Qualifications
What training, experience, and characteristics qualify you for this position?
For almost 16 years, I have represented Texas in the Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA). In that time, no one has done more petitions for discretionary review, briefs, or arguments in the CCA.
Ethics
How will you ensure your rulings remain impartial and free from both political pressure and the interests of your campaign donors?
As a career prosecutor, my ethical duty has always been to seek justice rather than convictions. In a system of law, justice can only come from following the law. I have followed the law even when I did not like where it led. My supporters know that my adherence to the law will eventually result in unpopular votes and opinions. For most of them, that adherence is the reason they support me.
Equity
What barriers prevent Texans from accessing the court system, and what can courts do to reduce those barriers?
In criminal law, defendants get access to the courts whether they like it or not. The more appropriate question for them is whether they have access to quality representation. Texas spends a tremendous amount of money on this. And courts are fairly lenient when it comes to filings made by defendants who for whatever reason proceed without counsel.
Precedent
What factors should the Court of Criminal Appeals consider when deciding whether to change a past court ruling?
The most important factor is whether its ruling was correct. Courts do not make law, legislatures do. If the CCA misinterpreted a statute, the CCA should fix it. The exception is for statutes that were genuinely ambiguous when passed. If the CCA made a good-faith effort to interpret it and that interpretation has stood for a significant amount of time, that decision is owed some deference,
Philosophy
What is your judicial philosophy?
Courts exist to settle disputes and interpret laws, not to force their personal policy preferences on the public. Judges should have the humility to accept their limited authority. Too many judges (or would-be judges) view the courts as the place to do what is right in their own eyes regardless of what a statute or rule says.
