Experience, compassion are key in Democratic judge primary races.

Voters should look for experience and compassion in these Democratic candidates.

Casting a knowledgeable vote for judges can have a profound impact on how justice is administered in Texas. Of the 46 civil and criminal district courts in Harris County, there are 11 contested races for the Democratic nomination on the March primary ballot. 11th Civil District Court: Jim Lewis Lewis, 53, a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, has been practicing law for 28 years. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants at trial and on appeal in civil litigation, and has donated much of his time to represent low-income families. Primary challengers Rabeea Collier, a skilled litigator, and Kristen Hawkins, a former Harris County tax master, have judicial potential, and we hope to see their names on the ballot in the future. 61th Civil District Court: Dion Ramos The taxpayers of Harris County are well-served when capable lawyers with prior judicial experience run for a bench. While Julie Countiss and Fredericka Phillips seem to have what it takes to become excellent jurists, Ramos, 59, has practiced law for 29 years and served two years as civil district judge. While we lean toward Ramos on the ground that he would be up to speed on the first day, he lags behind his opponents in his enthusiasm for public service. Countiss, in particular, has been racking up endorsements in this race. This race is nearly a toss-up. 165th Civil District Court: Josefina Rendón A graduate of the University of Houston Law Center, Rendón 66, served as a city of Houston municipal court judge for 28 of the past 32 years and as a civil district judge for four years in this same court. She has mediated over 1,000 disputes and has taught mediation for the U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy. 174th Criminal District Court: Hazel B. Jones A graduate of Howard University School of Law, Jones, 49, has worked as special assistant to the U.S. District Attorney and assistant district attorney at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office as well as practicing criminal defense law. Jones served as a state district court judge for four years. This race is another near toss-up: Mack McInnis, who is board-certified in criminal law, has the requisite experience and temperament, and Raul Rodriguez, an associate judge of the city of Houston Municipal Courts, would make a fine judge as well. 176th Criminal District Court: Shawna L. Reagin Reagin, 57, has over 26 years’ experience handling felony cases at the trial and appellate levels. A graduate of the University of Houston Law Center, she began her career as an intern at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, but subsequently shifted to criminal defense. She served on this bench for a single term starting in 2008 and earned a reputation as a hard-working judge. 177th Criminal District Court: David L. Singer Singer, 57, began his career as a briefing attorney for the 1st Court of Appeals and as an assistant district attorney in Harris County. He went on to start his own criminal defense firm. A graduate of the South Texas College of Law, he has tried more than 150 jury trials, from DWI to capital murder, and has 31 years of courtroom experience. His opponent, Robert Johnson, has some interesting ideas for this court, including going 100 percent paperless. 178th Criminal District Court: Kelli Johnson Johnson has served as an assistant district attorney in Harris County for 17 years, including time as felony chief prosecutor in the trial bureau. Her opponent, Lori Chambers Gray, has broad work experience and would be a compassionate judge, but she can’t top Johnson’s deep background in criminal law. 179th Criminal District Court: Stephen Aslett A Tulane Law School graduate, Aslett, 34, is currently a felony prosecutor in the 208th District Court where he handles murders, aggravated sexual assaults and aggravated robberies. Aslett, a lawyer’s lawyer, would be an excellent fit for this criminal bench. His opponent, Randy Roll served as judge of the 179th Criminal District Court from 2008 to 2012. 215th Civil District Court: JoAnn Storey A summa cum laude graduate of South Texas College of Law, Storey, 64, has 35 years of experience representing clients in civil trials and on appeal, including over 20 jury trials. Joshua A. Verde, who graduated from South Texas College of Law in 2012, is a quality candidate for this bench, as well.

The Houston Bar Association’s judicial candidate qualification poll should always be taken with a grain of salt, but when slightly over half of those responding rate a sitting judge’s performance as below average, it’s time for a change. Incumbent Elaine Palmer has been sanctioned by the Texas Ethics Commission. Harris County can do better, and will with Storey in this post. 333rd Civil District Court: Daryl Moore A former briefing attorney for the 14th Court of Appeals, Moore graduated from the South Texas College of Law and is board-certified in civil appellate law. Moore, 53, who currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law, seems to possess the judicial temperament for the job. It’s hard to say no to primary opponent Lisa A. Ketai, who currently serves as senior assistant city attorney in the city of Houston Legal Department. But Moore has the makings of a stellar judge. 351st Criminal District Court: Greg Glass Glass, 67, has been board-certified in criminal law for almost 33 years and has tried over 100 criminal jury trials to verdict. He believes that given our population growth, Harris County needs to employ associate judges and that dockets should be split between morning and afternoon as part of a strategy to alleviate overcrowding in the Criminal Justice Center. His opponent, George Powell, would bring a passion for justice to this criminal bench, but he can’t match Glass’ experience.