Off the Kuff

The Chron has been busy with endorsements in contested Democratic judicial primaries. (The Republicans have basically none of these in Harris County; maybe in the statewide races, I haven’t checked. But the action for March is almost entirely on the Dem side.) I’m going to briefly summarize them, with the proviso that there are more to go, which I’ll return to later.

Preserve bail reform. Wright and Hu for Harris County misdemeanor courts.

Harris County’s Criminal Courts at Law handle all Class A and Class B misdemeanor criminal cases, ranging from DWI to theft. Since 2019, the courts have been under a federally supervised consent decree governing bail practices. These reforms keep people from languishing in jail simply because they can’t afford bail, saving county taxpayers millions of dollars. And research shows that fewer defendants accused of low-level crimes are reoffending. Yet too many partisans continue to use this misdemeanor bail reform to sow fear and confusion about crime and public safety in Houston. In May of last year, four Republican misdemeanor court judges in Harris County formally claimed that their oath of office was violated by the consent decree that enacted the reform. In November, a federal judge granted Attorney General Ken Paxton’s motion to intervene to try to vacate the consent decree.

Harris County’s misdemeanor bail reform has been hailed as a national model, and there is still much work to be done to continue to improve the system. Fortunately, all the candidates in the two contested Democratic primaries support the consent decree. We recommend the most qualified ones.

Harris County Court at Law No. 7: Andrew Wright

[…]

Harris County Court at Law No. 14: James Hu

The incumbent on this bench, Jessica Padilla, was one of the four judges who claimed the bail reforms violated their oath.

Padilla’s position on bail reform sets up a striking contrast with her two potential general election opponents this year, Democrats Yahaira Quezada and James Hu. Both candidates staunchly defend the reforms, and in fact would rather see the state of Texas hold all defendants based on their risk to public safety rather than access to cash.

“Cash bail just needs to go and monetizing detention is not the right way to do things. All it does is create more instability,” Hu told us.

Judge Padilla is a Republican; that was one of the benches Republicans claimed in 2022. Time to take it back. I have judicial Q&A responses from four of the five Democrats running:

Judge Andrew Wright, Harris County Criminal Court at Law #7
Jorge Garcia Diaz, Harris County Criminal Court at Law #7
Rustin Foroutan, Harris County Criminal Court at Law #7
James Hu, Harris County Criminal Court at Law #14

Democrats should stick by incumbent judges in county courts at law

For County Civil Court at Law, No. 2: Jim F. Kovach

Jim Kovach didn’t always imagine himself taking the bench. By 2017, he had spent two decades running a lucrative legal practice and collections business. But what he saw inside some JP courts struck him.

“I didn’t like how the courts were treating people,” he told us. In one case, he said, a judge used his bailiff to intimidate a tenant into silence. In another, a judge singled out a Black female attorney for looking “really angry” because her arms were folded.

Kovach, a graduate of the University of Houston Law Center, found himself apologizing for these judges — until his partner, he said, helped him realize he could be the better judge. Kovach was elected in 2018, becoming the first openly gay judge to preside over a Harris County civil court at law.

Now in his second term, Kovach, 60, has distinguished himself through his even temperament and effective caseload management. In the latest Houston Bar Association judicial evaluations, attorneys gave Kovach the highest marks of any county civil court at law judge, with 83% rating him as “excellent” or “very good” across the board.

[…]

For County Civil Court at Law, No. 3: LaShawn A. Williams

In Harris County, judicial races often feel like a war of egos and backroom politics. Worse still is the “Black Robe Syndrome” — that unfortunate transformation where a judge’s sense of self grows beyond the size of their authority, leaving litigants feeling small and unheard.

That is why the race for County Civil Court at Law No. 3 is such a breath of fresh air.

The contest between incumbent Judge LaShawn A. Williams and challenger Miroslava “Miro” Mendiola has been defined by a rare congeniality. In our screening with them, Williams called Mendiola sharp and an honor to run against, while Mendiola candidly admitted she isn’t running because Williams is doing a poor job, but to offer a different perspective.

