Crystal Chandler
Crystal Chandler (Republican Party) was a judge for Number 13 of the Bexar County Court of Law in Texas. She left office in 2018.
Chandler (Republican Party) ran for re-election for the Number 13 judge of the Bexar County Court of Law in Texas. She lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Chandler completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Bexar County Court at Law No. 13
Rosie Gonzalez defeated incumbent Crystal Chandler in the general election for Bexar County Court at Law No. 13 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rosie Gonzalez (D)  | 56.8 | 303,018 |
 | Crystal Chandler (R) | 43.2 | 230,769 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 3 | ||
| Total votes: 533,790 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Bexar County Court at Law No. 13
Rosie Gonzalez advanced from the Democratic primary for Bexar County Court at Law No. 13 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rosie Gonzalez | 100.0 | 69,505 |
| Total votes: 69,505 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Bexar County Court at Law No. 13
Incumbent Crystal Chandler advanced from the Republican primary for Bexar County Court at Law No. 13 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Crystal Chandler | 100.0 | 49,986 |
| Total votes: 49,986 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2014
See also: Texas judicial elections, 2014
Chandler ran for election to the Bexar County Court at Law No. 13.
Primary: She was successful in the Republican primary on March 4, 2014, receiving 41.8 percent of the vote. She competed against Eric DeWalt and Joe Hoelscher.
Runoff: Because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, Chandler faced Hoelscher in a runoff election on May 27, 2014. Chandler won, earning 54.7 percent of the vote.
General: She defeated Rosa Maria Gonzalez in the general election on November 4, 2014, receiving 52.8 percent of the vote.
[1][2]
Education
Chandler received her undergraduate degree from Incarnate Word College. She then earned her J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law in 1997.[3]
Career
Chandler's professional experience includes working as a briefing attorney at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for two years and as a prosecutor with the Bexar County Assistant Criminal District Attorney’s Office for 15 years.[4]
Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
Judges of the county courts are elected in partisan elections by the county they serve and serve four-year terms, with vacancies filled by a vote of the county commissioners.[5]
Qualifications
To serve on a county court, a judge must:[5]
- be at least 25 years old;
- be a resident of his or her respective county for at least two years; and
- have practiced law or served as a judge for at least four years preceding the election.
Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Crystal Chandler completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Chandler's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1. Ensuring the safety of our community. 2. Breaking the cycle of domestic violence. 3. Administering justice fairly and with integrity.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Throughout my 20 years of experience in criminal law, I've seen far too many members of our community silenced by fear, dependency and domestic violence. I have dedicated my career to making home a safe place for every member of every family. As judge of CC13, I have implemented two innovative initiatives to address the complex issues involved and stop the cycle of violence.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Domestic violence isn't a partisan issue. It is a complex criminal matter that requires the judge to be knowledgeable about the unique laws that apply and to have significant criminal law experience handling these serious cases. My opponent is primarily a civil law attorney who has run many times for election and has almost no criminal domestic violence jury trial experience. Bexar County deserves a judge who is recognized as an expert in criminal domestic violence and has a proven track record in this specialized field.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I have dedicated my career to serving our community. After putting myself through law school, I served as a judicial briefing attorney for Texas' highest criminal court in Austin. I then spent 15 years prosecuting high stakes, special crime cases at the Bexar County District Attorney's Office that included crimes relating to child abuse, sex crimes against children and adults, and felony domestic violence, including capital murder. Since being elected Judge of CC13, I have handled more than 8,000 family violence cases, initiated new policies to increase victim safety and ensure police access to court orders of protection, ensured compliance with firearm surrender in violent cases, and created two innovative initiatives designed to address issues such as substance abuse and mental health and to break the cycle of violence.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
CC13 is a misdemeanor court dedicated to criminal domestic violence cases. Domestic violence is intentional behavior that is about power and control. Changing batterer behavior requires changing attitudes and beliefs, while also addressing other contributing factors like substance abuse and mental illness. As judge, I have implemented two initiatives to help offenders break the cycle of violence and as I have done, I continue to educate the public on the subject. Understanding the complex nature of domestic violence cases is critical to reduce recidivism.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I work hard on a daily basis to positively impact the people with whom I come into contact, not just through the initiatives that I have implement in my capacity as Judge of CC13 but as a member of our community, to affect change in our community. Prior to being elected to the bench, I was a co-founder of Chapter 61 Ministries, a non-profit created to fiercely fight against domestic human trafficking. While on the board, Chapter 61 started the "Truckers Against Trafficking" campaign. As a result of the campaign's immense success, Chapter 61 evolved into Truckers Against Trafficking, a national non-profit that went on to be named by the United Nations as one of the 100 Best Anti-Human Trafficking Practices in the world.
Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?
Dealing with families torn by domestic violence and instability is extremely complex. There is no simple solution for those perpetrating family violence or for their victims. It takes time, care, and hard work to address the wide-ranging factors that contribute to violence in the home. As Judge of County Court 13, I've implemented innovative initiatives to address these factors. The one I'm most proud of is the Young Adult Aggression Redirection initiative I created and oversee. This program provides for those on probation between the ages of 17-25 to have frequent, personal meetings with me and my court probation liaison officer to closely monitor their progress and improve their chances at rehabilitation. These meetings provide structure, encouragement, and accountability - all things that helped me rise above my own challenging circumstances as a result of being raised by my grandmother in extremely humble conditions.
Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this judicial position that you believe more people should be aware of?
Judicial races in Texas are partisan. Domestic violence affects the whole community. It knows no boundaries and is not limited to a zip code. Judicial races should be about who knows the law, who follows the law and who has the depth of professional and personal experience that lends itself to helping those who appear before them, but also the discretion to know when someone needs to learn a tough lesson. My reputation for being a leader in the field of criminal family violence law, coupled with my even-handed and cool-headed temperament, makes the most qualified candidate for judge of this specialized court.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
| Bexar County, Texas | Texas | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (A-L)" (Search "Bexar")
- ↑ Bexar County, "Primary Election Statistics," March 11, 2014
- ↑ Crystal Chandler for Judge, "Experience," accessed September 9, 2014
- ↑ Email correspondence with Crystal Chandler on October 22, 2018.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for Office," accessed January 14, 2016
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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
