(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates. I ran a series of these for candidates in contested primaries, and now these are for the rest of the candidates. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. Much more information about Democratic candidates, including links to interviews and judicial Q&As, can be found on Erik Manning’s spreadsheet.
Judge Damiane Dianne Curvey
1. Who are you and in which court do you preside?
I’m Judge Damiane Dianne Curvey and I preside over the 280th Judicial District Court, Harris County, Texas.
2. What kind of cases does this court hear?
My court exclusively hears Protective Order cases involving Domestic Violence, Stalking and Harassment. It is a Civil Court, so I do not administer bail or sentence anyone to jail.
3. What have been your main accomplishments during your time on this bench?
I am proud of my record in this court as I have eradicated the excessive “Lifetime Protective Orders” given. I now require that any Lifetime PO given is only given by me. I have also increased accessibility to the courts by making it easier and cost-free to have an interpreter in the language of a litigant’s choosing. We have a designated Spanish interpreter in the court each day because of the large Spanish speaking population we serve. In addition, I have managed to increase our close out rates to those over 105% on average each month by instilling an efficient system into the workspace of the 280th staff.
4. What do you hope to accomplish in your courtroom going forward?
My main goal for the next term is to 1) get a closed caption screen for those litigants who are hard of hearing. With the increase of elder abuse, this is needed in order to better serve my population. 2) The other thing I want to do is to make it easier for Pro Se Litigants to prosecute or defend their cases by providing literature to teach them about “how to get evidence in”, “how to make an objection”, and how to litigate a case overall. This will increase our ability to close out cases expediently and leave more time for trials with two attorneys.
5. Why is this race important?
Domestic Violence, online stalking and harassment, and attempts at judicial intimidation are out of control. Deaths by intimate partners are on the news daily. Sadly, our justice system has yet to catch up with the online threats, stalking, harassment, and intimidation tactics used by abusers, and citizens are being caught in the middle of it. This Court must have a judge who is not afraid of being targeted, and a judge who leads with integrity and earnest rulings.
6. Why should people vote for you in November?
People should vote for me because I have the toughness and integrity to handle a court of this nature. I won’t be deterred or afraid to make the hard decisions, no matter what happens. The cases are not your garden-variety family law cases. I have over 18 years experience with those. These cases need a person with a sound mind, a kind heart, and a little bit of levity to handle situations that can lead to devastating outcomes.
PREVIOUSLY:
From the primaries:
Judge Kristen Hawkins, Supreme Court Justice, Place 7
Sarah Beth Landau, Chief Justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals
Judge Tanya Garrison, 157th Civil District Court
Julia Maldonado, 183rd Criminal District Court
Judge Brian Warren, 209th Criminal District Court
Judge Josh Hill, 232nd Criminal District Court
Judge Leah Shapiro, 315th Juvenile District Court
Judge James Horwitz, Harris County Probate Court #4
Ebony Williams, Harris County Civil Court at Law #2
Judge Andrew Wright, Harris County Criminal Court at Law #7