The 2026 Primary Recommendations

Tuesday, February 17th is the beginning of Early Voting in Texas for the March 3rd Primaries.

In the Republican Primary, there are not any judicial races that are contested at the District or County Courts, so there isn't much to write about there.  I will note that in the Texas Attorney General's Race that former-District Court Judge and current State Senator Joan Huffman is running against three other candidates.  I'm not a huge fan of Joan Huffman, but in a field where the other three candidates seem to be running on the platform of who can suck up to Donald Trump the most effectively rather actually following the job description of Attorney General, she seems to be the better choice.

There are not an overabundance of contested primaries on the Democratic side of things that affect the Harris County Criminal Justice Center world, but there are some extremely important ones that deserve your attention.  I have been very glad to see that a lot of my colleagues have already shared their recommendations on Facebook and other social media.  I hope that you will help spread the word on these recommendations, as well.  I also agree with the Houston Chronicle's recommendations in these races.

Those contested races are:

183rd District Court -- Katie Wilson vs. Julia Maldonado

As anyone who follows this blog knows, I'm a big fan of criminal benches being held by people with experience in the Criminal Justice World.  As far as I'm concerned, the more familiarity with criminal law one has, the more qualified they are.  In this instance, Julia Maldonado does have some familiarity with criminal law from earlier in her practice, but she's been away from it for quite some time.  Maldonado was actually a family court judge for quite some time and now her practice seems to focused on family law, as well.

By contrast, Katie Wilson is immersed in the practice of criminal law and always has been.  Her resume shows that she is a former prosecutor and has been practicing criminal defense for many years now.  Not only does her devotion to criminal law make her the more qualified candidate for this primary, the fact that she has worked as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney give her the balance that we hope to see on all criminal benches.  

Although I don't have anything negative to say about Julia Maldonado, the clear choice on this is Katie Wilson.

Recommendation:  Katie Wilson

209th District Court -- Judge Brian Warren (I) vs. Robert Johnson vs. Ysidra "Sissy" Kyles

There has been a lot of courthouse conversation about this particular race due to the fact that Incumbent Judge Brian Warren is so well-liked and respected by both prosecutors and defense attorneys that it defies logic that he would draw any opponents, let alone two of them.  Judge Warren has distinguished himself as a judge who calls balls and strikes with impartiality, compassion, and adherence to the law.  In a world where lawyers tend to gripe about judges, you don't hear criticisms of Judge Warren.  No one who practices in the CJC can articulate any reason why they wouldn't want to see him continuing as Judge of the 209th.

By contrast, his first challenger, Robert Johnson, was widely regarded as the second worst judge in the courthouse during his all-too-lengthy tenure as Judge of the 177th.  The actual worst judge was Ramona Franklin, but we will talk about her a little later,.  During his time on the bench, Robert Johnson was known for a lack of knowledge in the law, inconsistency in his rulings and policies, and a level of animosity towards those who came before him.  In short, he was a terror on the bench.  He had high turnover rates in his court staff and it was generally just an unpleasant place to be.  Most attorneys that I know who practice indigent defense, refused to take appointments in his court based on his terrible demeanor.  The fact that he feels the need to run for judge again after being rejected by the voters in the last election speaks only to his unmitigated arrogance.  He does not belong on the bench.

I do not know Sissy Kyles personally, but I do believe that she practices criminal defense.  I don't have anything negative to say about her.  My recommendation of Judge Brian Warren is based on the positive things I believe about him.  He's been great on the bench and I believe he will continue to be great on the bench.

Recommendation:  Judge Brian Warren

232nd District Court -- Judge Josh Hill (I) vs. Roderick Deon Rodgers

Like the race for the 209th, the fact that the 232nd is a contested primary is also confusing for those of us routinely practice in the criminal courts.  Judge Josh Hill is also a highly respected and well-liked judge that both sides of the courtroom feel very strongly about.  He is Board Certified in Criminal Law and does his own legal research on complex legal issues that come before him.  He is not afraid of making unpopular decisions if the law demands it, but he is also a kind and compassionate judge.  Those who practice in front of him enjoy being in his courtroom because they know that he works hard to make sure that the right and just outcome happens on all cases before him.

His challenger, Roderick Deon Rodgers, is a prosecutor from Fort Bend who is married to former judge Ramona Franklin.  Normally, I don't believe in guilt by association, but in this case, I will make an exception.  Although I'm going to discuss Ramona Franklin's candidacy here in a second, it is worth noting Rodgers' suspected involvement in the "Federal Judgeship Hoax" that went on following his wife's primary defeat in 2024.  For more on that, please read the Houston Chronicle's Nicole Hensley's outstanding article here.  If one were to give Mr. Rodgers the benefit of the doubt and presume he didn't have any role in that ridiculous scam, he still does not hold a candle (inside joke here) to Judge Josh Hill in terms of qualifications.

Recommendation:  Judge Josh Hill

496th District Court -- Michael Abner vs. Ramona Franklin

Perhaps the nicest thing that can be said about former 338th District Court Judge Ramona Franklin is that she makes Robert Johnson seem slightly less bad.  That's not really a complement to Robert Johnson as much as it is a testament to what a terrible judge Ramona Franklin was.  Again, I highly recommend that anyone who is even slightly on the fence about who to vote for in this race, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read Nicole Hensley's article.  I'll even post another link to it here, because it is so important.  You can also go back and read this post that I did on one of her many violations of Constitutional Rights during the pandemic.

