 Hi, I'm Lawrence Morales, President of the San Antonio Bar Association. The San Antonio Bar is the professional voluntary organization for lawyers that practice and bear and the surrounding communities. I am honored to welcome you here today to this informational session. The right to vote is one of the most important tools that our citizens have to express their beliefs. And this informational session is put on as a community service by the San Antonio Bar Association to help educate, inform, and engage voters. I'd like to thank NowcastSA who is serving as our streaming sponsor. All candidates for justice and judge in the upcoming primary election have been invited to participate, but not all are joining us. An invitation to participate is not an endorsement by the San Antonio Bar Association and the views expressed by the candidates are theirs and should not be construed as the views of the San Antonio Bar. I invite you now to hear from the candidates for judge and justice in the upcoming primary election. Thank you. Fourth Court of Appeals, Justice Place 6, Republican Todd McCrae, Democrat Justice Irene Rios. Hello friends, Todd McCrae for Justice, Fourth Court of Appeals, Place 6, here in the Barra County Hill Country at the Frank Madela Junior Natural Preserve. The Fourth Court of Appeals is a 32-county-wide district, including Barra County, with seven justices that hear civil and criminal appeals from trial courts within the district. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and St. Mary's University School of Law and have over 30 years of significant trial and appeal experience in state and federal court. I served in the Grayson County Attorney's Office and the Barra County District Attorney's Office as lead prosecutor trying my first murder case as lead prosecutor in 1992 and my first capital murder death penalty case as lead defense attorney in 1996. I was board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and Criminal Law in 1997. Like trial court judges, justices of the appeal courts should be fair, impartial, and independent, and have significant experience in the kinds of cases that come before the court. I'm licensed in the United States Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, the United States Appeal Court for the Fifth Circuit. You can find my webpage at McCrayForJudge.com. Vote Todd McCray for Justice, Fourth Court of Appeals, place six. I respectfully ask for your vote. Fourth Court of Appeals, Justice, place seven. Republican Justice Lori I. Valenzuela. Democrat Judge Rebecca Becky Paloma. Hi, I'm Lori Valenzuela, a justice on the Fourth Court of Appeals. I'm a native San Antonian who grew up in a military family. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and St. Mary's University School of Law. Since 1996, I've had the great privilege of working here in Barra County at the District Attorney's Office. I was a county magistrate and a criminal defense attorney. In 2009, I was appointed to the 437th District Court where I served as a district court judge. During that time, I also co-founded a felony Veterans Treatment Court. In 2021, I was selected to fill a vacant seat on the Fourth Court of Appeals where I currently sit and preside with my six colleagues. I've been appointed to serve in various capacities, including the Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee and I chaired the Court Reporters Advisory Board. I've been on the Board of St. Peter St. Joseph's, Family Service Association, the Executive Board of Boy Scouts, and recently served as the Chair of the Texas Center for the Judiciary. While serving as a trial court judge, I had the great privilege of bringing in students to the Court and going out into the schools to teach them about our judicial branch. I'm a Lifetime Fellow of the San Antonio Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation. I'm married to my law school sweetheart and we're the proud parents of three teenagers. I take great pride in getting to serve here in Barra County as a judge since 2009 and I appreciate the confidence that the voters have shown in me by allowing me to run unopposed in 2014 and 2018. San Antonio is my home. I humbly ask for your vote in this election in November 2022 and to allow me to continue to serve as a justice on the Fourth Court of Appeals. Hello, I'm Judge Becky Paloma and I'm running for the Fourth Court of Appeals, Place 7, a seat with an unexpired term left vacant by the election of Chief Justice Rebecca Martinez in 2020. I've been a licensed attorney in Texas for over 22 years, 10 of those years serving as a state district judge. I am the only judge in Texas that is a former state prosecutor and a former director of an adult probation department. In 2014, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht appointed me to the Texas Judicial Advisory Council, which provides policy recommendations to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. I am the only candidate for the Fourth Court of Appeals, Place 7, with judicial trial experience in civil, criminal and family law cases. And I intend to lend this critical perspective on the Fourth Court. I hope I can earn your support and your vote. Thank you. 45th Judicial District, District Judge, Republican Patricia J. Democrat, Judge Mary Lou Alvarez and Maria DeNora Diaz. Hello, everyone, I am Judge Mary Lou Alvarez, your judge of the 45th Civil District Court. I hope you are doing well and I thank you in advance for taking a few minutes or a couple minutes to hear from me. I have been your judge since January 1, 2019. Prior to taking the bench, I began my litigation career as a federal law clerk in Beaumont, working for two years for Judge Clark. After my federal clerkship, I had an opportunity to go to Dallas, where I did corporate product liability defense work representing car manufacturers and personal injury cases. And then I got an opportunity to come back home and work for Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid. That is where I spent the majority of my litigation career representing victims of domestic violence and protective order, divorce and custody litigation. After Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, I had the opportunity to work for a small boutique law firm, practicing family law, and then I opened my own practice. It has been an absolute privilege and honor to serve the Bar and our community as the presiding judge of the 45th District Court. During our pandemic times, I have taken a leadership role in making sure that our courthouse remained open, even in the virtual courtroom. I had the honor of serving as the monitoring court judge as we transitioned from our virtual jury trials back to our in-person jury trials in June of last year. And I continue to work diligently to make sure that everyone has justice without exception and is treated with respect and dignity. I hope that you will continue to have me as your judge of the 45th District Court. We have a lot of work to do and I am happy to do it. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your support. And I hope I continue to earn your vote. Hi, my name is Maria DeNora Diaz. I'm known as DeNora Diaz down at the courthouse and on Zoom here lately. I'm a practicing attorney for 30 years and I am your candidate for the 45th Judicial District Court Bench here in Bear County. I have practiced in the areas of family law and other civil litigation areas and I started my practice doing indigent criminal defense work. I was raised in San Antonio, went to St. Paul's UT Austin and then the Rinaldo G. Garza School of Law. When I got my license, I decided I wanted to be a sole proprietor and that's what I've been doing for the last 30 years. I want to give you a little bit of background about myself. I am the daughter of late Dr. Jose Diaz and the late Olga G. Diaz. They were both from Dilley, Texas. My dad was the youngest of eight children and he came from very humble beginnings and I want to share this story with you so that you'll have a little bit of idea of where I come from and what I'm about. My dad was the youngest of eight kids. He was very poor. They were food deprived. He didn't even have shoes when he was in high school. He went off to join the Navy and by the grace of God and against all odds, he was able to go to medical school. Now I say that because I was very, very blessed but not out of a sense of any kind of entitlement or anything like that. Yes, you know, it was awesome. I was able to go to private school and things like that but I say that because I want you to know that that's what I will bring to the bench. I will bring the fact that I'm a person with empathy and kindness. I will understand when there are missing witnesses, when continuances need to be had, that life happens. I most importantly want to make sure that the people that appear before the court and all the court staff is treated with respect. I bring 30 years of wisdom and experience and a good demeanor and I will be a good judge for you. I kindly ask for your vote. Thank you. 224th Judicial District, District Judge, Republican Judge Kathleen