(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 Angela Lancelin
1. Who are you and in which court do you preside?
I am Judge Angela M. Lancelin, presiding judge of the 245th District Court in Harris County, Texas. I have served on this bench since 2023, following more than 30 years as a family law attorney, including nearly three decades with the Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division.
2. What kind of cases does this court hear?
The 245th is a family court. Our docket is diverse and often complex, covering divorce, annulment, name changes, adoption, the adjudication of parentage, and modifications and terminations of the parent-child relationship. Our primary goal is to help families resolve their disputes fairly, and to help them reach resolution without court intervention whenever possible.
3. What have been your main accomplishments during your time on this bench?
Since taking the bench, I have focused on expanding access to justice for the many families who appear in the 245th without an attorney. I reviewed and modified our court's policies and procedures wherever they created a hindrance to access, strengthened referrals to legal aid and self-help resources, and worked to keep our docket moving so families are not left waiting longer than necessary for resolution.
4. What do you hope to accomplish in your courtroom going forward?
I want to build on that progress: continuing to make the court more accessible and easier to navigate for self-represented litigants, applying the law consistently and fairly to every family that comes before me, and keeping the 245th efficient so cases affecting children and families are resolved without unnecessary delay.
5. Why is this race important?
Family courts decide some of the most consequential matters in people's lives, including who a child lives with, whether support is paid, and whether a family is kept safe. Whoever sits on this bench needs the experience and temperament to handle that responsibility fairly, and this race determines whether that experience continues.
6. Why should people vote for you in November?
I bring more than 30 years of family law experience, as a legal aid attorney, as a Special Litigator for the State, and now as your presiding judge ; to a role where that experience matters every day. My judicial philosophy is simple: apply the law fairly, listen carefully, and remember that behind every case are real people with real lives. I am asking Harris County voters for the opportunity to continue that work.
PREVIOUSLY:
Judge Damiane Dianne Curvey, 280th Family District Court
Judge M. Monica Singh, Harris County Civil Court at Law #4
Judge Cory Sepolio, 269th Civil District Court
Samantha Davis, 313th Juvenile District Court
Judge Melissa Morris, 263rd Criminal District Court
Judge Toria J. Finch, Harris County Criminal Court at Law #9
Judge Linda Marie Dunson, 309th Family District Court
Judge Kelley Andrews, Harris County Criminal Court at Law #
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