Qualifications
What training, experience, and characteristics qualify you for this position?
I bring over 30 years of broad civil practice, including corporate, real estate, and family law, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to judicial restraint.
Ethics
How will you ensure your rulings remain impartial and free from both political pressure and the interests of your campaign donors?
A judge’s duty is to the Constitution and the law - not political pressure, personal preference, or campaign support. I will decide every case on the record and governing law, comply fully with disclosure and recusal requirements, and maintain clear ethical boundaries. No donor, party, or interest group will receive special access or consideration.
Equity
What barriers prevent Texans from accessing the court system, and what can courts do to reduce those barriers?
Cost, delay, geography, language, disability, and lack of familiarity with court procedures can impede access to justice. Courts should use clear forms and instructions, appropriate technology, qualified interpreters, reasonable accomodations, and efficient case management. Judges need to apply the same rules fairly while ensuring that all litigants have a meaningful opportunity to be heard.
Precedent
: What factors should the Court of Appeals consider when deciding whether to change a past court ruling?
Precedent promotes stability and consistency, and should not be changed merely because a new panel may decide the issue differently. A court should consider whether the prior ruling conflicts with controlling authority, is clearly erroneous, has been undermined by later developments, and the level to which litigants currently rely on the prior ruling.
Philosophy
What is your judicial philosophy?
My judicial philosophy is restraint, fidelity to the Constitution and laws as written, and respect for precedent. A judge must apply the text according to its original public meaning, follow controlling authority, and decide only the issues presented. Courts should not rewrite statutes or substitute personal preference for the choices made by the legislature.
