he is unavailable or out of the office. Serving in this capacity for the last 15 years has given me a sincere appreciation and unique understanding of this office and an intimate knowledge of each aspect of how the County Attorney serves our community. I have known for over ten years that this position is what I ultimately wanted to seek. I am truly excited about the opportunity and would love to serve the citizens of Brazos County as their next County Attorney.

What is the role of the County Attorney?

The County Attorney’s role is to serve, protect and represent the citizens of Brazos County in county-related legal matters and misdemeanor criminal cases. The County Attorney serves the people through strong and effective prosecution of about 5,000 misdemeanor cases filed each year, aids merchants and other victims in collecting restitution from worthless checks and provides placement assistance to persons with mental illness requiring admission to a mental health facility. The County Attorney also aids in protecting the public through training and assisting law enforcement officers in the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases, obtaining Protective Orders for victims of family violence, supporting programs like Shattered Dreams and D.A.R.E. in our schools, and development of programs to curtail the sale of alcohol to minors. The County Attorney also represents the citizens of Brazos County by serving as the attorney for Brazos County in civil matters and providing legal advice to the Commissioners Court and the various county departments.

Are there any changes you would like to make in the County Attorney’s office? If so, what are they and what would the benefit be?

I am proud of the changes that have been made in our office over the last 20 years to better serve the citizens of this county, including a Family Violence unit to protect victims of domestic violence and aggressively pursuing hot check writers. During this same time period, we have seen our prosecution of criminal cases increase over 400%. To keep up with this ever increasing volume of cases, we must make even greater use of the electronic transmittal of reports and cases from the police agencies to our office. We have already begun accepting reports of warrant arrest cases by electronic transmission which has cut the time in half for police officers to obtain a warrant. The sooner that we can get cases in and filed, the better it is for the victim who needs protection or restitution, the police officers who have to testify, and our prosecutors.

Why do you believe you are the best qualified person to hold this office?

I feel like my unique experience as First Assistant County Attorney best qualifies me to hold this office. In my nearly 22 years with the County Attorney’s Office, I have handled virtually every type of case our office deals with. Through our office, I have helped prosecute thousands of misdemeanors in the courtroom. I have been assigned to the Family Violence Unit, obtaining Protective Orders for victims. I have worked with the Commissioner’s Court and the various county departments on civil litigation and legal issues. As a peace officer myself, I have worked with our investigators in curtailing the sale of alcohol to minors, pursuing hot check writers, and assisting our prosecutors with criminal cases. Our office truly works as a team to better serve the citizens of this county and I feel like my experience and my ties to this community will help me continue to lead this office in the right direction.

What do you enjoy doing on your personal time?

Spending time with my family - from church activities to anything involving the outdoors. For five generations my family has been involved in Texas agriculture, so anything involving my family, the outdoors, hunting, fishing or livestock is a joy to me. With my son and daughter being involved in 4-H and F.F.A., there is always some kind of livestock project going on. Taking our kids and their friends to the lake to go tubing, water skiing or wakeboarding is a pleasure. I also enjoy going to baseball games, softball games and band concerts by our youth. A year ago my son and I had the opportunity to spend eight days horseback riding and camping in the mountains of the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. If my wife and daughter could have joined us it would have been the absolutely perfect vacation.

Who was your biggest influence growing up? What did you learn from him or her?

My father had the greatest influence on me growing up. There was never any doubt that faith and family came before all else. Church was always a part of our lives, and everything we did, we did as a family. Growing up in the years of the Great Depression, and serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II, there was also no doubt that dedication to hard work and service to his country and others came next on his list. There were times during my teenage years that it didn’t seem to me that he knew all that much, but when I look back at it now, and I see how much my faith, my family, my work and service to others means to me, I have come to the conclusion that he was probably the smartest man I have ever known, and undoubtedly the best father.

violence and theft, and fewer young people sent to prison. I am especially concerned about the prosecution of family violence and DWI cases. I am running because I am very excited about leading an office of professional and ethical prosecutors and investigators to make Brazos County safer. I believe that I have the experience in the courtroom, the legal ability, and the leadership experience to serve to genuinely make a difference in the office and in the community.

What do you see as the role of the County Attorney?

The County Attorney is responsible for the effective prosecution of misdemeanor crimes as well as providing assistance to family violence victims with protective orders, prosecuting hot check cases and obtaining restitution for merchants, and for providing quality legal advice and representation to Brazos County officials. The Brazos County Attorney is an important position with the significant obligation to provide leadership in the legal community and the courthouse and set the example by insisting on the highest professional and ethical standards in serving the citizens of Brazos County.

Are there any changes you would like to make in the County Attorney’s Office? If so, what are they and what would the benefit be?

First, we need to try more cases. Success in court strengthens our bargaining position in plea negotiations. Currently, we do not try nearly enough cases. Second, I would more aggressively prosecute DWI and family violence cases. I would sharply curtail the present practice of reducing and/or dismissing these serious offenses. Third, I would institute a “Second Chance” program to allow good people who have made bad mistakes to earn a chance at a dismissal and a clean record. Fourth, I would insist on transparency. The current administration keeps no records of plea dispositions and trials. This means there is no way for leadership in the office to meaningfully measure the office’s effectiveness and the public has no way of knowing how its public servants are doing. I would generate monthly disposition reports and make them available to the public at no cost.

Why do you believe that you are the best qualified person to hold this office?

I am the only candidate in the race who is a board certified criminal law specialist and who has been active in the courtroom trying cases over the past 20 years. I believe in leading by example and will try cases personally to do so. I have prosecuted thousands of both misdemeanor and felony offenses in my 20-year career and appreciate best the link between misdemeanor and felony crimes. I have been a frequent lecturer for police officers and prosecutors on search and seizure law, trial advocacy, and ethics. I learned about leadership in the United States Marine Corps and have served in numerous leadership positions since then. I have a highly-developed sense of justice and believe that people who commit crimes should be held accountable and people who deserve second chances should be given them. Finally, I am deeply involved in our community and appreciate how important it is to keep our community safe.

What do you enjoy doing on your personal time?

My favorite pastime activity is spending time with my daughter, Mary Claire. She is five and is a never-ending source of enjoyment to me. I am also an avid amateur photographer and I am passionate about several causes in the community with which I am involved. Finally, I love the outdoors and hike, camp, and kayak every chance I get. My most enjoyable outdoor activity recently was climbing Mt. Rainier in Washington for my 50th birthday.

Who was your biggest influence growing up? What did you learn from him or her?

My mother. I never really understood the profound sacrifices my mother made for me until I grew up and became a parent. My mom taught me that anything was achievable if you put your mind to it. She also raised me to believe that honesty and hard work were the hallmarks of a good life.