Kathy Stryker, Democrat Marisa Flores and Milton Irving Fagan. My name is Milton Fagan. I'm running for the 224th District Court. I'm board certified in Pamela with the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. This is a civil litigation court. You understand what it is and the public, we have to explain to them what we mean by trial court. We try cases. You want someone to be the judge who has trial experience. I have that trial experience, probably over 2,000 non-jury cases, 25 jury cases and thousands of ancillary cases. And why is this important? You have to develop a certain expertise in trial law. You need to know the procedure, case law, evidence. How many times have you gone to that courthouse? And we're all there trying to fight for our client. We want the best for our clients that pay this money. And we're trying to advocate for our clients. So how many times have you gone to that courthouse? Now, I respect the judiciary. But we have certain times we feel like maybe the judge didn't know the law, wasn't paying attention, or misapplied the procedure. Something happened. The courthouse is a very busy place right now with Zoom. The 8.30 and 9 o'clock dockets are huge. Back in the day, 8.30 was small. You have the monitoring court. You're expected to be at all these different places at one time and to protect maybe more than one client at a time. So I say what's important is who has been in that trial court. This is a trial court. This is not a place for a beginner, someone that just wants to be a judge. I never dreamed I would be a judge. But you know, the saying goes that by going to all these courts and trying lawsuits for all these years, Milton Fagan thinks he has been trained to be a judge. It's more than being fair and being reliable. You have to know how these courts work. We always respect and have dignity for all the litigants, the court staff, and your clients. I want your vote. I want your support. And as I told the public, the reason Milton Fagan is running is so you can receive the correct decision. Thank you so much. It's been great to be here with you. 225th Judicial District District Judge, Republican Honorable Renee Yonta. Democrat, Shannon Roberta Salmon, and Christine Vasquez-Hordek. Hello, my name is Renee Yonta, and I'm honored to ask for your vote for Judge of the 225th District Court. I think there's several reasons why I am the most experienced and most qualified for this position. First and foremost, I'm the only individual in this race that has judicial experience. I've served as a judge here in Bear County in the past for seven years, performing exactly the kind of work that this judge does on the 225th District Court. In addition, I have been an attorney for close to 30 years. I've handled almost every kind of case that comes before this court, from family law, to employment disputes, to oil and gas disputes, all the way to business discussions and disputes and also personal injury cases. And I've handled all of those cases both as a defendant and as a plaintiff. So I bring to this bench a deep level of experience and expertise. I'm also board certified in appellate law, which makes me a specialist in many of the tasks that this judge performs, including creating jury charges and doing findings affecting conclusions of law, and also handling very difficult legal research projects. But the biggest reason why I believe that you should vote for me is because of my heart. I have a heart for service, a heart to follow the law, a heart to make sure that our courts are responsive to the people. I will respect you and I will serve you and I look forward to your vote. Renee Yonte, 225th District Court, thank you. Hi, my name is Shannon Roberta Salomon. I'm a licensed attorney here in San Antonio, Texas. I graduated from St. Mary's University at the top of my class with a special accommodation from the dean for my pro bono service. I'm a local business owner and my business is certified by the Better Business Bureau as an A plus business. I've been recognized by CNNSA as a SA best lawyer three years in a row. I'm a certified mediator and a certified guardian ad litem. Prior to law school, I worked at USAA. I worked for the state of Texas as a CPS caseworker and I worked as a 911 dispatcher for the Bear County Sheriff's Office. But what's more important than that is how I treat people because you are what matters. You are what's important to me. If you are in the 225th and you're in front of me, I promise to treat you fairly regardless of your race, religion, gender, sexuality, your politics, or the size of your pocketbook because you are what's important to me. I hope you have a wonderful day. Thank you. Hi, my name is Christine Hortick and I'm a candidate for the 225th District Court Bench. I've been a practicing attorney here in Bear County for more than 16 years. During that time, my practices focused primarily on family and probate cases. I'm also a certified mediator as well. For the last 14 years, I've been practicing extensively in children's court on the third floor. During that time, I've worked on more than 500 cases where I've represented children, parents, foster parents, and grandparents. For the last three years, I've served as president of the Bear County Children's Court Attorney Association. I've chosen to run for the 225th because it's a unique court. By statute, it gives preference to cases involving children and child protective services cases. I think with my background as a family law attorney and the experience that I've gathered over the last 14 years makes me an excellent candidate to continue the long tradition of helping families and children here in Bear County. County Court at Law Number 10, Judge, Republican Jamie Mathis, Democrat Cesar Garcia, and Judge Frank Davis. Hi, I'm Frank Davis. I'm the judge in County Court at Law Number 10. Before getting on the bench, I had 25 years of experience practicing as a lawyer, both in Bear County and across the state. In the course of all that, I acquired at least 600 cases in district courts of Bear County, at least 600 in the county courts and probate courts of San Antonio or Bear County, and over 120 appellate cases. Now, I've spent much of my time traveling around the state working for the Department of Public Safety in Austin. That put me at every courtroom in the state, it seems like. I got to practice them before literally hundreds of different judges. I learned a lot from their different styles, their different ways of handling things. Some good, some bad. All of that experience has made me a better person and a better judge. When I took the bench, I was ready to serve. I want to continue serving y'all with courtesy, aplomb, and grace. Thank you very much. 144th Judicial District, District Judge, Republican Honorable Lorena I. Ramel. Democrat Judge Michael Mary. Hello, my name is Lorena Ramel, and I'm running for Judge of the 144th Criminal District Court. That is a felony criminal district court here in Bear County, Texas. I believe my background and experience uniquely qualifies me for this position. I've been practicing criminal trial for almost 30 years here in Bear County. I have over 20 years at the Bear County District Attorney's Office. I was a defense attorney for almost five years. And I was the judge of this particular bench for four and a half years. During that period of time, I handled hundreds of criminal trial matters. I've tried everything all the way through capital murder, death penalty cases. I think that background and experience will help me be a better judge because I have handled all the legal issues and the criminal trials that will come before me. As a judge, I promise to respectfully listen to all legal arguments and rule accordingly. I also believe my background and experience helps me in regards to sentencing of defendants. I know which type of cases need supervision as opposed to those that need more serious prison sentences. Again, my name is Lorena Ramel. I'm running for judge at the 144th District Court and I respectfully ask for your but. Thank you. 186th Judicial District, District Judge, Republican Honorable Daphne Prevetty Austin. Democrat, Christina Escolona. Hello, my name is Christina Escolona. And I'm a candidate in the Democratic primary for the 186th District Court. One of 10 adult felony criminal courts here in Bear County, Texas. My family and I were born and raised in San Antonio. We have deep roots embedded throughout the city. My grandparents and my parents instilled in me the value and integrity of hard work. And it's this work ethic that I bring to everything that I do. I've served this community as a criminal defense attorney walking accused citizens through the criminal justice system, ensuring that their rights were protected. I've served this community now as an assistant district attorney. I've handled cases such as aggravated sexual assaults against children, violent crimes against children, aggravated crimes involving deadly weapons, intoxication manslaughter, murders, and capital murders. I've litigated over 100 jury trials and I have served as lead counsel in over 60 of those trials. Most recently, while trying a capital murder case, I studied and prepared for the board certification exam. And I am board certified in the area of criminal law. I love this community with all of my heart and would appreciate the opportunity to use my knowledge, my skillset, my perspective, and my heart to be the best public servant I can be. And to be the leader that this community deserves. If you'd like to learn any more about me, about my background, about the types of cases that I've litigated, please visit escalonaforjudge.com. If you have any questions, please email me at escalonaforjudge.com. I ask for your support and I ask for your vote and I thank you for your time. 187th Judicial District District Judge Republican Honorable Walden Shelton Democrat Judge Stephanie R. Boyd and Veronica I. Legaretta I'm Stephanie Boyd. I'm the current judge of the 187th District Court. