The moment came when I learned how our current Justice of the Peace got the job. The seat was filled by appointment over the Christmas holidays, without the position ever being opened to the public. The appointee was sponsored by the County Commissioner whose campaign he had supported by providing office space. No posting, no applications, no chance for anyone else in Precinct 3 to be considered. A court that belongs to all of us had been handed out as a political favor. That fit a pattern I'd been watching for years. I've run for office before, both as a Republican and as a write-in Independent, and I saw judicial candidates campaigning on political positions that the rules of judicial ethics say a sitting judge must not publicly express. A judge who campaigns as a partisan has already told half the courtroom they're on the other side. The people I think about are the ones who walk into a Justice of the Peace court: a tenant facing eviction, a small business owed a few thousand dollars, a parent dealing with a truancy notice, two neighbors who can't settle a fence dispute. Most of them don't have a lawyer. They deserve a judge who knows the law, listens, and calls it straight, like a good umpire. They shouldn't have to wonder whose team the judge is on. So I decided to run as an Independent. Under Texas law, that meant giving up my own vote in the primary and gathering petition signatures under a tight deadline. I've spent forty years in the law, as a patent examiner, a judicial clerk, a prosecutor, a law professor, and a corporate general counsel. I've also spent years volunteering as a mediator right here in Montgomery County. I want to put that experience to work for my neighbors, and the only thing I want to owe anyone is fairness.
Every person who walks into my courtroom will be treated the same, whether they have political ties, friends or family in law enforcement, or no connections at all. Cases will be decided on the facts and the law, nothing else.
Most people in a Justice of the Peace court represent themselves. I'll make sure the court explains its procedures in plain language, and I'll hold quarterly public education sessions on how to bring or defend a small claims case, so no one loses simply because they didn't understand the process.
Many disputes between neighbors, landlords and tenants, and small businesses can be settled faster and more cheaply through mediation. Drawing on my experience as a volunteer mediator, I'll encourage early referral of appropriate cases to the Montgomery County Dispute Resolution Center.
Your time matters. I'll use practical technology, such as online scheduling and remote hearings where appropriate, and I want to explore evening or occasional Saturday sessions so working families don't have to miss a day's pay to appear in court.
Have questions or suggestions? I would love to hear from you!
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