Brad Hart will be sworn in tomorrow as Judge of the 230th District Court by Judge Marc Brown. He asked me to let everyone know that his formal swearing in will take place at his ceremonial Investiture in the near future.
Tomorrow's event will be so he can begin his duties as judge immediately and the Investiture will be when the friends and supporters are all invited to attend.
Brad is very touched and honored by the support and well wishes he has gotten this week and didn't want anyone to think that they missed out on his Investiture when they see him on the Bench tomorrow morning.
I'll be posting the details on his Investiture (as well as for all the new judges) as they become available to me.
Showing posts with label Brad Hart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brad Hart. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
Brad Hart appointed to the 230th Bench
I was beyond ecstatic to hear this afternoon that my good friend and 1st Chief at the D.A.'s Office Brad Hart was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the 230th District Court Bench. Brad will be replacing Judge Belinda Hill who is going to the Harris County District Attorney's Office to be 1st Assistant under Mike Anderson.
I think we may have a new definition of a win-win situation here.
As I noted in my earlier post about Judge Hill, I think she was an amazing jurist and I'm sorry to see her go. However, the leadership that she will provide to the District Attorney's Office make that loss worthwhile. Having Brad take her place on the bench will help ease that transition, as well.
Brad was the best choice for the bench, in my humble opinion. He is regarded by his fellow prosecutors as well the Defense Bar for having the highest integrity, intelligence and compassion. I don't say it lightly when I predict that in the future he will be considered one of the best judges to ever take the bench.
The road to the bench has been a long one for Brad and I'm so happy that he got there today. Governor Perry made an outstanding decision today.
The tentative plan is for a swearing in on Friday. I will keep you posted on the details.
I think we may have a new definition of a win-win situation here.
As I noted in my earlier post about Judge Hill, I think she was an amazing jurist and I'm sorry to see her go. However, the leadership that she will provide to the District Attorney's Office make that loss worthwhile. Having Brad take her place on the bench will help ease that transition, as well.
Brad was the best choice for the bench, in my humble opinion. He is regarded by his fellow prosecutors as well the Defense Bar for having the highest integrity, intelligence and compassion. I don't say it lightly when I predict that in the future he will be considered one of the best judges to ever take the bench.
The road to the bench has been a long one for Brad and I'm so happy that he got there today. Governor Perry made an outstanding decision today.
The tentative plan is for a swearing in on Friday. I will keep you posted on the details.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Brad Hart and the 248th Appointment
As I noted in my election recap last Wednesday, one of the worst kept secrets in the CJC at the moment is that Judge Joan Campbell is planning on retiring from the 248th District Court bench no later than the end of the year. Obviously, her retirement from the Bench necessitates that Governor Perry appoint a replacement.
The field of candidates that the Governor will select from depends on who puts in to be considered. As of this morning, I understand that Brad Hart and Robert Summerlin have publicly stated they are going to put in for the 248th. An e-mail that Roger Bridgwater sent to his fellow judicial candidates seemed to indicate that he would be putting in for it (and if you read between the lines, Roger seems to think he'll be getting the appointment easily).
Others may put in for it, as well; however, the three Republican candidates who ran in the 2012 election are probably the most prime candidates. If I hear of others putting in their names, I'll let you know.
Of the three potential candidates now, here are my thoughts:
Roger Bridgwater
Bridgwater is the former Judge of the 178th District Court, where he was appointed by Governor Perry prior to the 2008 election. As we all know, the 2008 election did not go well for him, and he lost his bench to Judge David Mendoza that November.
As a close personal friend of Pat Lykos, Bridgwater was hired as a Bureau Chief at the District Attorney's Office, where he proceeded to heavily damage his reputation with those who had known him previously. He was notorious as the architect of the controversial (and not-so-legal) DIVERT program, and he alienated his co-workers with an ill-advised confrontation with highly-respected Bureau Chief Donna Goode.
ANALYSIS: If part of the Republican mantra is that we don't like Judges who legislate from the Bench, then Bridgwater has got a lot of explaining to do about his DIVERT program. Although the program was popular with members of the Defense Bar, it basically gave first time DWI offenders a chance for a "do over." That can't sit well with Governor Perry, who is going to want a candidate that follows Republican ideals and hasn't done anything that has ticked off Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Additionally, his inexcusable attack on Donna Goode showed a lack of judicial temperament that should leave all attorneys hiding under their desks. He abused his power in accusing her of insubordination and he did everything in his power to ruin her distinguished career at the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Fortunately, Donna landed in a better place as First Assistant in Galveston County.