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this capacity. I appreciate your support and your faith in me. I firmly believe that our judiciary is an integral part of our society. It must not fail and it must remain independent. I realize that we have all faced tragic and difficulties during the COVID pandemic. The 187th District Court continues to function during this time and has continued to function. I encourage each of you to watch your court at work on YouTube to see the day-to-day functions of the 187th District Court. In my 25 years' experience as a defense attorney, a prosecutor, a person who's represented children who've been victims of abuse, and also as an originating attorney in several our treatment courts, I know it works. I know it doesn't work. In the 187th, you can be assured that your case will be heard and it will be listened to fairly, that everyone will be treated with respect and those who deserve treatment, those who need treatment will be given treatment all while protecting our society. As a professor at UTSA and teaching campaign and election law and trial advocacy, I make sure that my students are able to mentor with people in their chosen fields. I firmly believe that we owe it to our community to make our community better. During this pandemic, I've provided a three-day free CLE for all attorneys in Texas to help alleviate some of the financial burdens that COVID have caused. I thank you, each and every one of you, so much for your support and I ask for your continued support. My name is Veronica Lerareta and I'm running for the 187th District Court in the Democratic Primary. I am a graduate of St. Mary's Law School and have continuously worked in and for our community. As an attorney, I have done it all. I've been a prosecutor with the district attorney's office, worked in private practice and have worked on cases ranging from traffic tickets all the way to capital murder. When I am not practicing law, I focus on helping our community through my work with the Hispanic Issue section of the State Bar of Texas, with the Hispanic Women's Network of Texas and with the Junior League of San Antonio. In those roles, I have helped raise funds for civil rights legal aid, scholarship for Latinas and the Bayer County Family Justice Center. I am a member of the San Antonio Bar Association and the San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. In addition to my community work, I have dedicated the past few years to my party, the Democratic Party. I have worked on issues important to the Democratic Party, supported Democratic candidates and voted in the Democratic Primary. One of my biggest priorities for the 187th District Court is to create an immigration docket to ensure that non-citizens who are arrested understand their constitutional rights and the immigration consequences they face. The current system in place does not give them a right to the immigration attorney in state court. Instead, when they are arrested, an ice hold is placed on them and they will remain in the county jail until their criminal cases is posed up before being transferred to federal court. The docket I will establish will help to ensure that this is accomplished in a more efficient manner. It will ensure that these individuals understand their rights and it will help alleviate the population problem the Bayer County Jail is facing. My name is Veronica Ligareta and I'm running for the 187th District Court. Today, I ask for your support. So when you vote, remember, vote Veronica for the 187th. 226th Judicial District District Judge Democrat Judge Velia Jay Mesa and Demetrio Duarte Jr. Hello, everyone. I am Judge Velia Mesa of the 226th District Court. That is a felony court here in Bayer County, Texas. In my first term in office, I have demonstrated that I apply the law correctly, that I conduct thorough hearings and that I exercise sound discretion in all of the matters that come before me. This is evident in that my decisions have been upheld by the courts of appeals across the state of Texas as well as the court of criminal appeals. In my first term in office, I was nominated and selected to serve on the board of directors for the Texas Center for the Judiciary that is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to educating and training the judges across the state of Texas. Early voting begins February 14th and election day is March 1st. I ask for your vote in the Democratic primary. I ask that you tell your friends and family to vote for Velia Mesa for the 226th District Court. This court has been an excellent hands from the beginning and I intend to continue doing the good work. Thank you for your vote. Hello, I'm Dimitri Oduakhtin and I'm running for the 226th Judicial District Court here in Bayer County. This court handles all felony criminal cases. That's all the serious cases and the number one problem in Bayer County right now involves family violence cases. Those cases against defenseless women and children. Unfortunately, those cases have been sitting on the docket way too long. Some of these cases are 20 years old, 18, 15. It is way too long. I am a former Bayer County prosecutor and have handled all of these cases. I am board certified in criminal law and I have tried over 200 jury trials. I'm familiar with how the system works. Unfortunately, as a father of three daughters, I'm also familiar with how the system treats victims of family violence. Unfortunately, one of my daughters was assaulted. In this particular court, family violence is not given its priority and it should be. It is also a true statement that not everybody goes to prison. So the issue of restorative justice is very important to our community. How do we get people to not recidivate? How do we rehabilitate them? Those are also very important issues and I have the background to assist in that. I also have the ties to the community to bring our community into the restorative justice efforts to make sure we're not having people simply pick up trash but let's give them training so that they have something to do after probation is completed. Bond conditions are also very important as is the amount of bond. Those issues need to be addressed and again, I have the background to do this. My name is Demetri Lothi and I am asking for your vote as I run for the 226th District Court. Thank you very much. 227th Judicial District District Judge Republican Judge Kevin O'Connell Democrat Christine Del Prado. Hi, I'm Christine Del Prado and I'm running for the 227th District Court. That's a court that handles just adult felony cases everything from drug offenses up to capital murder. For the last 33 years, I've practiced in the area of criminal law. First as an intern at the DA's office and then a prosecutor, then about 25 years out doing criminal defense work and more recently I'm the Chief of Public Integrity and Cyber Crime at the DA's office. You know, experience matters and in those 25 years that I represented defendants both poor defendants and defendants of great wealth, I learned that the victims of crime aren't just those people whose names are written in the indictment it goes way beyond that. It's the family, the children, the spouses and because I understand that I bring that experience to the bench having been on both sides and I understand the economic, the social toll that crime takes on our community. I'm hoping that you'll consider voting for me on this bench but just as importantly, I'm hoping that you vote and take part in this great experiment that we call our Representative Republic. Thanks for listening. 285th Judicial District, District Judge, Republican Mark Thompson, Democrat Nadine Melissa Nieto and Lisa Urazidasser. Hi, I'm Mark Thompson. I'm running for the 285th Civil District Court. Being a civil district court means that between 80 and 90% of the cases it adheres will involve family law. I am the most qualified candidate for this position and I'm running because the public deserves a judge who's experienced with family law. I'm a 2008 graduate of St. Mary's School of Law and I've been in private practice ever since. For 13 years I've practiced family law almost exclusively with over 850 cases in Bear County alone. I've handled countless divorces, child custody or child support cases. I've also handled terminations and adoptions and protective orders. I've represented many service members and I'm familiar with the issues that they face. I'm also experienced with the Bear County Presiding Court system and the various dockets. If you went to the courthouse before COVID, you likely saw me. I'm also well known and respected by court staff and attorneys. I served as an officer and co-course director for the family law section of Sabah and I was named a rising star by CNSA magazine and a top attorney by San Antonio magazine several times each. Now as judge number one I will show up to work. That may sound simple but I can't tell you how many times we've spent hours preparing for a contentious hearing only to get to the courthouse and be told that there are no judges. That does a disservice to the public and attorneys. Number two I will follow the law. I will not use the bench to promote my own personal beliefs or agenda. My job is to follow the law, not make law. And third and finally I will treat all parties with respect and fairness. I'll listen and I'll give them their day in court. Please visit ThompsonforJudges.com to learn more about me and to contribute to my campaign. I humbly ask for your support and for your vote in November. Thank you. Hi my name is Lisa Odesti-Dasher. I was born and raised here in San Antonio on the south side of town where the dogs are mean but the people are nice. And after attending the University of Wisconsin Law School my husband and I came home to raise our own family here. I've been an active member of this community my entire life and today I will tell you three reasons why I am the best candidate to be your next district judge. So first I know the law. My legal career has been diversified to include family law, appraisal and ad valorem litigation, probate, personal injury and other civil litigation and both in private practice and working for legal aid and Catholic charities. Currently I'm in private practice with most of my cases consisting of guardianship, general litigation and plaintiff's personal injury. I'm a certified guardianship attorney and I'm licensed and admitted to practice in federal court here. Second I have this legal community's best interest at heart. The moment I step behind the bench I won't forget what it was like to have my own practice or work at a busy firm having to be in 10 different places at the same time and having clients count on you to represent them just like each one of you does every day. I know being an attorney is hard but I will be available and working to make your job a little easier and I'll always treat you with courtesy. You will always get the same person on the bench each day and you won't have to guess which personality is putting on the robe that day. You see I'm just like you. I have a family, two kids and a husband and I want the same things you want for your family, security, stability and certainty. And third I know this community. My dedication to this community as a lawyer will carry on and I will be a dedicated judge who always does the right thing even when that decision isn't popular. I will always listen and treat you fairly and with respect and I have the necessary experience integrity and commitment to this community so I'd be honored to have your support. Thank you. I'm Lisa with SD Dasher. 288th Judicial District District Judge Republican Art Rossi Democrat Judge Cynthia Marie Joppa. Hello members of the Santana Bar Association. My name is Art Rossi. I am your candidate for judge of the 288th Judicial District Court for Bear County, Texas. I've been given the privilege by the Bar Association to speak to you briefly about my background and why I'm running for judge. My background. I'm a graduate of the University of Texas Macomb School of Business with a BDA with honors and accounting. I subsequently attended the University of Texas School of Law. After that I sat for and passed the CPA examination and clerked for two federal district court judges in Houston. Upon conclusion of my clerkships I moved to San Antonio and started with a firm here in a civil district practice. At that time most of the litigation I was asked to handle involved bankruptcy matters simply because the economy was not robust as it is today. Over the years I developed a specialty in family law and probate. In family law I sat for and passed and have been recertified twice since passing the examination and a board certified in family law. I have been active in both bars. I have served in every position in the San Antonio Bar Association family law section and I've edited the annual seminar for the last 15 years. I was deeply honored and privileged to be asked to serve as the first president of the newly formed Family Law Bar Association San Antonio. My experience in this area is deep. My commitment to this area of the law is also extensive and sincere. I ask for your vote. 289th Judicial District District Judge Democrat Rose Sosa and Judge Carlos Quezada. Hi my name is Rose Sosa. I'm running for the 289th Judicial District Court to juvenile court here in Brea County. I bring experience and leadership to this court. I've been a licensed attorney for the last 24 years. During that time period I've worked as a prosecutor, a defense attorney, a special prosecutor, and a magistrate judge. I've tried approximately 100 jury trials here. About 50 of those I've been the first chair and about a third of those have been in juvenile district court. In addition I'm board certified since 2010 in juvenile law. I'm also board certified since 2015 in criminal law. I'm one of only 15 people in the entire state of Texas who holds both of those certifications. I also have a long-standing history with working with stakeholders in the juvenile probation department and trying to implement reformative justice programs for juveniles here in Brea County. During my time period I've worked on eight of the specialty court programs that are still being utilized today in the court system here in Brea County. Those programs include pre and post adjudication drug court, mental health courts for both males and females in the juvenile system, victims of human trafficking, cases where children straddle both the CPS system and the juvenile system and also an educational court. I have a long history with working with juveniles here in Brea County. It is my passion to work with juveniles and try and help juveniles and their families get back on the straight and narrow and reform themselves so that we can have productive lives in the future for these kids. I'm asking for your vote for the 289th judicial district court. I believe I have the most experience in the most background in these cases. I'm asking that you vote for me, Rose Sosa, for the 289th. Thank you. Hello, San Antonio Bar Association. I'm Carlos Quezada, elected by the voters in 2018. It's the 289th juvenile district court. I was born and raised in San Antonio Southside, attended Harland Hill High School, Balo Alto College, St. Mary's University and TSU Law. Before law school I served you as an assistant jury room bailiff here in Brea County. I have worked as an assistant DA in Webb County prosecuting everything from possession of marijuana all the way up to murders. I opened my private practice here in San Antonio and served my community as an elected school board member, a special prosecutor here in Bear County and now of course your judge of the 289th district court. As judge I have been working hard for our community and after being elected I started the very first June Junta's Court for those involved in the gang lifestyle. We received a lot of positive response from the community and actually was awarded a $250,000 grant from the federal government for that work. As judge the work that I have been doing has been featured on Case at 12, the express news and the various local media. I ask that you look up the great work that we are doing or that you go to Carlos Quezada for Judge.com. When you are voting for a judge you don't always know if the person that you're used to seeing a presiding is going to be the same person when he puts on that black robe. I hope that I have answered that question for you with my time on the bench. I hope those who practice before me will tell you that I am understanding, compassionate, respectful and most importantly that I have empathy. I know what it's like to have five cases on your calendar and five different courts all at the same time. I know what it's like to just need that one more reset. Now believe me, I'm not a pushover, but I understand. So I'm asking for your vote of confidence once again. Thank you. County Court at Law Number One, Judge, Republican Honorable Bob Barron, Democrat Judge Helen Petri Stowe and Renee Munoz. Hello, Saba. I am Judge Helen Petri Stowe. I am your elected judge in Barrie County Court at Law Number One. I would love to tell you a little bit about myself. My career in public service began more than 20 years ago as a public school teacher in the San Antonio Independent School