QUALIFIED
I earned my Bachelor of Arts from Rice University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston's Law Center. The son of a truckdriver, I am the first of my family to graduate college. I worked my way through law school as a paralegal at Texaco, graduated cum laude from the University of Houston's Law Center, and earned a position as an environmental litigator for the Company. After leaving Texaco, I helped the citizens of East Houston and Harris County fight air pollution by suing the plants that regularly released toxic pollutants into the air. In addition to extensive environmental experience, my legal background includes commercial, bankruptcy, transactional and non-profit law.
EXPERIENCED
I currently serve as Judge of the 334th District Court in Harris County, Texas. I began my judicial career in 2001, as Municipal Judge for the City of Houston where I served until 2008 when I was elected to the 215th District Court. I served as Judge of that Court until 2012 handling cases that ranged from complicated commercial contract disputes to personal injuries in an auto accident to tax delinquencies.
FAIR
Houston Bar Associations polls have consistently given me high marks for efficiency, hard work and impartiality. In both the 2007, 2011 and 2017 latest HBA Judicial Evaluation polls, 73% of the lawyers responding had a favorable view of my Courtroom.
RESPONSIVE
In December 2006, the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston and Harris County recognized my work in making our Courts accessible. The Coalition named me their Government Friend of the Homeless Award for developing and implementing Houston's Homeless Recovery Court, the first such Court in the State of Texas. The Homeless Court allows people who are working through programs at various homeless shelters to clear up delinquent traffic tickets and other Class C misdemeanor warrants by performing community service at their shelters. This allows people to move forward into productive lives. This is a win-win for us all.