While both women are impressive, Williams remains the best choice for this seat.

I only got responses from the first two candidates:

Judge Jim Kovach, Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2
Ebony Williams, Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2

A slate of conscientious jurists for Harris County felony courts. Wilson, Warren, Hill, Abner in the Democratic primary

Criminal District Judge, 183rd Judicial District: Katie Wilson

For four years, Katie Wilson, 44, has worked as a Harris County public defender. She started out on the overnight shift at the Joint Processing Center as a supervisor for the bail division, interviewing criminal defendants after they were arrested and representing them at their bail hearing. Now she’s a senior litigator with the mental health division, helping other attorneys manage clients, most of whom are homeless and suffering from mental illness.

Advocating for clients in crisis requires a unique level of patience and empathy. While she also has a decade of experience as a prosecutor in Colorado, Wilson cherishes the perspective that she’s gained working in Houston.

“Having the opportunity to be one-on-one with an individual who I might just walk past on the sidewalk, and getting to know them and see them as human beings … just being able to break down those assumptions and barriers through experience and exposure has been invaluable to me,” Wilson told us.

[…]

Criminal District Judge, 209th Judicial District: Brian Warren

It’s unusual for a well-liked Democratic incumbent to have a primary challenge in a blue county. It’s even more unusual for one of the challengers to be a former judicial colleague.

Judge Brian Warren is widely respected for his legal acumen, temperament and work ethic. He is consistently one of the highest-rated judges in surveys conducted by the Houston legal community and was even named Texas Criminal Court Judge of the year in 2022.

A former felony prosecutor and defense attorney, Warren, 50, ran for the bench in 2018, taking over one of the largest dockets in the criminal court system. Eight years later, he has reduced his backlog substantially, owing in part to docket orders he put in place in his first term to hold prosecutors and defense attorneys accountable for moving cases towards trial or dismissal. He’s got the heart of a reformer — he was one of the only felony court judges to join the lawsuit ending cash bail for misdemeanor offenses in Harris County – yet you won’t see him highlighted on Fox News for giving multiple bonds to accused murderers.

“Having that cash bond on low-level offenders is a problem,” Warren told us. “But when they do mess up, as a district court judge, I’m the one holding them in jail.”

So why is Warren being challenged? One of his opponents, Robert Johnson, could barely offer a coherent argument against him.

[…]

Criminal District Judge, 232nd Judicial District: Josh Hill

Few Harris County district court judges attract more scrutiny than Judge Josh Hill.

Conservative media outlets and crime victim advocates have put him under the microscope since he was elected in 2018 for bond decisions in which criminal defendants in his courtroom were charged with murder after they were granted bail.

Of course, context is crucial. For one thing, oftentimes those problematic bail decisions highlighted on Fox 26’s “Breaking Bond” series, Hill had nothing to do with. Prior to a state law change that went into effect last year, magistrates often set the initial bail in criminal cases before defendants appeared before the district court judge. Hill, 46, is also a stickler for following the letter of the law. During our screening, he cited a Court of Criminal Appeals opinion that states if bail is set so high that a defendant has no reasonable way to pay it, that is effectively the same as holding a defendant without bail, which is unconstitutional in most criminal cases.

“I think there are some judges that just set bail however they set it, and unless a lawyer appeals it or files a writ, it doesn’t get overturned,” Hill told us. “So if I wanted to arbitrarily set a $5 trillion bail, that’s unconstitutional. It absolutely can’t be made. I’m using it for the sole purpose of setting no bail when I couldn’t otherwise do it.”

[…]

Criminal District Judge, 496th Judicial District — Michael Abner

A new criminal courtroom in Harris County deserves a fresh face to lead it, not a retread who disqualified herself with poor performance.