District. That was actually a tremendous accomplishment for me because I was a teen mom and a high school dropout at 16. I worked my way through school getting my degree. I started at 17 and I graduated at 21 with a five-year-old daughter who I had helped to raise while working my way through school and waiting tables and it will always be one of my proudest moments. I returned to St. Mary's at 26 and this year will be my 15th year practicing criminal law. I am very qualified and experienced as a judge. I worked at the district attorney's office for more than 10 years before seeking public office and that afforded me a wonderful amount of jury trial experience. I also have appellate experience and have written more than 20 appellate briefs and presented oral argument to the Fourth Court of Appeals. All of my trial and appellate experience give me a lot of confidence in my rulings in County Court at Law Number One. I have brought a restorative justice program back to County Court One with Track D, the DWI Specialty Court, and I also have been helping with the family violence backlog since 2019. I run a very efficient court. I am proud of the work I am doing. I encourage you to ask your colleagues who have practiced criminal law before me, their opinion of me. I know that I am doing a good job as your judge and I ask that you keep me in this position. Thank you very much for your time and attention to me. Y'all have a wonderful day. Good day. My name is René Munoz and I'm running for Judge of Barrack County Court Law Number One here in Barrack County, San Antonio, Texas. A little bit about myself. I was born here in San Antonio, moved around the border, various border towns. As a result, my father's employment, Brownsville, McAllen, Eagle Pass, I then came to undergraduates here at St. Mary's University. I graduated to cum laude, went to law school at Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson, Mississippi. I was there for three years and had a designation focused on criminal law. After that point in time, I became a felony prosecutor in Eagle Pass, covering three counties, Maverick, Diminins of all the counties as one of three prosecutors. So it was there that I gained experience as a prosecutor, having trials, motions to suppress evidence, as well as appellate work. I then came to San Antonio and began work with the private law firm, covering multiple counties here for misdemeanor and felony offenses. At that point in time, I felt like I wanted to get back more to the community, so I started with the public defender's office, the mental health unit specifically, and have been working that capacity for the last three years. I deal with homeless people, mentally ill and engineering clients that can't afford their own lawyer. This presents multiple challenges and issues, but I felt like it has made me a better attorney and that I can just handle a whole wide array of situations that could possibly come before the court. This is why I feel like I would make a good judge. My previous prosecutorial experience as well as my current criminal defense experience allows me to see things from different perspectives and get a more well-balanced approach to the court in terms of rendering a decision that will both keep in mind the rights of the accused, as well as safeguard the community and alleged victims and victims of crime that they're able to sleep safely at night knowing that no one's going to be coming after them. These are things that I believe will bring to the court and ask for your vote and support. County court at law number two, judge, Republican Honorable Jason Wolfe, Democrat, Melissa Sainz, Maria Theresa Garcia, and Judge Grace M. Uzumba. Hi, my name is Melissa Sainz and I'm running for judge of Bear County Court number two, a criminal misdemeanor court here in Bear County. I'm running for this bench because I believe in restorative justice and criminal justice reform. I'm from San Antonio. I went to Southwest High School. I'm a first generation college student and I come from a hardworking family. My mother was a housekeeper for 20 years. My dad repaired extra machines for 30 years and my grandfather worked at Kelly Air Force Base for 30 years before he retired. My family told me to have a very strong work ethic and I've carried that throughout my career. I'm a prosecutor at the Bear County District Attorney's Office and I've been there now over a decade. I try everything from DWIs to child sex cases to murder cases. I've even worked my way up at the DA's office to become a felony first chair, which is the highest position that you can be in aside from a division chief. I'm very proud of that accomplishment because there's not a lot of Latinas in that position. The reason that I chose to run for county court two specifically is because the court is in need of a lot of help right now. As judge, I will run an efficient docket. I will make sure to look at each case individually on a case-by-case basis so that we can address the needs of that individual person to try to help them succeed not only while they're under the supervision of the court, but once they leave the courtroom so that they don't re-offend. As judge, I will also treat everybody fairly and with respect. I am seeking your endorsement and I hope that I can count on your vote and if you have any questions please let me know. Thank you. Hi, my name is Maria Teresa Garcia and I'm running for judge of county court law number two. I have 28 years of experience practicing criminal and civil litigation. In addition to that, I've also served our community as a city of San Antonio municipal court judge and a magistrate judge. All in all, I have a lot of experience and this court needs somebody that has that experience. In my 28 years of practicing law, I have over a thousand bench trials and jury trials. I presided over thousands of cases while a judge in municipal court. I have civil experience and criminal experience and it's important in this court because this court is a hybrid court where the judge has to listen to not just criminal cases but also civil cases and you want to judge who knows what they're doing. I am a lifelong San Antonio resident. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin Hookah and I went to the University of Houston Law Center. I am the product of a wonderful grandmother who at 22 years old found herself with four kids under four and a husband with a third grade education. She knew that the only way that she was going to get her kids out or her family out of poverty was through education so she signed up for college at a time when women weren't really going and drove 60 miles round trip to get that education and not only did she get an undergraduate degree but she got a master's and when my mother died when I was eight she came and she raised me and I stand before you here today asking for your vote because of that wonderful grandmother that I had. I am asking for your vote. I am Maria Teresa Garcia and I need you. Thank you. County Court at Law Number Five, Judge Democrat Andrea Arevalos and Judge John A. Longoria. Hello everyone thank you for this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Andrea Arevalos. I'm a judicial candidate running for County Court at Law Number Five. County Court Five is a criminal misdemeanor court here in Bear County. I've been in the legal profession in public service for over 10 years. My career started in 2008 after graduating from UTSA with a bachelor's in criminal justice and legal studies. I was hired on at the district attorney's office as a victim's advocate. As an advocate I would communicate with victims and witnesses of crime on a weekly basis. I would assist prosecutors with trial preparation. I enjoyed what I was doing but knew I wanted to do more and that required me to go to law school so I did just that. In 2010 I left to attend law school in Houston. I went to Thurgood Marshall School of Law. I continued working public service at the Harris County District Attorney's Office and did indigent defense work at Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid and the pro bono legal clinic there on campus. I graduated in 2013 with honors. I took a job doing civil personal injury work. I did that a little over a year. I learned a great deal but my servant's heart brought me back to the DA's office in January of 2015. For the past seven years I've been a prosecutor with the Bear County Criminal District Attorney's Office. I have personally handled over 5500 criminal cases. I've been assigned to the juvenile courts and the adult misdemeanor county courts and adult felony district courts. I've tried cases diverted ranging from misdemeanor DWI and criminal trespass all the way up to felony possession of guns, drugs, and even murder. I believe I encompass the most recent relevant experience to the takes of the bench of County Court at Law Number 5 so I'm offering some change. I'm on that ballot to provide voters an option. I invite you to learn more about me by visiting my website at evalos4judge.com or finding me on social media to learn more about me and what I'm doing in the community. Thank you. County Court at Law Number 6. Judge Republican Brandon Jackson Democrat Erika Dominguez. Hello my name is Brandon Jackson. I'm running for Bear County Court at Law Number 6. A little bit about me. I've been at the Bear County District Attorney's Office for 12 plus years. Presently I'm the first chair felony attorney in the Elder Fraud Unit. While in the District Attorney's Office I've been a part of several units including the Special Crimes Unit, White Collar, Juvenile, Criminal Child Division, Mental Health, both Civil and Criminal, Intake, and the Misdemeanor Divisions. I've gained extensive trial experience while I've been at the DA's office. I have 100-plus jury trials. So why County Court 6? When I was a misdemeanor I was assigned to County Court 6 for almost two years, just under. When I first came in the Veterans Treatment Court was just funded. It was up to us to shape the policies and procedures to ensure that the court ran smooth. We actually went to Buffalo, New York to observe the very first Veterans Treatment Court in the country and in many ways we modeled and shaped our Veterans Treatment Court after that court. I have a vested interest in County Court 6 and a vested interest in the Veterans Treatment Court. I want to ensure that they continue to run smooth and I want to improve them. Thank you very much for your time and your consideration. Have a great day. Hello, my name is Erica Dominguez and I'm running for County Court Number 6. There is no primary opponent on the Democratic side and this is an open bench. I was born and raised here in San Antonio, Texas. I attended McCullum High School on the south side of town. I graduated from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2014. I have been a public defender since 2015. I have handled over a thousand cases in this capacity from initial arrest at the Central Magistration to the close of their case. From pretrial to trials, I have jury trial experience, bench trial experience, as well as representing people while they are on probation. I have also been the defense attorney for the specialty courts here in the misdemeanor and mental health court, DWI court and drug court. I look forward to bringing that experience to the bench in County Court Number 6. I feel that I am the best candidate because I am also a veteran. I have served in the United States Air Force for almost eight years. I was a bomb loader and loaded the B-1 as well as the F-15. I have served in two operations, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. I do have service connected disabilities. I do know how to navigate through the VA health care system and I believe bringing that experience as well as a defense attorney experience, representing clients in court every single day, understanding their needs and being able to give them treatment in the specialty court is what I desire to do. I hope to bring transparency to this court, allow everyone to practice in this court, as well as establishing a uniform way of applying to the veteran's treatment courts for attorneys as well as their clients. I'm looking forward to being the next judge for County Court Number 6 and I need your vote. Thank you. County Court at Law Number 7, Judge, Republican, Adam Michael LaHood, Democrat, Melanie Lira, and Judge Michael De Leon. Hi, my name is Melanie Lira and I'm running for Judge of County Court Law Number 7. I have spent the last five and a half years serving this community here in San Antonio as both a criminal and immigration defense attorney. As an immigration attorney, I have served the needs of women who are fleeing their countries due to horrible gender-based violence, including domestic violence. As a criminal defense attorney, I served at the public defender's office for two and a half years while we piloted the trial division out of County Court 12. After that, I decided to branch out, spread my wings, and open up my own firm where I promised to dedicate 20 percent of my caseload to provono representation for the community. After COVID hit, I wind up serving the community with over 65 percent of my caseload dedicated to free representation in this community, both within criminal and immigration defense. I have trekked onto the felony wheel and the misdemeanor wheel. I have helped out colleagues with pedia letters, giving them advice on immigration consequences for both sides. I've continued to help my clients even after this by going on and providing them with social security applications, ID recoveries, and so on. I love what I do because I love the community. I do believe that for my humble roots and where I've come from and how I've lived my life, that I've modeled what it is to be a judge, to remain ethical, hardworking with integrity. I do believe that we do need a change and that I could be that change, and I'm hoping just to earn your support this coming election season and work the hardest that I've ever worked in my life, and that's after campaign season. So I really appreciate the time, the energy, the effort that you guys take to go through these videos and find your candidate that works best for you. So my name is Melanie Lita, and I hope to earn your support for Judge of County Court Law Number 7. Hello San Antonio Bar Association. My name is Judge Michael De Leon, and I'm your Judge of County Court at Law Number 7. County Court 7 is one of two domestic violence courts that we have here in Bear County, and today I want to tell you why I believe I should be reelected to this vital domestic violence court. I believe the citizens of Bear County deserve to know that a judge of a specialized domestic violence court has significant experience and training in handling domestic violence cases. Before I became a judge in 2018, I was a prosecutor with the district attorney's office for 17 years. 10 of those years I spent as a specialized felony domestic violence court prosecutor, I handled well over 1000 felony domestic violence cases, and I tried over 100 criminal jury trials, including domestic violence aggravated assaults, domestic violence murders, and capital murders. And in my first year in office, I was one of the most active jury trial court judges in the entire courthouse. Now I believe if you ask your colleagues on the criminal defense side or the prosecution side about Judge De Leon and his court, you're going to find that I have a reputation of being fair, knowledgeable, and experienced, especially when it comes to domestic violence. So I ask for your support and your vote in the Democratic primary, and you can always find out more about my candidacy and my court at www.judgede Leon.com. And I appreciate everybody's time in learning about the candidates and finding out their background and their significant experience to handle the various courts that they're running for. Thank you so much. County Court at Law Number Eight, Judge, Republican Ashley Foster, Democrat Judge Mary Roman and Lauren D. Zamora. Good evening, San Antonio Bar Association. My name is Lauren D. Zamora, and I'm running for judge of County Court at Law Number Eight. As a 30 plus year resident of Bear County, I want to give back to the community that has given so much to me, including access to a quality education. I graduated from Antonian College Preparatory, Trinity University, and St. Mary's School of Law. While I was waiting for my bar results, I went to Austin and served as a legislative aide for state representative and formal mayoral candidate Mike Villarreal. After passing the bar, I began my career as an assistant public defender in Laredo, Texas, representing adults charged with felony and misdemeanor offenses. After two years, I decided that I wanted to come home and open my own law practice. My primary area of practice was devoted to the criminal defense of adults and juveniles. In addition to criminal defense, I represented children as a guardian ad litem. After 14 years, I was given the opportunity to work at the Bear County District Attorney's Office. I wanted to see the courtroom from a different perspective. I am currently assigned to the conviction integrity unit, where I work solely on post-conviction cases. We work with innocence projects and law clinics from all over the United States to review and identify pretrial and trial errors that may have led to wrongful convictions. We have been able to help exonerate several individuals who have been wrongly convicted and imprisoned. I have tried dozens of felony and misdemeanor jury trials all around the state as a prosecutor and defense attorney. I believe I would bring a unique perspective to the bench. I have worked very hard to develop a solid reputation for fairness and integrity, with prosecutors, judges, clerks, bailiffs, and defendants. Additionally, I have never been disciplined by any grievance commission. I want to implement a specialty court based on the Humanity Court model, which aims at assisting individuals experiencing homelessness. I want to focus on identifying and treating the root causes that bring people into the criminal justice system so we can reduce recidivism. For these reasons, I