Franklin's tenure during her time on the bench can best be described as "if you don't understand the Constitution, then screw over the accused."  Her rulings included such hits as preventing lawyers from being in court alongside their clients, banning media coverage in her court, raising bonds for no reason other than she felt like it for people already out on bond, and finding no harm in an attorney failing to do an appeal for a convicted client where the attorney had a duty to do so.  During the pandemic, there were rumors (never confirmed) that she wasn't even in the courthouse when presiding over docket (although she claimed to be Zooming in from her chambers).  Franklin and her husband have a side business of making candles.  They should both stick to that rather than being in charge of safety of the community and the rights of those who come before them.

By contrast, Franklin's opponent, Michael Abner is a very well-liked prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney's Office.  I have known Michael since he first started at the Office and have always found him to be a fair and honorable prosecutor.  He is compassionate when he is able to be on the cases that he has prosecuted and he has always been willing to patiently listen to and review any type of evidence or argument coming from the defense.  I believe that he would make a great judge regardless of who he was running against, but in this instance, recommending him is a No Brainer.

Recommendation:  Michael Abner

County Court at Law # 7 - Judge Andrew Wright (I) vs. Rustin Foroutan vs. Jorge Garcia Diaz

I found the write up in the Houston Chronicle endorsement of Judge Andrew Wright to be eerily similar to my feelings about this particular race.  Judge Wright is a friend of mine and he's a good person.  But the Chronicle indicated that they believe his personality is what caused him to draw two primary opponents in this race, and I kind of get where they are coming from.  Judge Wright has proven himself to be a very independent thinker on the bench and that is a positive quality.  Early on in his career, he held prosecutors in contempt for failing to turn over discovery in a timely manner which was a bold and long overdue move at the time.  But there have also been complaints over his rigidity in his policies that have seemed so unnecessary to many of us and he hasn't always been receptive to listening to arguments against those policies.  It makes me sad, because (1) he's my friend; and (2) because I know he has the intellect and intestinal fortitude to be better than that.

I don't know Mr. Foroutan personally and I only know Mr. Diaz in passing.  I have nothing negative to say about them at all.  I do still believe that Judge Wright is a compassionate and intelligent judge who does a good job and I will be voting for him (although he will probably be unhappy with me for this blog post).

Recommendation:  Andrew Wright

County Court at Law # 14 - James Hu vs. Yahaira Quezada

This is a strange one for me, because I literally do not know either candidate at all.  I read the Chronicle's endorsement of James Hu, who is a Harris County Assistant District Attorney and I found their reasoning solid.  But, I think Ms. Quezada's qualifications are also solid and her background is impressive.  

However, due to my lack of familiarity with both candidates, I don't feel comfortable making a recommendation on this race.  They both seem like good candidates.

313th District Court -- Judge Leah Shapiro (I) vs. Gloria Sanchez Glover

As I've noted before, I don't practice much Juvenile Law.  Quite frankly, the only candidate that I know in the Juvenile Justice World is Incumbent Judge Leah Shapiro.

But, I would vote for Judge Shapiro for any bench she chose to run for because she is so strongly qualified to be a judge.  I've known her since she was a young prosecutor at the District Attorney's Office and I have always admired her devotion to the pursuit of justice.  The few times I have had dealings with her on a professional level since she became a judge have been on Juvenile Certifications that ended up being my clients.  It has always amazed me that Judge Shapiro can recall everything about those cases when we have had the occasion to discuss them after they are long disposed of.  That's a strong indicator of how much Judge Shapiro cares about the cases she handles.  She is no nonsense and follows the law in a very tough arena.    

I don't know anything about her opposition, but I can't imagine anyone being better at the job than Judge Leah Shapiro.

Recommendation:  Judge Leah Shapiro

And finally . . . 

Harris County District Clerk:  Desiree Broadnax

My friend for over twenty years (and one of the best people I know), Desiree Broadnax is running in a very wide field for Harris County District Clerk.  When I was a prosecutor, Desiree ran the intake division like a champ.  She has the knowledge of the inner working of the District Clerk's Office and would be a great District Clerk.

Chief Justice, 14th Court of Appeals:  Sara Beth Landau

Former Justice Sarah Beth "Sorcha" Landau is running for this bench.  I don't do appellate work but I am familiar with rulings she made during her previous tenure on the Court of Appeals.  I recommend a vote for her.

Justice, 14th Court of Appeals - Place 7:  William Demond

Although I only know William Demond in passing, I am familiar with his work as an appellate attorney in the criminal law arena.  I believe that his qualifications will be very much put to good use and are needed at the 14th Court of Appeals.

So, that's a wrap on this year's primary recommendations.  Please feel free to share this list (or any other list that you agree with) with friends and family members.  I don't have to tell you that the general public has a lack of familiarity with what we do down at the CJC so the more people are informed, the better.

Whatever you do, just make sure to vote!