I’ve said it a hundred times: education is key. Know your candidates and be an educated voter. But also know the roles of those you are electing.
Judges are here to follow the law, be fair and impartial, and provide an equal playing field for those appearing in their court. They are not here to be “tough on crime”. They are not here to “protect our community”. They are not here to “be like prosecutors”.
Watch out for those candidates and current officials who confuse their role. This does our system a disservice and works against the very foundation of our courts.
The Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association addressed this issue today in a Chronicle op-ed you should read. I’m proud to have been a part of speaking out against an unfair judiciary.
Certainly we have good judges and good candidates, but you must educate yourself to know which ones they are!