believe I am the best candidate for Judge of County Court at Law Number Eight. I am respectfully asking for your support and your vote in the Democratic primary and in the general election. Thank you very much for this opportunity to address you and have a great rest of the evening. Good afternoon. My name is Judge Tommy Stolhansky and I'm here today to ask for your vote and your support as I seek a third term as Judge of County Court at Law Number Eleven. I want to share with you some of the highlights of my first two terms. In 2016, I provided new leadership to the Misdemeanor Adult Drug Court. In my six-plus years in that position, we have helped hundreds of participants overcome their addictions and find new lives through recovery. In 2018, we were recognized by the Texas Association of Specialty Courts as the outstanding specialty court for the entire state. I was instrumental in implementing and designing the 48-hour bond review hearings, one of the first of its kind in the state of Texas after the O'Donnell versus Harris County ruling. I have been recognized and nominated to serve on the Texas Center for the Judiciary's DWI Curriculum Committee and later, the General Curriculum Committee, and I currently serve as the Chair of that committee. The Curriculum Committee plans all of the conferences and education for all of the judges throughout the state of Texas. I've been a team player and stepped up to help with the family violence backlog. I agreed to have County Court 11 assigned to the rotation to receive these cases and recently was assigned more than 1,250 backlog family violence cases through an expedited impact docket. I was one of the first judges to move to Zoom when the pandemic began. Holding regular dockets on Zoom allowed us to move cases and keep the courtroom open. In 2020 and 2021, County Court 11 disposed of the most cases and did so at the lowest cost to you the taxpayer. It's been my honor to serve you as the Judge of County Court at Law Number 11 and regardless of your political leanings, I'm asking for your vote in November of 2022. Hello, my name is Erica Pena and I'm running for Judge of County Court at Law Number 11. A little bit of background about me. I'm born and raised here in San Antonio. I graduated from John Jay High School and after high school, I completed my undergraduate degree overseas with the University of Maryland Global Campus. After undergraduate, I came back to San Antonio and began working for Catholic Charities Guardianship Program where I did social work and also case management. I decided to then go to law school and I attended and graduated from St. Mary's School of Law. During law school, I worked for Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid and also for the Bear County Criminal District Court Administration. After graduating law school, I began my career as an attorney with the Bear County District Attorney's Office and I worked with the Bear County DA's Office for approximately six and a half years. After working as an ADA for six and a half years, I began working with the Criminal District Court Administration Office as a staff attorney to the Criminal District Court Judges. I am running for County Court at Law Number 11 because I've dedicated my career to public service and I've dedicated my entire career to bringing my knowledge, my skills and my experience to the community, to better the community that I'm from, the community that I live in and that I raise my family in on several different levels and I believe that at this point in my career, I can do that at one of the highest levels, which is to be Judge of County Court at Law Number 11 and I appreciate the opportunity to speak today. I appreciate you guys considering me as a candidate and listening to my story. Thank you. County Court at Law Number 12, Judge Republican Suzanne Kramer, Democrat Judge Yolanda Huff and Oscar Salinas. Good afternoon, supper members. I am Judge Yolanda Huff. I presided over County Court 12 and the Mental Health Court. I took the bench on January 1 of 2019 and one of the main things I did, one of my main missions after taking the bench was I noticed that there was just a lack of understanding about the judiciary and I just sat on this mission just to educate the community about the judiciary and what we do, the good programs that we have at the courthouse. I united all the 14 special courts and we formed the Bear County Special Courts Coalition and then we went on a series of seminars just educating the community about the special court. I also made the resource guide again just another tool of educating the community about the programs that we have at court. The Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health reached out to me last April and they invited me to be a commissioner and I felt really honored for that invite and Judge Nelson Wood also reached out to me. He had formed a task force on behavioral health and the judiciary and he actually asked me to chair the Justice Committee. I've been doing so many things in the Mental Health Court because again to me it's all about educating the community and the more you know. I've been an attorney for 25 years. I'm up for reelection. I really would like your support. If you have any questions, my door is always open and again I thank you guys for inviting me to this Judicial Forum. Thank you. Hi my name is Oscar Salinas. I am a first-generation college graduate, graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and I've been a prosecutor in three different jurisdictions. I've been a prosecutor in Williamson County, Denton County, and Bear County. That experience of being a prosecutor in different jurisdictions has allowed me to see how other criminal justice systems work in our state. As a prosecutor in Bear County I have had the opportunity to try a wide range of criminal cases ranging from thefts, DWIs, domestic violence cases, ag assaults, ag robberies, and child pornography cases. And for 18 months I was a misdemeanor court supervisor where I had the opportunity and privilege to train younger misdemeanor court prosecutors in plea negotiations and trial strategy and trial preparation. Currently I'm assigned to the public integrity and cyber crime unit. There we prosecute individuals who seek to exploit children online and we also prosecute law enforcement officers and public officials who are accused of criminal offenses. The reason why I'm running is that I believe that every misdemeanor court should have three primary goals in mind. The first is to run a docket efficiently and to not waste people's time. The second is to protect the community. I'm the father of two young children, a six-month-old and a three-year-old, and so I believe very strongly that one of the main functions of the criminal justice system is to protect the community and to make sure that everyone's rights are protected. The third reason is that we should deal and tackle the issues of recidivism. Those people that appear before us, misdemeanor court judges, if elected, if elected they appear before me, I would hope that I would provide them with the tools necessary to become the most productive members of society and to not commit more serious offenses in the future. Thank you for your time. I hope that I can have your support and I appreciate it. County Court at Law Number 13, Judge Republican Charles E. Gold, Democrat Michael Mike Villarreal, and Judge Rosie Speedling Gonzalez. Hello everyone, my name is Judge Rosie Speedling Gonzalez and I preside over Bear County Court at Law Number 13. Three years ago, you elected me to keep an oath to uphold the law, to treat all those who came before the court swiftly, justly, and fairly, and to reform and renew our county through restorative justice initiatives. I took the bench with an 11-year professional background in social services, 16 years experience as a solo practitioner attorney, and ended that career as a board certified child welfare law specialist. Once elected, we created a flash code that identifies defendants with a no firearms order entered against them. Within 24 hours of violations, we issue warrants for defendants who violate conditions of bond and protective orders. We direct probation officers to assist in identifying probation probationers who are in unlawful possession of guns. I co-authored Texas House Bill 3529, which created the newest specialty court in Bear County, the Fletcher Court, the first time offender program for defendants with a substance abuse problem. It provides wraparound trauma-informed drug treatment. Additionally, the innovative work done to establish the Fletcher Court is featured in Lessons Learned Lessons Offered, a brief that I co-authored that was published in the St. Mary's University, The Scholar Law Journal, and that innovative work has been recognized nationally and statewide. In December, I took part in an organized effort by judges and the DA's office to secure $3.3 million from commissioners' court to help process the growing number of family violence cases. Today, you have a choice, and that choice should be a seasoned incumbent, published, award-winning, recognized judge who has presided over 49 trials and who has performance statistics that rival that of county court judges prior to 2019 and prior to the COVID pandemic. The choice is clear. I strive for justice for all. I ask that you stand with me, and together we will build the county we all deserve. I will continue to work day in and day out for as long as you keep me here. I ask for your support. Thank you very much and have a wonderful day. Justice of the Peace, Precinct One, Place One, Democrat, Judge Robert Bobby Dehera, and Sylvia M. Ruiz. My name is Sylvia Ruiz Mendelsen, and I'm a candidate for Justice of the Peace, Precinct One, Place One. I have over 16 years of law office administration where I worked closely with my husband, a notable trial attorney, Les Mendelsen. I also worked with Commissioner Sergio Chico Rodriguez for seven and a half years as his community and constituent outreach coordinator. I worked also for Judge Ciro de Rodriguez as his justice court manager. Over 40 years of community service, which entailed sitting and being appointed to various boards and commissions, emergency service district number six, Alamo Workforce Development Council, and appointed and then elected to the Edwards Aquifer Authority. I believe that my experience and my qualification has prepared me for this position as the judge for Precinct One, Place One, and I feel that I can bring that experience and imply that to this office to streamline caseloads and to be able to provide the service that Precinct One deserves. I thank you for your time. I thank you for your consideration. Justice of the Peace, Precinct Three, Place One, Republican Dwayne Dwayne Weeks, Honorable Carla M. Riedel, Julie Bray Patterson, Joseph P. Appel, Democrat Paul Calamantes Jr. Howdy. My name is Carla Riedel and I'm running to be your next Justice of the Peace, Precinct Three. I grew up with parents who were public servants and they inspired me to have a career dedicated to public service. I have over 18 years of legal experience and I'm a proud graduate of Texas A&M University and St. Mary's University School of Law. I've lived here in Precinct Three for over 17 years and my husband and I are raising our two children here in Precinct Three. I am the only candidate in this race that has served full-time as an Associate Judge so I know what it takes to rule from the bench. I've served the State of Texas as an Assistant Attorney General and currently serve as an Assistant District Attorney here in Barrett County. I have handled and tried cases in the Justice of the Peace, County, and District Courts. I've been making tough decisions my entire career. The Justice of the Peace Court is an important court and I intend on running an efficient effective court and streamlining the online process. I've also been involved here in the community and organizations serving currently on boards and I'm currently the President-elect for the Rotary Club of San Antonio and was recently nominated and elected as a San Antonio Bar Foundation fellow for the Class of 2022. I want to continue my career of public service as your next Justice of the Peace, Precinct Three and I'm respectfully and humbly asking for your vote. Please vote, Carla Riedel for Justice of the Peace, Precinct Three. Hi fellow attorneys this is Julie Bray Patterson. I'm running for Justice of the Peace, Precinct Three. I'm running because I believe strongly believe there needs to be strong leaders at all levels of government. A bit about me. I'm from San Antonio. I went to MacArthur High School on to the University of Texas and graduated over 25 years ago from the University of Texas School of Law. Since then I have operated my own firm. I worked in the Dallas County DA's office and now I work for Bear County Criminal District Court Administration in the Elizondo Tower. What I do there and I help support the criminal district judges by helping out with research, by helping out with just brainstorming problems, by helping out with writing jury charges, writing orders and being available for them. I am involved in our community. I am the chairman of the board of Morningside Ministries. Morningside Ministries is a faith-based nonprofit organization dealing with assisted living nursing home care, memory care, and operates a budget of over 30 million dollars. I'm also in charge of the float drivers for the Battle of Flowers Parade. I just mentioned those to you all because I've been entrusted with some responsibility by other people in the community and now I'm asking you all to entrust me to be your next Justice of the Peace in Precinct Three. Just on a personal note I'm married to Jamie Patterson, a family law attorney who works at Brake Chapel Patterson Olson. I have two boys, sophomore McCoy in college and Mitchell who's a senior in high school and excited that they will both be in the same place next year at Washington and Lee University. Again, I'm Julie Brake Patterson and I respectfully ask for your vote. Howdy. I'm Joseph Appelt. I'm running for Justice of the Peace Precinct Three. San Antonio has been my home since 1974. I'm married to a beautiful wife who is truly my better half and together we have two great kids. Since graduating from St. Mary's Law School in 1994, I have opened and managed my own private law practice and over the last 28 years in counting now, I have tried the contracts cases, the landlord tenant cases, the eviction cases, the debt collection and small claims cases that this court hears every single day. In addition to my private practice for the last nine years in counting, I'm also a municipal court judge where I have managed and presided over class C misdemeanor dockets in excess of 100 cases just like this court does every single day. Folks experience matters and my unique combination of 28 years of private practice legal experience and nine years experience as a municipal court judge makes me the best qualified to serve you as your next Justice of the Peace for Precinct Three. I also have a plan to make this court work better for you and be more accessible to the people. I want to take one evening a week and one Saturday a month to hold an after-hours docket where we can hear class C misdemeanors so folks that are hourly wage employees don't miss work and lose money, they can come in and take care of their tickets. This frees up my clerks, our clerks from having to issue extra paperwork for warrants and extra charges and more importantly it frees up our law enforcement so they can spend their valuable time doing and focusing on more important issues like protecting our property and our very lives instead of being tied up with someone with a traffic warrant. I am Joseph Appelt, your next Justice of the Peace for Precinct Three. Justice of the Peace, Precinct Four, Place One. Good afternoon, my name is Michelle Garcia and I'm currently a candidate for the Justice of the Peace Precinct Four. I would like to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak today. A little bit of background about myself. I'm a graduate of our Lady of the Lake University with a degree in psychology and a minor in criminal justice. I have been employed at the Justice of the Peace for over 14 years and I'm certified both in civil and in misdemeanor cases through the Texas Court Justice Training Center. I made the decision to run for judge knowing that it would be a challenging one but I'm ready to accept that challenge. I'm enthusiastic about helping those in my community and I will always remember that every case has a person attached to it. The Justice Court is the people's court. If elected, I would like to provide the public with an experience that will allow them to trust in our judicial system. I have witnessed the frustration of those in our community who feel that the system has failed them simply because the court does not provide the proper resources. If elected, I would like to develop an innovative case management system that will allow for individual justice through efficiency and fairness. One of the programs that I am trying to initiate is to work side by side with legal aid to have legal representation on the premises during working hours to help constituents fill out forms and answer basic legal questions. A second program that I am trying to initiate is an after hours traffic docket. This will allow the constituents to attend court in the comfort of their own home due to COVID being such a huge factor in today's society. It will eliminate the face to face exposures. By doing this program, it will allow more people to attend court, deactivate warrants, and allow more constituents to obtain valid driver's license, which in turn will have less uninsured motorists on the road. Again, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak today. I hope I can count on your support and vote for some much needed changes at the JP level. Thank you. Thank you for watching this informational forum put on as a community service by the San Antonio Bar Association and now cast essay. And thank you to the candidates who participated. This forum is now adjourned.