(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in March. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. Much more information about Democratic primary candidates, including links to the interviews and judicial Q&As, can be found on Erik Manning’s spreadsheet.
Judge Leah Shapiro
1. Who are you and in which court do you preside?
Judge Leah Shapiro presiding over the 315th District Court.
2. What kind of cases does this court hear?
The 315th District Court is one of only three district courts in all of Harris County handling juvenile delinquency and dependency matters. With dependency matters, the 315th District Court hears cases when there are allegations of abuse and neglect of a child. With delinquency matters, the 315th District Court handles cases when a child between the ages of 10 and 17 years old is accused of committing a criminal offense. The court also hears Special Immigrant Juvenile Status matters. In addition, the 315th presides over marriages and adoptions for all families, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
The 315th District Court presides over two specialty courts in Harris County: Court 360, the juvenile mental health court, and C.A.R.E. Court, the juvenile sex trafficking court, of which I was a founding member in 2011. C.A.R.E. (Creating Acceptance Recovery Empowerment) Court serves youth identified as being actively engaged in or at risk of becoming involved in commercial sexual exploitation/sex trafficking by offering specialized supervision and therapeutic services—working to address the underlying trauma associated with each youth’s at-risk behaviors. Meanwhile, Court 360 focuses on helping diagnosed youth and their families in identifying and addressing youths’ underlying mental health concerns associated with their at-risk behaviors. The 315th District Court also has a Dual Status Docket dedicated to meet the specific needs for youth who are in the custody of the State of Texas (CPS) and involved in the juvenile justice system (additional information below).
3. What have been your main accomplishments during your time on this bench?
I am relentless in my pursuit of equity and fairness in the courtroom, a course I intend to stay if re-elected, often working against the inertia of the system. For example, shortly after taking office I immediately moved against entrenched systems and ended indiscriminate shackling of youth in the courtroom, the decades-old practice in our county in which detained youth, no matter their age or charge, appear in court in “all-fours”—with hands in cuffs, feet shackled together, both connected by a chain between. Everyone should appear before the court with the same dignity and respect, and that’s why I ended the practice for detained youth in the 315th District Court months after I took office in 2019. The 315th District Court piloted and now maintains the only Dual Status Docket in Harris County—a docket designed to meet the specific needs for youth who are in the custody of the State of Texas (CPS) and involved in the juvenile justice system. Dually involved youth are some of our most vulnerable youth, with increased likelihood of recidivism and homelessness. We dedicate a docket to their needs, hear from them directly with both teams present to ensure maximum collaboration, and guarantee that youth voices are heard and that we hold agencies accountable. This specialized Dual Status Docket eliminates duplicate services, provides individual hearings with all stakeholders, and increases overall system accountability. Since taking the bench six years ago, the court has reduced the total active case docket by over 60%.This means that not only are we efficiently handling the new cases assigned to the court, but we are also addressing the backlog inherited in 2019. We work diligently to be efficient without compromising quality of representation and due process.
As such, families are getting resolutions in a timely manner and children are more quickly connecting with their forever families. I have used my experience to reduce pre-adjudication detentions and disposed of the most felony delinquency cases amongst the three Juvenile District Courts, with the lowest percentage of dispositions to Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD). That means we are keeping kids in their homes and closer to home and integrating their families in their rehabilitation. I also understand the court system’s duty to taxpayers, which is why I responsibly stewarded Harris County tax dollars by leading all Juvenile District Courts in appointments to the Public Defender’s Office. In addition, in 2024, working with other judges, we expanded CPS specialty Courts in Harris County for the first time in over 20 years. The Child Protective Services Prevention & Rehabilitation Court (CPRC) made history, serving for the first time children suffering with substance dependency in the dependency system.
4. What do you hope to accomplish in your courtroom going forward?
The courts have seen an increase in the needs of youth and families. The future will demand that the Juvenile District Courts collaborate with community stakeholders and expand partnerships and resources with the current budget limits and reduced resources as grants expire. I will seek to find resources to expand Court 360, our mental health court, to provide opportunities for youth who are unfit to proceed and autistic persons.
I want to continue to explore expanding access to the courtroom for those it serves. The 315th District Court continues to incorporate technology and allows for remote appearances, where appropriate. This helps eliminate the cost of transportation, parking, and reduce time families spend attending court. In addition, remote appearances can reduce the negative impact system involvement has on a youth’s education. The child will no longer miss a day of school due to a court setting.
5. Why is this race important?
A better justice system creates safer and stronger communities. The decisions made in the court directly impact the individuals involved, families, and our community. We have made amazing improvements in court efficiency, access to justice, and treatment of individuals who are system involved. There is more work to be done. Children and families deserve a judge who has experience in the law and understands systems to continue to make positive changes for those the court serves.
6. Why should people vote for you in March?
With over ten years in juvenile justice and almost twenty years of public service to the justice system in Harris County—as a judge, public defender, and prosecutor—I have the experience, knowledge, and legal understanding to continue to advance both delinquency and dependency issues, to positively impact system practices, and to change the approach of how we address the needs of children and families who are system-involved in Harris County. I am the only candidate in this race with extensive trial experience and who has handled both dependency and delinquency cases. It is my honor and privilege to serve in the role as Judge of the 315th, a role to which I was elected in 2018. Since then, I implemented innovative change that addresses the needs of children in the justice and child welfare systems, and applied a more community-centered approach. There is much more work to do to accomplish truly systemic change—which is why I am seeking re-election for the 315th District Court.
PREVIOUSLY:
Judge Jim Kovach, Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2
Jimmie L. J. Brown, Jr, 270th Civil District Court
Ebony Williams, Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2
Julia Maldonado, 183rd Criminal District Court
Judge James Horwitz, Harris County Probate Court # 4
Sarah Beth Landau, Chief Justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals