COMMITMENT
Public service has always appealed to me. I find it to be the most rewarding and gratifying endeavor one can undertake. I have spent the past 25 years serving this country and community and with your support I would like to continue to do so for many years to come. I am passionate about the law and issues heard in County Court. Whether it is a criminal trial or civil matter, I truly believe that those who come to court seeking justice deserve the opportunity to be heard and treated fairly.
Colin County has a proud heritage but we can do even better. In these tough economic times, a judge must do more than apply the law. They must be a good steward of the resources provided by taxpayers. Having supervised 80-100 people and projects in excess of $100 million dollars I understand the importance of operating efficiently.

EXPERIENCE
While with the District Attorney's Office, I served as the Chief Prosecutor in two County Courts where I supervised other attorneys and oversaw the disposition of over a thousand cases. I have successfully conducted over 100 trials ranging from simple misdemeanors to solicitation of capital murder. For a year, I was assigned to the Crimes Against Children division where I prosecuted cases involving the sexual assault of children, and obtained some of the toughest sentences handed down. As a defense attorney I have defended over 150 clients charged with misdemeanors to first degree felony offenses. I have represented juveniles and civil clients and have the legal expertise and experience necessary to properly apply the law.


BETTER USE OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS

NON-REPORTING COMMUNITY SUPERVISION FOR CERTAIN MINOR OFFENSES
Community supervision is a vital part of the rehabilitative process, however, our resources are limited. Drug addicts and sex offenders represent the most serious dangers to the safety of our children and our community. By administering additional random urine tests and home inspections, we can often detect whether these probationers are continuing to engage in illegal activities. The community supervision department is currently overburdened by the sheer number of people that are required to report each month. I have proposed an initiative that all three of the candidates for District Attorney have approved. It will enable certain first-time offenders who were found guilty of non-violent acts such as trespassing, shoplifting, and driving without a license, to be placed on a non-reporting community supervision status. They would still be on probation, pay fines, perform community service, and follow all other terms of their probation, but they would not have to have a face-to-face meeting each month with a probation officer. This will free the community supervision department to concentrate their efforts on individuals with drug or alcohol problems and enable them to closely monitor registered sex offenders living within the county.

REDUCING BAIL IN APPROPRIATE CASES
When someone is arrested and unable to afford bail they remain in jail until their trial, which may takes months. They often lose their jobs, end up qualifying for a court appointed attorney, and financial public assistance for their family. This comes at a tremendous expense to the tax payers. In appropriate cases where a defendant poses no flight risk or threat to the public I would favor lowering bail or releasing them on their own recognizance to enable them to get out of jail, keep their job, provide for their family, and hire their own attorney.

EXTEND VOIR DIRE
Jury selection is a crucial part of every trial. Both sides are entitled to question perspective jurors to determine if they have any biases or prejudices that could affect their service as a juror. Some courts impose an arbitrary 30 minute time limit to question the panel. This forces attorneys to rush through the process, spending approximately one minute questioning each prospective juror. By the time a case comes to trial, both the State and the Defense have spent a great deal of time, money, and effort to prepare their case. With the possibility of jail time and a permanent conviction hanging in the balance, it is imperative that both sides be given a reasonable opportunity to seat an impartial panel. I will grant additional time to both sides for jury selection.

EXTENDING PASS DATES
The right to counsel is one of the most important rights we have as individuals. Not just the right to have counsel, but the right to have the counsel of our choosing. Hiring an attorney is an expensive endeavor. Defendants routinely hire an attorney but find that they are unable to pay the attorney's entire fee in the short amount of time they are given by the Court to either plead the case or set it for trial. When they are unable to pay their attorney in full, attorneys often file motions to withdraw from the case. This results in delays while another attorney (often a court appointed one) takes over the process. I favor increasing the time between pass dates to enable clients an opportunity to pay their attorneys. This would lessen the costs borne by tax payers to assign a court-appointed attorney.

INTERPRETER DVD
Some non-English speaking defendants are unable to read even in their native language. To ensure they understand their rights and the legal process, the Court hires an interpreter to read them the Dangers and Disadvantages of Self-Representation form, which is required to be given to each defendant before they are permitted to represent themselves. This is a vital, but time-consuming process that can be streamlined by the creation of a video of the interpreter reading the warnings. The video could then be played simultaneously to a group, thus allowing the interpreter to begin providing individual translation services to the defendents and the Court. This would save time, money and provide a permanent record to show that the proper warnings were given.

EXPAND ELECTRONIC FILING
The amount of money spent on purchasing paper, copier maintenance contracts, and warehousing court files is staggering. We need to expand electronic filing to every area possible, including pass slips, and court appointed pay sheets. Each attorney could be assigned a pin number to access, update, and submit electronic files which would eliminate tens of thousands of documents annually per court.

EXPAND DWI / DRUG COURT
This program which was initiated by Judge Ray Wheeless in County Court at Law #4 has been extremely successful at helping people convicted of drug or alcohol related offenses to obtain and maintain soberiety. If elected I would create a similar program. It is a completely voluntary, post conviction program that requires more intense supervision without any additional expense to the taxpayers.

ENCOURAGE USE OF INFORMAL DISCOVERY BY ENFORCING IT
I would encourage the use of informal discovery by enforcing it in the same manner as formal discovery. This program which was implemented by the District Attorney provides an excellent means to obtain discoverable material without the burdens of filings and hearings. Some attorneys are reluctant to use it in courts that will only enforce formal discovery orders.