Harry Weaver
Harry Weaver was a 2016 candidate for the Texas 422nd District Court in Texas.[1] He was defeated in the primary election on March 1, 2016.
Education
Weaver earned his J.D. from the University of Houston.[2]
Career
Weaver is an assistant attorney general with the Texas Attorney General's Office.[2]
Campaign themes
2016
Weaver answered the following questions from the Kaufman County Tea Party prior to the Republican primary:
| “ |
For the court that you seek to be elected to serve on, describe your views on its proper role within the Texas judiciary and in relation to the other courts: District courts have original jurisdiction in all felony cases, divorce cases, cases involving title to land, election contest cases, civil matters in which money or damages involved is $500 or more exclusive of interest, and any matters in which jurisdiction is not placed in another trial court. Many folks are unaware that it is the District Judge that appoints the County Auditor. It is essential for the District Judge to appoint an ethical hard working person with solid background to this position. Under Article V. section 8 of the Texas Constitution, “District Court jurisdiction consists of exclusive, appellate, and original jurisdiction of all actions, proceedings, and remedies, except in cases where exclusive, appellate, or original jurisdiction may be conferred by this Constitution or other law on some other court, tribunal or administrative body.” The District Court shall have appellate jurisdiction and general supervisory control over the County Commissioners Court, with such exceptions and under such regulations as may be prescribed by law.” The proper role of a District Judge should be to set an ethical tone for the financial management of the county in the appointment of the county auditor. The District Judge, as a trial judge, should properly administer cases with sound legal rulings on evidentiary matters so that the cases are in proper form when appealed to the Court of Appeals and onward to the Supreme Court or the Court of Criminal Appeals. Efficient, fair, and ethical management should predominate in the administration of the court. Name a judge, living or dead, whom you admire and explain the basis for your choice Jeff Coen former District Judge of the 254th District Court in Dallas, Texas. He consistently was one of the highest rated judges in Dallas County. Unfortunately, he passed away on January 14, 2014. Judge Coen was an intelligent legal scholar who was not arrogant, unapproachable or caught up with himself. He served faithfully trying to determine what the law was on any given matter and sought to apply the law as he understood it was intended to be applied by the legislature. He lost re-election when the Democratic Party in Dallas swept to office in 2006. He handled that loss with kindness and good grace as he had handled his re-elections. I appealed a case from his court when he was leaving the bench. He encouraged me in the appeal of his decision as he understood my position, even though it was opposed to the ruling he had made in court. We (the Texas Attorney General), won the appeal, and he took no offense when a view different from his own was upheld on an appeal. He had a truly curious nature about how the law could be interpreted when different from his own interpretation. Do you believe judges have a role in controlling the pace of litigation? If elected, how do you intend to manage your caseload to ensure timely resolution of each case on your docket? Yes, in criminal cases it is human nature to seek to delay the “date of judgment”. The defendant has a fundamental right to a speedy trial that is fair, and I would seek to assist in not granting unnecessary continuances or delays. In civil cases I would seek to avoid unnecessary resets and require MEJ settings (date where the order has to be provided to the court for signature) once a decision has been rendered. Local rules should always be employed to speed cases along. [3] |
” |
| —Harry Weaver (2016), [2] | ||
Elections
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.[4] Incumbent Michael Chitty defeated Harry Weaver in the Texas 422nd District Court Republican primary.[1]
| Texas 422nd District Court, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Michael Chitty Incumbent |
73.65% | 11,612 |
| Harry Weaver | 26.35% | 4,155 |
| Total Votes | 15,767 | |
| Source: Kaufman County, Texas, "Elections," accessed March 2, 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]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kaufman County Tea Party, "ENDORSED: Candidate for 422nd District Court – Harry Weaver Questionnaire," January 31, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," 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
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
