Qualifications: What training, experience and characteristics qualify you for this position?
ISSUES: What are the two (2) most pressing issues that you will face in the office that you seek? Describe your specific plans/ideas for addressing these issues.
Mark Fury
I am the most experienced candidate in this race, having been elected to serve 2 terms as Justice of the Peace at the Precinct 5 Courthouse on Chimney Rock. There, my staff and I pulled together to reduce a massive court backlog by more than70,000 cases while staying current on 60,000 annual new case filings. My court came to lead the county JP Courts in civil case filings -- litigants and lawyers chose my Court because of the reputation for fairness and efficiency we developed. A tribute to fair rulings and good judgment, the appeals rate for my court was one of the lowest among Harris County JP courts. I consistently “won” the Bar Poll – a measure of attorney preferences for judges – particularly impressive for a non-attorney JP.
The most pressing issue facing the Justice of the Peace Pct. 5, Place 2 on Clay Rd. is the Court’s growing backlog of cases, now the largest among the County’s sixteen Justice Courts at 68,000 undisposed cases. The second issue is a perceived lack of direction and motivation for the Court’s staff, as the current officeholder appears often to be absent. As the former Justice of the Peace for Pct. 5 at Chimney Rock, I have proven experience in reducing a backlog of cases. My talents align perfectly with the need at the Clay Rd. Courthouse. First and foremost is a Judge’s dedication to work hard and treat this office as the full-time position it is. I will be present each day and work a full day. Justice of the Peace will be my only job.
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