Accomplishments

Created a diversion program to take marijuana cases out of the criminal court system in Travis County

Created a Driving While License Invalid Diversion Program to remove those cases from the criminal court system and help indigent litigants

Presided over the nation’s first criminal (traffic ticket) jury trial by videoconference

Implemented eviction protects and moratoriums from the beginning of the pandemic throughout all of Travis County to help mitigate the public’s risk to COVID-19 and its economic consequences

Expanded Travis County’s cite and release program, a program that JP5 administers, so more people are not being arrested and sent to jail for low priority non-violent misdemeanor offenses. 

Became a statewide leader regarding best practices with self-represented litigants, teaching a course required for continuing legal education to JPs in Texas in 2019-2020

Became a national leader regarding courts and virtual proceedings, speaking at several classes, forums, and webinars regarding virtual court proceedings during the pandemic.

Instituted a program with the non-profit, Texas Poverty Law Project, and other non-profit legal programs, to provide lawyers to all indigent litigants facing a class C misdemeanor case or eviction case. The first program of its kind in Travis County for justice courts. 

Became a state leader in the judicial systems response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including chairing the Texas Supreme Court’s COVID-19 Response Task Force for Justice Courts and ordering ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the courts that have been modeled throughout Texas.