Accountability
What will you do to promote the just, prompt, and affordable resolution of cases that come before your court?
While it is more important to resolve criminal cases correctly than it is to resolve them quickly, since 2019 I have done both. However, I will never sacrifice justice for the sake of expediency. Docket management in the 232nd District Court has improved drastically through scheduling practices and by making myself available after hours, by cell phone, or by video conferencing, which has resulted in among the highest clearance rate of all felony courts for the last 2 years. As the only candidate in this race board certified in either Criminal Law or Judicial Administration, I have also maintained the highest standards in understanding and applying the law to ensure that a just result occurs in every unique matter before the court.
Bail
In setting bail amounts, how will you balance Texas’s constitutionally mandated bail requirements with other conditions of release including minimizing any public safety threat the defendant may present to the community? Please discuss both first time and repeat offenders.
Bail amounts are used to insure a both defendant’s appearance in court and their compliance with conditions placed on their release. Community safety occurs through assessing conditions of release, such as GPS monitoring, drug testing, and no-contact orders, and most importantly, by holding defendants without bail when the State proves that conditions have been violated. Bail amounts set so high as to effectively serve as no bail have been held unconstitutional by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, so higher bail amounts are usually set based primarily on flight risk or the danger posed to the community. Non-violent first offenders tend to pose less risks than repeat or violent offenders, and bail amounts generally reflect this reality.
