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Ramona Franklin
Ramona Franklin was a judge of the Texas 338th District Court. She left office on December 31, 2024.
Franklin (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for judge of the Texas 338th District Court. She lost in the Democratic primary on March 5, 2024.
Biography
Ramona Franklin earned a B.A. in English from Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University in 1996, an M.S. in sports administration from Lynn University in 1999, and a J.D. from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University in 2002.[1][2] Upon graduation from law school, Franklin moved to Houston to serve as an assistant district attorney for Harris County. In 2006, she began a private law practice that she maintains today.[2]
Franklin has worked as a motivational speaker and an adjunct instructor at Remington College in Houston.[2]
Elections
2024
See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2024)
General election
General election for Texas 338th District Court
Michele Oncken defeated Allison Mathis in the general election for Texas 338th District Court on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Michele Oncken (R) | 50.2 | 727,301 |
 | Allison Mathis (D) | 49.8 | 722,622 | |
| Total votes: 1,449,923 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas 338th District Court
Allison Mathis defeated incumbent Ramona Franklin in the Democratic primary for Texas 338th District Court on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Allison Mathis | 61.7 | 92,337 |
 | Ramona Franklin | 38.3 | 57,341 | |
| Total votes: 149,678 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas 338th District Court
Michele Oncken advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 338th District Court on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michele Oncken | 100.0 | 140,572 |
| Total votes: 140,572 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Franklin in this election.
2020
See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2020)
General election
General election for Texas 338th District Court
Incumbent Ramona Franklin won election in the general election for Texas 338th District Court on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ramona Franklin (D) | 100.0 | 1,010,328 |
| Total votes: 1,010,328 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas 338th District Court
Incumbent Ramona Franklin advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 338th District Court on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ramona Franklin | 100.0 | 230,982 |
| Total votes: 230,982 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
- See also: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2018
General election
General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7
Incumbent Barbara Hervey defeated Ramona Franklin in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Barbara Hervey (R) | 54.2 | 4,429,113 |
| Ramona Franklin (D) | 45.8 | 3,750,114 | |
| Total votes: 8,179,227 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7
Ramona Franklin advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Ramona Franklin |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7
Incumbent Barbara Hervey advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Barbara Hervey |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Texas held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on March 1, 2016. A primary runoff election was held on May 24, 2016, for any seat where the top vote recipient did not receive a majority of the primary vote.[3] Ramona Franklin ran unopposed in the Texas 338th District Court Democratic primary.[4]
| Texas 338th District Court, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Ramona Franklin (unopposed) |
100.00% | 146,790 |
| Total Votes | 146,790 | |
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Democratic Party Cumulative Report-Unofficial," accessed March 2, 2016 | ||
Ramona Franklin defeated incumbent Brock Thomas in the Texas 338th District Court general election.
| Texas 338th District Court, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Ramona Franklin |
51.71% | 654,745 | |
| Republican | Brock Thomas Incumbent | 48.29% | 611,345 | |
| Total Votes | 1,266,090 | |||
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Election Results," accessed December 9, 2016 | ||||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
The judges of the Texas District Courts are chosen in partisan elections. They serve four-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving.[5]
Though Texas is home to more than 400 district courts, the courts are grouped into nine administrative judicial regions. Each region is overseen by a presiding judge who is appointed by the governor to a four-year term. According to the state courts website, the presiding judge may be a "regular elected or retired district judge, a former judge with at least 12 years of service as a district judge, or a retired appellate judge with judicial experience on a district court."[6]
Qualifications
To serve on the district courts, a judge must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- a resident of Texas;
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- between the ages of 25 and 75;*[7]
- a practicing lawyer and/or state judge for at least four years; and
- a resident of his or her respective judicial district for at least two years.[5]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[5]
2014
- See also: Texas judicial elections, 2014
Franklin ran for election to the Harris County Criminal Court at Law.
Primary: She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on March 4, 2014.
General: She was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2014, after receiving 44.6 percent of the vote. She competed against Margaret Harris.[8][9][10]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ramona Franklin did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Ramona Franklin did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Franklin's campaign website included the following themes:
| “ |
As a judge Ramona Franklin will ensure, “Blindfold Justice”, for everyone in her courtroom. Ramona is passionate about changing the court appointment system, changing the criminal court system from debtor’s court to reasonable bonds, ensuring that all persons accused of a crime receives fair justice regardless of who is representing them and ensuring that all sentences all equally granted. Ramona Franklin has decided that she will employ the “Blindfold Justice” approach in her courtroom. What is the “Blindfold Justice” approach? The “Blindfold Justice” approach is employing the tenets of Lady Justice. Lady Justice’s blindfold represents the concept that justice is or should be determined objectively, without fear or favour, regardless of money, wealth, fame, power, fairness or identity and impartiality. The community has an extreme distrust of the criminal justice system because too many judges fail to use the “Blindfold Justice” approach. Ramona Franklin is committed to instilling confidence back into the community’s perception of the Harris County Criminal Justice System particularly the 338th Judicial District Court. Ramona will administer appropriate and fair sentences with a hand of grace, toughness and compassion.[11][12] |
” |
| —Ramona Franklin (2016) | ||
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Texas 338th District Court |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Ramona Franklin," accessed January 29, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Official campaign website of Ramona Franklin, "Who is Ramona Franklin," archived October 8, 2014
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Texas," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ Texas Courts Online, "Administrative Judicial Regions," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Texas State Historical Association, "Judiciary," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (A-L)"
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (M-Z)"
- ↑ Harris County Texas, "Democratic Party Cumulative Report - March 4, 2014 Primary Election," March 5, 2014 (dead link)
- ↑ Ramona Franklin for Judge, "Platform," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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