Ramona Franklin is living proof that experience alone is not a virtue for a felony court bench. Her record as the judge for the 338th District Court was poor and her reputation even worse. She barred defense attorneys and journalists from her courtroom. She didn’t preside over a single trial for more than a year during the COVID-19 pandemic, even though most of her colleagues held virtual proceedings. She frequently held defendants in jail simply because they couldn’t afford bail. At times, she was accused of not following the law. She was infamously rebuked by an appellate court for abusing her discretion for revoking a bond and raising a bail on a defendant for no apparent reason. Franklin did not meet with the editorial board.

Fortunately, Harris County Democratic voters have a quality alternative for the 496th District Court in Michael Abner to take on incumbent Republican Judge Dan Simons, who was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to preside over the new court.

Wow, one of the local TV loudmouths says stuff about crime that isn’t true? Knock me over with a bandit sign. Here are the relevant Q&As I have:

Julia Maldonado, 183rd Criminal District Court
Judge Josh Hill, 232nd Criminal District Court

I have responses from Katie Hill as well, which will run tomorrow. Again, note that the 183rd and 496th are currently Republican-held.

Garrison, Brown and Weems for Harris County civil courts

Civil District Judge, 157th Judicial District: Tanya Garrison

Incumbent Tanya Garrison, 51, was first elected to the 157th Civil District Court in 2018 and since then she has proved to be an able jurist who deserves reelection. In her time on the bench, Garrison has accepted new challenges and earned strong marks for her performance from the legal profession, including high ratings on the Houston Bar Association’s judicial survey. Already board certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Garrison also became one of only 19 Texas judges to earn a new certification in judicial administration.

During her tenure, the University of Houston Law Center graduate expanded her docket to include civil forfeiture cases. These matters involve property connected to alleged criminal activity and seized by the government. To reclaim a motorcycle, power boat or even cash, an owner must prove that the property wasn’t involved in wrongdoing. If you’ve recently seen a pleading filed in Harris County styled State of Texas v. 2012 Buick Enclave, it was almost certainly handled in Garrison’s courtroom.

On the day of our screening, we greeted the down-to-earth jurist in the lobby and found her trading soup recipes with a fellow Chronicle visitor in anticipation of the coming winter storm. Later Garrison gave another nod toward the kitchen when she used a culinary metaphor to describe her role as a trial judge. She views herself as a short order cook, making omelets and slinging pancakes, and leaving the complex matters — the Eggs Benedict with hollandaise — to the appellate courts.

[…]

Civil District Judge, 270th Judicial District: Jimmie L. Brown

While we usually lean toward incumbent judges as a way to safeguard the public dollar and maintain continuity, the 270th Civil Court is an exception. Jimmie L. Brown, Jr., 68, who is running against incumbent Dedra Davis, deserves the public’s support in the Democratic primary.

Brown, a Navy veteran with 22 years of combined active duty and reserve service, has had decades of trial experience and has also served in quasi-judicial roles in the military and as an administrative law judge for the Texas Railroad Commission — giving us reason to believe that he would don the black robe with a minimal learning curve. In addition, during our screening, the Thurgood Marshall School of Law graduate demonstrated the analytical approach, fact-based communication style and unflappable demeanor that marks a good judge.

Beyond Brown being a strong candidate, the 270th needs change. The attorneys completing the Houston Bar Association evaluation ranked Davis — who has presided over the court since 2018 — as needing improvement in every area. The poll covers essential judicial qualities such as working hard, following the law, demonstrating impartiality, managing the docket efficiently and maintaining appropriate courtroom demeanor.

Granted, the HBA judicial preference pool can be flawed or biased. But Davis’ poll numbers are among the worst of any judge — 73% of respondents gave her the lowest rating for overall performance. That amounts to a call for help from participating practitioners and the civil lawyers we reached underscored this assessment. One described her as vengeful.

[…]

Civil District Judge, 281st Judicial District: Christine Weems

It’s not often that a sitting jurist admits that she might enjoy arguing cases even more than presiding over them. But during her endorsement meeting, incumbent Christine Weems, 50, told us that she dearly misses taking part in trials. Luckily, she is able to stay involved in litigation by directing the mock trial program at the University of Houston Law Center, using her experience on the bench to train up the next generation of lawyers. From her vantage point as a judge, she observes both exemplary and ineffective advocacy in real time and uses anonymized examples as teaching tools for her students. That’s the sort of civic engagement that voters should reward with reelection.

