What are the three main reasons you are running for this office? Do you see any potential conflicts of interest?
I started my career within Corporate America, working with various contract managed service organizations, moving quickly up the corporate ladder and finishing as part of a Regional Support Team after almost twelve years. This experience provided me with the backgroud and training to manage personnel as well as budgets and finances. At age thirty two, I decided to attend law school, allowing me to stop traveling all around the country and then have two children. I have been a hands-on litigator within our great county for almost 18 years, focusing solely in the area of family law. I furthered my experience and training by becoming Board Certified in Family Law in 2017. Approximately nine years ago, I shifted the primary goal of my individual practice to focusing more on representing the best interest of children, being their voice in the courtroom. To date, I have served in this role for over 600 children, giving me the experience and knowledge of recognizing true crisis and childrens' needs as they experience the trauma within their family during litigation. I am a firm believer in the power of mental health assistance for these kids, as well as for their parents, and trying to find ways to develop solutions for families that may be a little bit out of the norm. I am the only candidate with actual hands on experience within the private sector, which I believe is crucial when serving in the role of a judge.
Please describe the best way for the average voter to determine which judicial candidate is best.
Through the use of forums, debates and vetting processes, the average voter can better understand the background, experience and knowledge for each individual judicial candidate. Additionally, I believe speaking with knowledgeable people within the community who are personally familiar with each candidate's service within the county, integrity with the public and experience in that candidate's respective field can also be extremely helpful and enlightening for the average voter.
Please describe what you believe are the most significant issues in this race, why and what you'll do to address them?
I believe the primary issue for County Court at Law #3 is the management of the caseload, ensuring proper and timely disposition of cases. Additionally, I believe well informed and logical decisions are critical for this court. This court should be available for families within this entire county, not just a select few types of cases. I also believe the current organization of the types of cases assigned to this court should be assessed to determine if the tax payer dollars are being best utilized in the most efficient manner. I believe my management experience and ability to assess needs within an organization will be critical, along with working side by side with other officials within our county to ensure the most efficiency practiced.
How relevent today is Blackstone's maxim "All presumptive evidence of felony should be admitted cautiously; for the law holds it better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent party suffer".
I believe this maxim is correct. It is impossible to imagine a single innocent person being punished for a crime he/she did not commit. Our judicial system is truly a balancing act and a judge MUST follow the law, rules of procedure and evidence, properly applying all to each case. Our system provides and holds that every person brought into a felony court is innocent until proven guilty, with this finding being beyond a reasonable doubt. One of the primary safeguards provided in a felony court is a requirement for a unanimous vote for a finding of guilt in a jury trial.
Understanding that all courts in MoCo have general jurisdiction, the board of judges has moved towards specialized courts. What types of cases are currently filed in the court you are running for? What is your experiences to handle this specific case type? Are you planning on asking to change the case allocation or case type assigned to the court you are running for if you win?
County Court at Law #3 is a specialized family law court, incorporating child welfare cases within it's docket. My entire legal career has been solely in the role of family law litigation, incorporating litigants, children, mediation and arbitration. I became Board Certified in Family Law in 2017, accepting the responsibility of being held to a higher standard of practice within our legal community. I have also worked with child welfare cases earlier in my career after being requested to do so by one of our judges. Regarding case allocation, I believe it is important to understand and determine the best way for all three family law courts to distribute the needs of our county, determinining if only one court doing child welfare cases is the most efficient way to manage taxpayer dollars or if each court should be responsible for managing these cases as they are assigned to each respective court. I worry by only having one court managing all child welfare cases there can be a potential limitation on the judge, looking only through one governmental "lens" when dealing with these families. This court is a one for all of the people within our county - not just a limited few.
What carries the greatest influence on your rulings: case law, the Constitutions, or other?
I believe all of these are critical with fair and equitable rulings. In Texas, we are primarily goverened by statute and case law; however, our Constitutions play a critical role in our inalieanble rights as a citizen. There may be times when a particular statute or case may be declared unconstitutional, then the legislature is charged with re-writing that statute, thereby ensuring its constitutionality.
If asked the order of importance and influence, I beieve it should be Consitutions first, then Statutes, then case law.
Please describe the major challenges for your court over this next term.
I believe the case load should be immediately addressed as many pending cases are well over one year old. This may incorporate working longer hours, incorporating a visiting judge to literally run simultaneous dockets, and perhaps reorganizing the allocation of specific types of cases amongst all three family courts. I do not believe continued delays and transfers of cases is the most efficient use of tax payer dollars, nor of this court, serving our entire county.
