By David Wilfong, NDG Contributing Writer
The African American Museum at Fair Park was once again the venue for Monday Night Politics this week, as the Dallas Examiner invited the Democratic candidates for three judicial seats to make their case for election in the upcoming primary.
The first office highlighted was the 162nd District Court where Marilynn Mayse is looking to defeat incumbent Judge Maricela Moore in the Democratic primary. The winner of the primary will face Republican Jordan Lewis in the general election.
“I live in the house on my birth certificate, and it will probably be the address on my death certificate,” said Mayse, who emphasized her roots in the area. “I believe if you are going to represent a community, you need to be a part of that community and I’ve been a part of this community all my life.”
In addition to her legal work, she has served as a precinct chair and election judge and cites her dedication to the Democratic party. She said she is looking to make the court more efficient and accessible to citizens with fewer resources.
Moore said she grew up in the Democratic party in Travis County where her parents were heavily involved in local politics. She noted her first appeal as a judge came from her next-door neighbor she had ruled against as an example of unbiased decision-making. She has held the bench since 2016.
“I bring to the court 18 years of experience presiding over civil district cases; the kind of cases that are in this court, which are complicated civil cases,” Moore said. “This court only handles civil cases. I’m board-certified in employment law and I bring all that experience to the court and I’ve been able to apply it to the way I make decisions.
The second presentation was for the 254th Family District Court, where three candidates are vying to unseat the sitting Republican Judge Ashly Wysocki, who was appointed to her position by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Kim Brown, Sandre Moncriffe, and Marty Jo Taylor. All three are attorneys, and all three have run in previous judicial races.
“I was 12, and in junior high school when I first received my opportunity to volunteer,” Brown said. “And it was at a women’s shelter. I worked with those children. I worked with their parents, their mothers. And getting the work done with those children inspired me to always work against domestic violence.”
In addition to her work as an attorney and mediator, Brown said she has served as a visiting judge in the very court she is now running for, and having been trusted to handle the court gives her an advantage as a candidate.
Moncrief said no other candidate has the “nuanced” experience she brings to the table. She said she has been on both the prosecution and defense side of family law and has represented children in CPS cases.
“I believe that we need judges with broad, deep experience in family law; and we also need folks who are intentional about putting families first,” Moncrief said. “I’ve been practicing family law for 20 years now. It is exclusively what I do.”
Taylor said her dedication to children runs the gamut from her legal practice to administrating children’s programs in two churches. She has served as a mediator and a special commissioner who has presided over hearings.
“I’ve practiced law for over 19 years,” Taylor said. “And of those years, 16 of those, I’ve managed my own law practice. I believe management is very important in this race because in the court; you’re going to have to manage the court, you’re going to have to manage individuals and manage the docket.”
The final forum of the night came in the race for Criminal District Court No. 3. This is a felony court and two candidates were present. Both Alison Grinter Allen and Audra Riley addressed questions from the audience. Teresa Jan Hawthorne was not present, and the race will be decided in the primary as no Republican has filed for the seat.
Allen said her parents were criminal justice reformers, and the judicial system was the subject of talk around her dinner table growing up. She said the most important responsibility for a judge is to listen, track the people who go through her court and not lose them in the jail system.
“I believe that we can — with courts that care and are willing to solve problems, and are willing to enforce a culture of equity and respect — have a place where people can come and expect to be treated well,” Allen said. “Not be scared to come in because they don’t want to get swept up into the immigration system. Not be scared to come in and tell the truth because they think that it’s going to do more harm than good.”
Riley said her experience includes working in the prisons themselves while she was going to law school. Responding to the disparity in sentencing, she reminded the audience she has seen the “makeup” of the inmates in prison, and as a prosecutor, she has handled cases from misdemeanors all the way up to capital murder.
“I bring the most diversified experience to the bench as a former prosecutor,” Riley said. “I’m in criminal defense work now and I’ve worked in the prison system. I am asking for your vote. I’m asking for your support. I am passionate about the law. I’ve only done criminal law for the most part. My family members, they have been a part of the criminal law system as well, so that’s why I’m doing it.”
The audience was sparse for the down-ballot contests, but the questions echoed themes that have been a part of community discussion in recent years. The cash bail system, inequality in sentencing for black and brown defendants, and conflicts of interest arising from the financial support of elected officials were high priorities for audience members in attendance.
Monday Night Politics will feature candidates for Dallas County Sheriff and County Commissioners on Feb. 10. The forum is held at the African American Museum in Fair Park and runs from 6-8 p.m. The public is invited and admission is free.