Also, I'm sure Governor Perry noticed that Bridgwater lost his election by 25,623 votes in 2012. I believe that is the largest margin of defeat by any of the Republican Judicial candidates.
Roger Bridgwater doesn't appear to be electable -- and with good reason.
Robert Summerlin
Summerlin is a former prosecutor who started at the D.A.'s Office when I did. As I've mentioned before we were once pretty good friends. He left the Office shortly after becoming a Felony Two and went into private practice for a few civil firms. He reappeared in the criminal realm a couple of years ago (as a defense attorney) and then almost immediately announced his candidacy for judge. He has close ties to Jared Woodfill who unsuccessfully pushed forward Summerlin's candidacy. He lost to incumbent Ruben Guerrero by 8,919 votes.
ANALYSIS: Summerlin can correctly point out that of the three candidates listed here, he had the most votes in the General Election. However, that isn't saying much when you take into account the fact that his opponent wasn't all that popular to begin with. If you couple that with the fact that all of the Jared Woodfill/Gary Polland-supported candidates faired extremely poorly in the criminal races, Summerlin's political influence tends to diminish. From a practical standpoint, Summerlin never tried any serious cases as a prosecutor nor as a defense attorney that would give him the experience to be a Criminal District Court Judge. His recent return to the Criminal Law realm seems like a disingenuous attempt to merely gain some minor credentials before becoming a judge. Additionally, his demeanor as a prosecutor did not go over well with many of his female peers, who greatly question his potential judicial temperament.
Brad Hart
Brad Hart is a Felony District Court Chief prosecutor who is currently assigned to the elite Special Crimes Bureau of the District Attorney's Office. Many moons ago, he actually served as one of my (and Robert Summerlin's) first supervising chiefs. He has the well earned reputation of a prosecutor with the highest integrity and intelligence. He was supported by not just prosecutors, but defense attorneys as well during his run for the 339th District Court. He is known for his calm demeanor, open and fair-mindedness, and solid judgment by everyone he deals with. He is a loyal member of the Republican Party who worked hard to do everything he could for the party during the 2012 races.
ANALYSIS: Hart's loss to incumbent Judge Maria Jackson was devastating to his friends, family and supporters who knew what an outstanding judge he would make. It was also stunning. His hard work and devotion to his campaign had helped so many other Republican candidates who were running alongside him. Unfortunately, Judge Jackson's groundswell of support from her days as a Municipal Court judge in Houston brought an unanticipated result in the General Election. None of that reflects poorly on Hart.
While Bridgwater and Summerlin bring a significant amount of baggage to the table, Hart has nothing short of a sterling reputation. Based on qualifications alone, he should be the clear choice for the appointment. Additionally, he is an active and tireless campaigner who would work hard to make the Republican Party better in every way possible.
Brad Hart is the best choice for the appointment. He needs to be a Judge. The Criminal Justice System needs him to be a Judge.
If you would like to have your voice heard on the appointment process, take a few minutes out of your day and write an actual letter referencing the 248th District Court Judge Appointment. You can send it to:
Governor Rick Perry
Appointments Staff
1100 San Jacinto
Austin, Texas 78701
The field of candidates that the Governor will select from depends on who puts in to be considered. As of this morning, I understand that Brad Hart and Robert Summerlin have publicly stated they are going to put in for the 248th. An e-mail that Roger Bridgwater sent to his fellow judicial candidates seemed to indicate that he would be putting in for it (and if you read between the lines, Roger seems to think he'll be getting the appointment easily).
Others may put in for it, as well; however, the three Republican candidates who ran in the 2012 election are probably the most prime candidates. If I hear of others putting in their names, I'll let you know.
Of the three potential candidates now, here are my thoughts:
Roger Bridgwater
Bridgwater is the former Judge of the 178th District Court, where he was appointed by Governor Perry prior to the 2008 election. As we all know, the 2008 election did not go well for him, and he lost his bench to Judge David Mendoza that November.
As a close personal friend of Pat Lykos, Bridgwater was hired as a Bureau Chief at the District Attorney's Office, where he proceeded to heavily damage his reputation with those who had known him previously. He was notorious as the architect of the controversial (and not-so-legal) DIVERT program, and he alienated his co-workers with an ill-advised confrontation with highly-respected Bureau Chief Donna Goode.
ANALYSIS: If part of the Republican mantra is that we don't like Judges who legislate from the Bench, then Bridgwater has got a lot of explaining to do about his DIVERT program. Although the program was popular with members of the Defense Bar, it basically gave first time DWI offenders a chance for a "do over." That can't sit well with Governor Perry, who is going to want a candidate that follows Republican ideals and hasn't done anything that has ticked off Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Additionally, his inexcusable attack on Donna Goode showed a lack of judicial temperament that should leave all attorneys hiding under their desks. He abused his power in accusing her of insubordination and he did everything in his power to ruin her distinguished career at the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Fortunately, Donna landed in a better place as First Assistant in Galveston County.
Also, I'm sure Governor Perry noticed that Bridgwater lost his election by 25,623 votes in 2012. I believe that is the largest margin of defeat by any of the Republican Judicial candidates.
Roger Bridgwater doesn't appear to be electable -- and with good reason.
Robert Summerlin
Summerlin is a former prosecutor who started at the D.A.'s Office when I did. As I've mentioned before we were once pretty good friends. He left the Office shortly after becoming a Felony Two and went into private practice for a few civil firms. He reappeared in the criminal realm a couple of years ago (as a defense attorney) and then almost immediately announced his candidacy for judge. He has close ties to Jared Woodfill who unsuccessfully pushed forward Summerlin's candidacy. He lost to incumbent Ruben Guerrero by 8,919 votes.
ANALYSIS: Summerlin can correctly point out that of the three candidates listed here, he had the most votes in the General Election. However, that isn't saying much when you take into account the fact that his opponent wasn't all that popular to begin with. If you couple that with the fact that all of the Jared Woodfill/Gary Polland-supported candidates faired extremely poorly in the criminal races, Summerlin's political influence tends to diminish. From a practical standpoint, Summerlin never tried any serious cases as a prosecutor nor as a defense attorney that would give him the experience to be a Criminal District Court Judge. His recent return to the Criminal Law realm seems like a disingenuous attempt to merely gain some minor credentials before becoming a judge. Additionally, his demeanor as a prosecutor did not go over well with many of his female peers, who greatly question his potential judicial temperament.
Brad Hart
Brad Hart is a Felony District Court Chief prosecutor who is currently assigned to the elite Special Crimes Bureau of the District Attorney's Office. Many moons ago, he actually served as one of my (and Robert Summerlin's) first supervising chiefs. He has the well earned reputation of a prosecutor with the highest integrity and intelligence. He was supported by not just prosecutors, but defense attorneys as well during his run for the 339th District Court. He is known for his calm demeanor, open and fair-mindedness, and solid judgment by everyone he deals with. He is a loyal member of the Republican Party who worked hard to do everything he could for the party during the 2012 races.
ANALYSIS: Hart's loss to incumbent Judge Maria Jackson was devastating to his friends, family and supporters who knew what an outstanding judge he would make. It was also stunning. His hard work and devotion to his campaign had helped so many other Republican candidates who were running alongside him. Unfortunately, Judge Jackson's groundswell of support from her days as a Municipal Court judge in Houston brought an unanticipated result in the General Election. None of that reflects poorly on Hart.
While Bridgwater and Summerlin bring a significant amount of baggage to the table, Hart has nothing short of a sterling reputation. Based on qualifications alone, he should be the clear choice for the appointment. Additionally, he is an active and tireless campaigner who would work hard to make the Republican Party better in every way possible.
Brad Hart is the best choice for the appointment. He needs to be a Judge. The Criminal Justice System needs him to be a Judge.
If you would like to have your voice heard on the appointment process, take a few minutes out of your day and write an actual letter referencing the 248th District Court Judge Appointment. You can send it to:
Governor Rick Perry
Appointments Staff
1100 San Jacinto
Austin, Texas 78701
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