Do you think judges should be elected by the people, or appointed by a commission?
I believe judges should be elected by the people; however, I do believe forums, debates and vetting processes help to further educate those voters through the election process.
In your view, what is the threshold for determining constitutionality of a legislative act? or a challenge to it?
I believe if the act is Constitutionally vague or unclear, then a motion must be filed with the Court to declare as such. Then the Court of Appeals must determine whether or not that act is truly unconstitutional. If a person beleives an act does not pass Constitutional "muster", it absolutely should be challenged. Imagine where we would be if the Civil Rights acts had not been challenged!
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 it there is any act that can cause injury or death of child, the State or Federal government should have an absolute duty to protect that child. It is all a balancing test to determine what is truly in a child's best interest, inlcuding a child's well being. In my opinion, there should be as little government intervention necessary within the private lives of persons within our community. That being said, I believe there are times when a parent can be misguided or mislead, which can result in harm to that child. In those circumstances, when a child is in a life or death situation, I believe the court has a duty to protect that child.
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 justices, the one I respect the most is Amy Coney Barrett. Though she was appointed in 2020 and has not completed her first full term, she has a history and reputation of being deeply conservative. When asked whether the Supreme Court should have taken up the Obergefell v. Hodges case, she stated "those who want same-sex marriage . . . have every right to lobby in state legislatures to make that happen, but the dissent's view was that it wasn't for the court to decide." She also has made her position for restricting or eliminating abortion access known during prior speeches.
In my opinion, the justice I respect the least would probably be Sonia Sotomayor due to her extremely liberal voting record. Though she is first Latinx person to serve on the Supreme Court, she has supported same-sex couples being able to marry and will likely support and provide future liberal votes on future decisions and votes.
I believe the judicial philosophy of a SCOTUS Justice should be to determine if an issue follows or is contrary to the Constitution and does that decision serve our nation's best interest.
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?
Though this is not an issue that will arise in County Court at Law #3, I believe if a citizen is wrongly accused of a crime and something is taken from him/her, they have the right to fight back and file a case with the court, objecting to the seizure and asking for return of their property. The citizen should hold the State to the burden of proving that property is involved or incorporated within the commitment of a crime. In the event of property, the laws of eminent domain should be strictly adhered to, thereby paying a fair amount for the property taken from the citizen.
What 2 things about your opponent do the voters need to know?
I believe it is important for the voters to know my opponent has not represented a single litigant or a single child - she has always been a governmental employee, thereby limiting, in my opinion, her ability to view issues from a viewpoint different from that of the government. Additionally, to my knoowledge, my opponent has never been elected to any governmental position, despite the fact she represents herself as being one. Finally, I believe the voters should be aware of my opponents lack of involvement and support within this great county - the Food Bank, Civic Organizations, non-profit organization, especially those assisting children.
What Texas State court decision do you think has most impacted society? How and Why?
I believe there are a number incredible cases which have come through Texas State courts in the area of family law. In re C.J.C has recently come out, changing the law and presumption within a modification case. Prior to this case, there was no parental presumption when a modification was filed, thereby putting parents and non-parents on equal footing in the courtroom. After this case, a new precedent was established, stating that "fit parents
have a constitutional right to decide what is in their child's best interests." It is then the Court's responsibility to determine and decide is a parent is 'unfit'.
Another incredible case is Ex Parte Slavin, which is a critical case in the area of Contempt as an enforcement remedy for Texas Divorce Law. Simply put, it requires a decree order of a court to spell out the details of compliance in clear, specific and unambiguous terms so that such person will readily know exactly what duties or obligations are imposed upon him.
Apparently in conflict with current pratice in the courts Art. 19.27. of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure states "ANY PERSON MAY CHALLENGE. Before the grand jury has been impaneled, any person may challenge the array of jurors or any person presented as a grand juror. In no other way shall objections to the qualifications and legality of the grand jury be heard. Any person confined in jail in the county shall upon his request be brought into court to make such challenge." What is the practical application of this statute?
Due to the rarity of the application of this statute, I do not believe there truly is any practical application since the the grand jury is able to view and hear evidence that would otherwise be inadmissible in a courtroom. It would be very difficult to show the outcome from one grand jury panel would be different from another proposed grand jury panel unless there was some way to prove the panel was not an accurate representation of the county population or was somehow biased or disqualified.
As a judge, what do you believe the goals of the criminal justice system should be?
To seek justice, providing every citizen a fair and impartial trial.
Who is endorsing you and what is their relationship to you?
I have a number of friends and family who are supporting my campaign; however, I do not feel it is best to list them specifically.
