Progressives unseated all 59 GOP judges in Harris County (Houston, Dallas: legal, moving)

[jerbear30]

We should not force judges to have party affiliation. That seems pretty clear. Despite my reservations about the system and the process for electing judges, I am not going to say bad things about the new people coming in. That doesn't make sense. We don't know what they'll bring, and it may be good things. Predicting ruin in advance only makes it more likely.

Overall, I was just really surprised that both Emmett and Turner seemed to be the big Houston losers during this election cycle--Emmett losing to Hidalgo and Turner losing political capital on the firefighter proposition. Both Emmett and Turner did such a great job with Harvey--their work saved lives. I don't understand why that didn't stand out to voters less than two years after the fact. I also thought it was shady how so may republicans sided with the firefighters. They don't like unions, but they'll support one if it makes the mayor look bad? That was just ugly.

[marksmu]

Originally Posted by Mr. Clutch

Obama was on a ticket in 2006? Which one was that? It was a complete disaster you say? How so?

Sounds like a lot of conjecture to me. I think we'll be OK and the world will continue to turn.

2008 - Thanks for the correction. If you weren't involved in the courts you don't understand. Time to hear a case skyrocketed, number of times the judges were over-ruled on appeal exploded, juror dis-satisfaction was extremely high...basically the democrat judges failed to be effective at their jobs.

Originally Posted by Mr. Clutch

That's probably true. The governmental structure of counties in Texas is the real problem though. I can't think of anywhere else I've lived where county judges that most people know very little about have so much power. It's kind of a weird system.

Also, I forgot just how long Harris County ballots can be, after years of voting in Virginia and DC. No wonder voter participation is so low and straight ticket voting so popular in Texas - just educating yourself on all of the myriad candidates in all of the myriad races is a job in and of itself. Add propositions and you can forget about it - much easier just to vote straight ticket and go on about your business. Which is probably by design.

We can agree - party affiliation should not exist for judges - but if history repeats itself, we are in for judicial dysfunction.

The world will go on, but it will be less efficient, with more dis-satisfaction in the system.

[kemahkami]

Originally Posted by ipuck

This is the end folks.

[txdemo]

Originally Posted by marksmu

If you weren't involved in the courts you don't understand. Time to hear a case skyrocketed, number of times the judges were over-ruled on appeal exploded, juror dis-satisfaction was extremely high...basically the democrat judges failed to be effective at their jobs.

Do you have a source that you can point me to or is this anecdotal?

[cBach]

Originally Posted by txdemo

Do you have a source that you can point me to or is this anecdotal?

Trumpers never have any facts to back up their baseless claims.

[DabOnEm]

Originally Posted by timlot

Or there are just more democrats in Harris County than Republicans. Same thing happen in 2010 when republicans swept in with the tea party movement. No one was complaining about straight party ticket. Now its a problem.

There was definitely complaining back then. It's always been an issue.

[DejaBlue]

Originally Posted by txdemo

Judges shouldn't have party affiliation next to their names on the ballot. I think 99% of voters don't know a single thing about 99% of the judges.

I agree BUT take it to the highest court in the land. I don't believe Supreme Court judges should have a party affiliation either.

Judges should be neutral and no party should factor in. Voting or not by the public. The Senate has to "vote" on them and they vote based on party.

So until then, enjoy the Harris County all D court


Get your language right. You all agree that "judges" shouldn't have party affiliation but don't seem to have a problem with Supreme Court judges being choosen based on party.



D or R. Judges on any court in the US supreme, circut, local, all people barred and black robed calling themselves a "judge" should = neutral party.

[predatorprey]

Originally Posted by timlot

Or there are just more democrats in Harris County than Republicans. Same thing happen in 2010 when republicans swept in with the tea party movement. No one was complaining about straight party ticket. Now its a problem.

Not necessarily. Only means more democrats vote straight tickets than republican. This is a well known fact. This affects down ballot judges and such.

http://https://www.texastribune.org/...icket-ballots/

“Two-thirds of the votes in the state’s two biggest counties — Harris and Dallas — were straight-ticket votes. In Harris County, Democratic straight tickets accounted for 35.3 percent of the overall vote, while in Dallas, straight-ticket Democrats cast 41.3 percent of the overall vote. Republican straight tickets were 30 percent of the total in Harris and 23.8 percent in Dallas. “

[marksmu]

Originally Posted by txdemo

Do you have a source that you can point me to or is this anecdotal?

There is a houston case monitor website - you can find it if you look. It gives the reversal rates of all Harris county Judges, there is a way to search backwards as well. You will need to look up who was voted into the courts and 2008, and out shortly thereafter. The state also tracks reversal rates of district court judges.
Im not sure if you can find municipal or justice court judge information...they may be too small. There is a plethora of information for you.

There is no news short, quick, pretty new article that sums it pretty for you. You have to be involved in the legal system to have been keenly aware...As an attorney, married to an attorney, with many attorney friends, I am keenly aware of the status of our courts. Things got much better once we got most of the Obama wave out and replaced them with competent people.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by predatorprey

Not necessarily. Only means more democrats vote straight tickets than republican. This is a well known fact. This affects down ballot judges and such.

http://https://www.texastribune.org/...icket-ballots/

“Two-thirds of the votes in the state’s two biggest counties — Harris and Dallas — were straight-ticket votes. In Harris County, Democratic straight tickets accounted for 35.3 percent of the overall vote, while in Dallas, straight-ticket Democrats cast 41.3 percent of the overall vote. Republican straight tickets were 30 percent of the total in Harris and 23.8 percent in Dallas. “

Sorry, this year was different in terms of Democratic straight ticket voting. I really doubt if it happened much prior to this. Republicans voted more straight party in other years, I suspect.