Carlos Cortez
Carlos Cortez was a judge for the 44th District Court in Dallas County, Texas.[1] He was first elected to the bench in 2006.[2]
Cortez ran for re-election to the court in 2014 but was defeated in the March 4 primary.[3][4]
Education
Cortez earned an undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas and was awarded a J.D. from Texas A&M University School of Law.[5]
Career
- 2006-2014: Judge, Texas District 44
- 1996-2006: Attorney in private practice [6]
Elections
2014
See also: Texas judicial elections, 2014
Cortez ran for re-election to the 44th District Court.
Primary: He was defeated in the Democratic primary on March 4, 2014, receiving 34.1 percent of the vote. He competed against Bonnie Lee Goldstein.
[3][7][4]
2010
Cortez was re-elected to the 44th District Court. He defeated Republican Gene Roberts in the general election, winning 50.37 percent of the vote.[8]
Noteworthy events
Judge arrested (2013)
Cortez was arrested on December 28, on suspicion of assault and family violence. Dallas police were reportedly called at 2 a.m. to the high-rise condominium building where Cortez lived with his girlfriend Maggie Strother and her son. Cortez was released on bond.[9][10] The grand jury reportedly took up the case against Cortez on February 20, 2014. It declined to return an indictment.[11]
| “ | I am just glad that this hasn’t affected my abilities to perform my duties as a judge.[12] | ” |
| —Judge Carlos Cortez[13] | ||
Court records ordered unsealed (2014)
Court records related to a defamation suit filed by Cortez in 2010 against his former attorney, Coyt Randal Johnston, were ordered unsealed and open to the public by the Texarkana's Sixth Court of Appeals. Johnston filed a number of documents detailing Cortez's alleged criminal behavior during the 2010 litigation. The documents filed on the Dallas County court's website, contains sworn testimony from two women, one who claims that Cortez sexually assaulted her when she was child and the other alleging that she was given money by Cortez in order to purchase cocaine. Cortez was arrested on the sexual assault charges in 1999 but was never prosecuted.[14][15]
See also
External links
- Dallas County, Texas website
- myfoxdfw.com, "Judge Carlos Cortez loses to primary challenger," March 4, 2014
- Dallas News, "Judge Carlos Cortez not indicted; he blasts Dallas police," February 20, 2014
Footnotes
- ↑ Dallas County, Texas, "44th District"
- ↑ Dallas News, "Dallas district judge arrested on assault charge, police report says," December 28, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (A-L)"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dallas County Board of Elections, "Democratic Party Primary Election March 4, 2014," March 11, 2014
- ↑ Facebook, "Judge Carlos Cortez, About," accessed December 31, 2013
- ↑ Dallas County, Texas, "44th Judicial District Court, Hon. Carlos R. Cortez," accessed December 31, 2013
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (M-Z)" (Search "Dallas")
- ↑ Dallas County Board of Elections, "Unofficial Election Results"
- ↑ Dallas Observer, "DALLAS JUDGE CARLOS CORTEZ ACCUSED OF STRANGLING HIS GIRLFRIEND SAYS HE WAS ACTUALLY SAVING HER LIFE," December 30, 2013
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "State District Judge Carlos Cortez arrested on assault charge at his Dallas apartment," December 28, 2013
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Judge Carlos Cortez not indicted; he blasts Dallas police," February 20, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Judge Carlos Cortez not indicted; he blasts Dallas police," February 20, 2014
- ↑ Texas Lawyer.com, "Shocking Statements Unsealed in Judge Carlos Cortez Dispute," April 17, 2014
- ↑ Dallas Culture Map.com, "Judge Carlos Cortez loses battle to keep allegations of drugs and prostitutes private," April 16, 2014
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas
State courts:
Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts
State resources:
Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas
