Issue Position: Judicial Philosophy

Issue Position

A judge should be open-minded to different possible arguments in order to avoid the dangers of confirmation bias. Additionally, a judge should aspire to humility so that he never forgets others may have a better answer, and his own ego does not get in the way when he realizes he needs to change his mind. He should be modest enough that he never seeks power, and he should exercise it with great respect when called to do so. He should be determined enough that he can firmly stand by a position he knows to be true, even in the face of overwhelming criticism. And he should be compassionate enough to remember that every case number represents a person whose life will be dramatically affected by whatever decision the judge makes.

I believe our Constitution was drafted to enshrine the rights given to us by God. Rather than task our government with deciding what rights the citizens have, our Founding Fathers recognized that the government gets its power from the consent of the governed. To that end, our Founding Fathers envisioned the judiciary as a check on possible executive and legislative overreach rather than a policy agent. That is the judicial philosophy I would take with me if I were blessed with the opportunity to serve the citizens of Texas on the Court of Criminal Appeals.

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