Valerie Baston

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Valerie Baston

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of Texas at Austin, 1994

Law

Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, 1997

Personal

Birthplace

Fort Worth, Texas

Religion

Christian

Profession

Founder, attorney

Contact

Campaign Facebook

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Valerie Baston (Democratic Party) ran for election for judge of the Texas 342nd District Court. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Baston completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Valerie Baston was born in Fort Worth, Texas. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1994. She earned a J.D. from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in 1997. Baston's career experience includes working as a founder and attorney with Baston Law, P.C., as an assistant city attorney in Fort Worth, and as an assistant district attorney with the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office. She served as a scholarship chair with the Black Women Lawyers Association of Tarrant County from 2008 to 2020. She has been affiliated with the L. Clifford Davis Legal Association, the J.L. Turner Legal Association, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the TTLA Women's Caucus, the Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association, the American Association for Justice, the Tarrant County Bar Association, the Dallas County Bar Association, the Tarrant County Bar Foundation, the State Bar Association of Texas, the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the Links, Inc., with Texas Democratic Women, with Tarrant County Democratic Women, with the Thurgood Marshall School of Law Advisory Board, and with the Jubilee Theatre Board of Trustees.

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Tarrant County, Texas (2020)

General election

General election for Texas 342nd District Court

Incumbent Kimberly Fitzpatrick defeated Valerie Baston in the general election for Texas 342nd District Court on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kimberly Fitzpatrick (R)	53.4	426,924
		Valerie Baston (D)	46.6	372,737

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 799,661
= 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 342nd District Court

Valerie Baston advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 342nd District Court on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Valerie Baston	100.0	113,871

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 113,871
= 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 342nd District Court

Incumbent Kimberly Fitzpatrick advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 342nd District Court on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kimberly Fitzpatrick	100.0	101,043

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 101,043
= 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.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Valerie Baston completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Baston's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a native Texan who loves the law. I was a former prosecutor and I am now in private practice. I enjoy helping others with their legal needs.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Unbought and Unbossed
• The correct laws must be applied fairly and across the board in cases with similar issues.
• Our court system must be accessible to all.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

n/a

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have a good sense of humor and demeanor. I am slow to anger. I love to educate myself on different legal issues, so in doing so, I will stay current on changes to the law.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I will ensure that the issues and concerns of the community are addressed by me through ensuring open access to my court, if elected. I want to establish a guide for Pro Se litigants that will give them access to forms, motions and other legal documents, so they can litigate their own cases.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The bicentennial celebration in 1976. I was four years old. I remember everyone being so happy. The fireworks were amazing to me.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was babysitting. I started babysitting in 5th grade and continued through college.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta. This book addressed the societal changes that women often must contend with, for better or worse. The book discussed all the joys and sadness that parents, in particular, mothers face as we raise our children, work, and watch our children become independent.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

n/a

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

n/a

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

n/a

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

I believe that the U.S. Constitution is a living document. Case law is constantly evolving, and our state and federal legislators are changing our laws, so judges must stay vigilant with these changes in our laws. I believe that judges must look not only at the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law. Good laws must be applied fairly and across the board in cases with similar issues. I don't think this is judicial activism, it is simply being a prudent judge and keeping up with the societal changes.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

The justices of the Warren Court did so much to make sure that the spirit and letter of our laws and Constitution applied to all people.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Yes.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

No.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I want to become judge of the 342nd Judicial District Court, because I want to ensure that everyone will be treated fairly. I will ensure that the correct laws are applied in the matters brought before me. Our court system needs to reflect the diversity of this county and we need qualified judges that reflect this diversity.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

It's beneficial, but not necessary.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

The legal system needs a more diverse selection with our jury pools. Jury pools should be selected from the DPS drivers license and state ID databases, voter registration database, Tarrant County Tax Appraisal database, and municipal utility bills. Obtaining potential jurors from these sources will cast a wider net to allow for more diverse jury pools and grand juries.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

At this time, I am only interested in serving as judge for the 342nd Judicial District Court, Tarrant County, Texas.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

It can be reflective, if all attorneys take part in the ratings survey.

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

2020 Elections

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Footnotes

Texas courts

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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