Should Judicial Candidates Have Experience Before Becoming a Judge?

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Dane Johnson

Mark Bennett wrote about this a while back, but I just looked at the slate of judicial candidates for Harris County Democrats seeking a Misdemeanor Court bench for the 2010 election.  Who the hell are most of these judicial candidates?  I know I don't know everyone that has stepped foot in the criminal courthouse, but I am there just about every day.

I know most of prosecutors and most of the criminal defense lawyers either by name or face or both.  While there are some on the list that I know by either face or name, many I have never heard their names. 

The Harris County Criminal Courts at Law handle Class A and Class B Misdemeanors.  The majority of jury trials that these courts hear are Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) cases, Assaults and Possession of Marijuana cases.  Given that the majority of cases that are tried in these courts are DWIs, Assaults and Marijuana cases, is it too much to ask of these candidates that they have tried a few DWI, Assaults or Marijuana cases before running for the bench?

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