Weems has presided over the 281st Civil District Court since 2018, earning high approval ratings from responding attorneys according to polls conducted by the Houston Bar Association. In addition to her work at UH, she also directs a separate mock trial program for lawyers with five years or less practicing experience to help them hone their advocacy skills.

All of us benefit from a member of the judiciary who puts her heart and soul in her profession, and Weems’ enthusiasm for the law even extends into her hobbies. This lifelong Girl Scout runs a nonprofit theatre group that puts on an annual jurisprudentially themed performance — think “Inherit the Wind” or “Witness for the Prosecution” — and recruits members of the legal profession to serve as cast.

Here are the relevant Q&As:

Judge Tanya Garrison, 157th Civil District Court
Jimmie L. J. Brown, Jr, 270th Civil District Court

Judge Garrison is a friend of mine, and I know Judge Weems as well. Both are among the most dedicated campaigners, which a lot of us really appreciate.

Maggie Ellis and Kristen Hawkins for Texas Supreme Court in Democratic primary

Chief Justice, Supreme Court: Maggie Ellis

She grew up transient and homeless, attending eight different elementary schools in three states by age 10. Then she was pulled out of school entirely for a year. Living out of a car in New Mexico, young Maggie Ellis asked her mother to put her back in school. Instead, she was driven to Texas and left two miles from her father’s house.

The journey from that moment of abandonment to her election in 2024 as a justice on the Third Court of Appeals in Austin was rocky. She attended the University of Texas as a single mom. It took 12 years for her to graduate. She taught at a public school before attending law school and then worked as a prosecutor. Board certified in juvenile law, she has advocated for children who endure the kind of circumstances she once did.

Yet, the compelling life story of Ellis, 57, is not the chief reason we recommend Democratic voters pick her as their candidate for chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Rather, it’s the breadth of her administrative experience.

Nathan L. Hecht served as chief justice for over a decade and was a model of judicial integrity, as we wrote when he retired in January 2025. A Republican, he advocated for increasing access to justice for Texas’ poorest residents. During the COVID pandemic, he not only led Texas courts through the upheaval, he did so nationally as president of the national Conference of Chief Justices. When rental assistance funds were drying up, he co-authored an op-ed in the New York Times calling for eviction diversion programs.

That’s a tough act to follow but we believe Ellis is the right Democrat to take on Jimmy Blacklock, the man Gov. Greg Abbott appointed to the role.

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 7: Kristen Hawkins

She never needed a billboard. Didn’t have to build name recognition with silly puns. A state panel of judges knew exactly who to call to handle the thorniest, most headline-grabbing and sprawling legal messes before the Harris County civil courts. They assigned the multidistrict litigation following a major industrial explosion, Hurricane Beryl and the Astroworld tragedy to Kristen Hawkins.

Elected to the 11th District Court in 2016, Hawkins quickly developed a sterling reputation. In 2020, during the early days of the pandemic, she chaired the jury committee that figured out a way to open the courts while keeping everyone safe. The next year, she was named jurist of the year by the Texas chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Though it was a tough year for Democrats, Hawkins, 51, handily won reelection to the local district court in 2024. We recommended her then, and are once again for the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court, Place 7.

Here are the relevant Q&A responses:

Judge Kristen Hawkins, Supreme Court Justice, Place 7
Gordon Goodman, Supreme Court Justice, Place 7

There are still a couple of appellate court races, one Probate Court race, and a handful of JP races, if they wade into those, for the Chron to tackle. I don’t believe they’ve endorsed for District Clerk yet, either. So look for more to come. There are a lot of judicial races on the ballot – I know, I know – but not as many contested races as in recent years. There are some clear choices here, let’s do our job as enlightened voters.