carries the most weight when ruling from the bench. As such, a knowledge of case law and its effect on the Constitution is needed when presiding over the cases in the court.