For juvenile courts

Harris County voters should support these candidates to implement vital system changes

Significant problems exist in the three Harris County juvenile courts, which have jurisdiction over juvenile delinquency cases and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services cases involving abuse and neglect of children.

Some problems are outside the control of the judiciary, including overcrowded dockets and courtrooms. Others fall squarely on the shoulders of the three sitting judges. The roster of court-appointed lawyers who are paid from tax coffers to represent these children is too small and is weighted heavily toward a few lawyers, some of whom are hefty contributors to judicial campaigns. Also, the Harris County juvenile justice system, like many in our country, sends a disproportionate number of black youths to jail.

As a community concerned about the safety and care of ourselves and our children, we cannot accept these shortcomings in the Harris County juvenile justice system. Structural change is needed. The following are truncated endorsements. Read the full versions at HoustonChronicle.com/opinion/endorsements. Early voting ends Friday, Nov. 2. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Family District Judge, 313th Judicial District: Natalia Oakes

Glenn Devlin - Republican Party: 1/2 Natalia Oakes - Democratic Party:

Natalia Oakes earns our endorsement in this race for her compassionate approach to juvenile justice. Not only does the former teacher exhibit the calm, even-keeled demeanor needed to set the right tone in a juvenile court, Oakes is also committed to using the power of the bench to improve the odds of rehabilitation for young offenders.

Incumbent Glenn Devlin declined our invitation to an endorsement screening. He has a reputation for questionable appointments and a record of controversial decisions.

As Houston Chronicle reporter Keri Blakinger recently documented, one-fifth of all juveniles in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice were sent there by just two judges: Devlin and Judge John Phillips.

Family District Judge, 314th Judicial District: Michelle Moore

John F. Phillips - Republican Party: Michelle Moore - Democratic Party: 1/2

Incumbent John Phillips has accomplished some good things during his 16 years on the bench. The mental health court he helped establish in 2008 was a proactive effort to avoid criminalization of youths whose delinquent conduct was significantly impacted by a serious mental illness. But the judge’s temperament and actions have grown increasingly inconsistent. Reporting by Blakinger brings into question Phillips’ ability to look out for the best interests of the children in his court. He declined our invitation for a screening.

His well-qualified opponent, Michelle Moore, currently works at the Harris County Attorney’s Office in the area of child protective services. She has also served in the district attorney’s offices in Cameron and Dallas Counties.

She’d like to steer the court toward a paperless docket and promises to use detention as a last resort.

Family District Judge, 315th Judicial District: Michael “Mike” Schneider

Michael “Mike” Schneider - Republican Party:

Leah Shapiro - Democratic Party:

1/2

Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2006, Mike Schneider lists many accomplishments in his 12-year stint on the bench. He teaches continuing legal education to expand the pool of attorneys qualified to handle complex child custody cases; he works at the state and national level to address overcrowding in juvenile facilities; and he started a program to track down abused and neglected children placed in foster care who have become teen runaways.

Schneider’s worthy and gutsy Democratic opponent, Leah Shapiro, aired her view of the judge’s shortfalls in our screening. The Harris County assistant public defender highlighted among other things a below-average number of Public Defender Office appointments from Schneider’s court. Notwithstanding Shapiro’s valid points, the hard-working Schneider’s passion for juvenile wellbeing and attention to abuses in the broken system gives him the edge.