Our family law judges can start fund-raising in May if they are up for election in 2018. Lawyers can expect to be hit up from many different directions for contributions during the next year and a half. Democrats sense that the unpopularity, incompetence and policies of the Trump administration may change the usual voting patterns in Harris County, where Republicans usually win in non-presidential election years. It is easier to motivate voters with anger and fear than it is civic duty. It is well known that demographic changes in Harris County will mean that sooner or later all of our judges will be Democrats. The Legislature is considering eliminating straight ticket voting for trial judges, but it is not clear to me which side that will really help.

Judge Roy Moore is far ahead of the judicial pack in organization and he has a fund-raiser planned for Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at B&B Butchers, located at 1814 Washington Avenue.  Judge Moore has for months been sending out e-mails inviting lawyers to join his steering committee. His early emails included his complete list and noted which attorneys had not yet committed. Moore politely asked attorneys to suggest those who might want to join his team, but some took his emails as a thinly veiled reminder that he had a list of those who are not supporting him. Of course, Moore is such a good judge, that every lawyer should show their support of him, regardless of such reminders. I am an avowed liberal Democrat and I enthusiastically joined the Moore re-election team.

. . . . Click here to read the full article which discusses Judges Prine, Warne, Franklin-York and Farr.  The full article explains what our family court judges are doing to prepare for re-election or retirement.  The article tells you when the first fund raisers are, how much each judge already has in the bank and analyzes the Democrats' chance of sweeping Harris County next year.  The "Trump Effect" is explained so that you can understand why local Republicans are so nervous about next year.

I am no longer running my complete articles in the body of the newsletter.   I am instead linking to the full, complete articles on my blog in order to keep the size of this e-mail newsletter manageable when it appears on your phone or computer.  Click here to review all of my blogs.

Judge Julia Maldonado cannot raise campaign funds for a while as she is not up for re-election until 2020. Usually, once a lawyer is elected judge, attorneys swarm to contribute money after the fact. However, Maldonado's post-election fund-raising was surprisingly anemic, despite the fact that a large number of family law attorneys are progressive and really Democrats. Maldonado had to stop raising funds on March 8 and I think that some of the unusual and concerning procedures she initially adopted upon taking office discouraged many lawyers and dampened financial support for her. Currently, the 507th is not, thank goodness, requiring the filing of sworn inventories even in uncontested, agreed divorces, as it was in the first two weeks of Maldonado's term.

..... Click here to read the complete article, which lists Judge Maldonado's largest contributors and discusses her sometimes annoying habit of closely reading every order she signs (and even comparing them line for line with the settlement agreements they are based on).  The full article also discusses Doug York's decision (in a case recently kicked to the 507th) to join as his co-counsel Judge Maldonado's good friend and campaign treasurer just two days after Maldonado took office.

Greg Enos

Board Certified in Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization

The Enos Law Firm