Endorsements: Family district courts

For judges with emotionally charged dockets, voters should value temperament, expertise.

Judges in the Harris County family district courts must oversee emotionally charged dockets, deeply personal disputes, pro se litigants and a niche field that often feels like it is dominated by insiders. Voters should look for judges with cool temperament and deep expertise. The following are truncated endorsements. Read the full recommendations at HoustonChronicle.com/opinion/endorsements. Family District Judge, 245th judicial district: Roy L. Moore Roy L. Moore — Republican Party: Tristan H. Longino — Democratic Party:

½

Ten-year incumbent Roy L. Moore is our choice for this important bench. In a former life, he was an engineer, and he exhibits a nuts-and-bolts, follow-the-rulebook approach to the judiciary.

Tristan H. Longino, a serious and respectful contender, deserves our commendation for his thoughtful approach to improving the family court experience for practitioners and their clients. Family District Judge, 246th Judicial District: Angela Graves-Harrington Charley Prine — Republican Party: ½ Angela Graves-Harrington — Democratic Party: ½

This race between incumbent Charley Prine and challenger Angela Graves-Harrington is a tough call, and not necessarily in a good way. Each comes across as passionate about helping people in the family courts, yet each made accusations that raised significant doubts about the other candidate’s ability.

We usually yield to the experience of incumbents, but in this case we think it is time for change.

Angela Graves-Harrington, 42, has practiced for 11 years and manages her own firm. She doesn’t have judicial experience, and if elected would have to work to improve her judicial temperament.

Meanwhile, Prine’s reputation as a judge is middling at best despite his four years as an elected judge and four as an associate judge. We’re particularly bothered by his campaign website, which states, “Marriage: One man and one woman.” The Supreme Court held in 2015 that states cannot prohibit same-sex marriages. Family District Judge, 247th Judicial District: John Schmude John Schmude — Republican Party: Janice Berg — Democratic Party: ½ John Schmude said he spent his first term on this bench reducing the backlog and treating all lawyers with dignity — especially “pro se” litigants representing themselves. He talked openly about his concerns with how the appointee system can be exploited to reward political patronage, and his challenger, Janice Berg, noted that politically motivated appointees aren’t an issue in this court.

Berg is an experienced attorney at both the trial and appellate level and also could make an excellent judge. Family District Judge, 257th Judicial District: Melanie Flowers Melanie Flowers — Republican Party:

½

Sandra Peake — Democratic Party:

In this race between two qualified candidates we endorse Melanie Flowers because of her experience trying cases before juries, which her opponent lacks.

Sandra Peake has practiced law longer than Flowers and would make a fine judge as well. Family District Judge, 280th Judicial District: Angelina D.A. Gooden

Angelina D.A. Gooden — Republican Party: ½

Barbara J. Stalder — Democratic Party:

Incumbent Angelina Gooden, the presiding judge of Harris County’s only family domestic violence court, was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2017 and admitted that she is still learning the mechanics of the courtroom despite her expertise in the subject matter. Taxpayers have invested in Gooden’s on-the-job training and should reap the benefit of their investment.

Her Democratic opponent, Barbara Stalder, is also well qualified. Family District Judge, 308th Judicial District: Gloria Lopez James Lombardino — Republican Party: Gloria Lopez — Democratic Party: Two-term incumbent James Lombardino recently recused himself from a divorce trial after a defense attorney filed to disqualify the judge from a case on the grounds of potential conflicts of interest.

Judge Susan Brown, who oversees the 11th Administrative Judicial Region of the State of Texas, ruled that Lombardino did not have to recuse himself from the case, which involved a high-profile attorney practicing in his court. Brown’s ruling might have put the lid on any doubts about Lombardino’s impartiality had he not received poor ratings on the Houston Bar Association polls.

Opponent Gloria Lopez has represented clients in more than 1,000 cases in family court and seems to know what she’s doing. Family District Judge, 309th Judicial District: Sheri Y. Dean Sheri Y. Dean — Republican Party:

½

Linda Marie Dunson — Democratic Party:

The folksy Sheri Y. Dean labels her profession as a calling. She practiced family law in Harris County for 18 years before being appointed to this bench in 2010. We encourage voters to give her another term — with a caveat.

Her challenger, Linda Marie Dunson, pointed out that Dean, 64, posted a challenge to Dunson’s experience on Dunson’s Facebook page. Behavior such as this should be beneath the dignity of a sitting judge and is a reminder of our 2014 endorsement of Dean, which noted her judicial demeanor needed improvement. Family District Judge, 310th Judicial District: Sonya Heath Lisa A. Millard — Republican Party:

½

Sonya Heath — Democratic Party: Judges should know to look out for black robe disease — that plague of big ego and short work hours that seems to strike the longest serving jurists. Unfortunately, after her 23 years on the bench it seems like incumbent Lisa Millard has caught a strain.

Sonya Heath says Millard is too often absent. Other lawyers seem to agree. On the 2017 Houston Bar Association’s judicial preference poll, a plurality of respondents gave Millard the lowest possible rating for hard work, preparedness and efficient use of time.

We wanted to hear Millard’s perspective, but she didn’t meet with the editorial board.

Heath started in the business of law as an assistant in civil litigation and worked in that capacity for 23 years before passing the bar in her mid-forties. Family District Judge, 311th Judicial District: Alicia Franklin York Alicia Franklin York — Republican Party:

½

Germaine Tanner — Democratic Party:

½

When a sitting judge gets mildly ruffled in a one-hour endorsement meeting, we get concerned that she might have problems keeping her cool in the highly charged atmosphere of family court. Unfortunately that’s what we saw with incumbent Alicia Franklin York.

Appointed to this bench in 2014, York previously had a family law practice and was a special magistrate in a family law court.

Her challenger, Germaine Tanner, was unflappable during the same meeting and provided analytical answers that nearly convinced us to urge voters to unseat the incumbent.

Ultimately, it was Tanner’s own experience in York’s court that swayed us to give the nod to the incumbent. Tanner told us that she had appeared before York while a candidate and received “a fair ruling.” Family District Judge, 312 Judicial District: David Farr David Farr — Republican Party:

Clinton “Chip” Wells — Democratic Party:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a sitting judge in possession of an excellent record must be challenged by an equally impressive opponent. In this case, the sitting judge is David Farr, who deserves support from Democrats and Republicans alike.

Farr’s outstanding bar polls are a testament to his hard work and professionalism.

Opponent Clinton “Chip” Wells possesses both 41 years of legal experience and a fine judicial demeanor, and we wish he were running against a weaker incumbent.