A Record of Results
Since taking the bench in 2019, I have worked to make Harris County Probate Court No. 3 a court that is efficient, accessible, innovative, and responsive to the people it serves.
Court No. 3 handles some of the most consequential matters that come before our justice system—from the administration of estates and guardianships to civil mental health proceedings affecting individual liberty and public safety. I have brought nearly 15 years of probate-law experience, along with a commitment to fairness and effective court administration, to that work.
A Court That Works
Managing one of Harris County’s busiest specialized courts requires both careful attention to individual cases and effective administration of a demanding docket.
From March 2024 through June 2026, Probate Court No. 3 achieved a 102% combined clearance rate, meaning the court disposed of more cases than were added to its docket during that reporting period. Probate clearance exceeded 100% in each reported period.
Those numbers are important, but efficiency is not simply about moving cases quickly. Probate, guardianship, and civil mental health proceedings often involve people at particularly difficult moments in their lives. I believe an effective court must combine timely decision-making with careful attention to the facts, the law, and the rights of every person appearing before it.
Source: Texas Office of Court Administration, Data & Research Division, Court Performance Measures. Reporting for these data begins March 2024.
Transforming Civil Mental Health
Probate Court No. 3 has primary responsibility for civil mental health proceedings in Harris County—one of the largest mental health dockets in Texas.
I have worked with judges, attorneys, physicians, treatment providers, law enforcement, hospitals, and community partners to improve the way Harris County responds to people experiencing serious mental illness.
One of the most significant results of that collaboration is Harris County’s Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program, developed in partnership with The Harris Center, UTHealth, the Harris County Attorney’s Office, and the University of Houston School of Social Work.
The program was launched with a $2.7 million, four-year federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It combines judicial oversight with treatment, care coordination, housing assistance, employment support, benefits assistance, transportation, peer support, and other services designed to help participants remain stable in the community.
A peer-reviewed analysis of the Houston model describes an approach emphasizing participant empowerment and self-determination while addressing the practical barriers that can interfere with successful treatment.
Improving Access to Justice
I believe the justice system works best when people can meaningfully participate in proceedings that affect their lives.
That principle is especially important in probate and guardianship matters involving older adults and people with disabilities, and in civil mental health proceedings where fundamental liberty interests may be at stake.
During my tenure, Court No. 3 has worked to improve accessibility, make appropriate use of technology and remote participation, and strengthen coordination among courts, attorneys, treatment providers and community partners.
I also serve on the Guardianship Subcommittee of the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities, contributing my experience from the bench to statewide discussions concerning guardianship and the rights of people with disabilities.
Building for the Future
I am currently leading an initiative with UTHealth to renovate and modernize the facilities used for Harris County civil mental health proceedings.
The project is intended to improve facilities where judges, attorneys, physicians, court personnel, patients and families participate in these sensitive proceedings. Harris County and UTHealth are developing the project through an interlocal framework addressing shared funding, oversight and implementation.
The initiative reflects my broader approach to the court: addressing today’s caseload while also improving the infrastructure needed to serve Harris County in the years ahead.
Strengthening the Probate and Mental Health Bar
An effective court depends on well-prepared lawyers.
Since 2019, I have organized and presented Probate Court No. 3’s Annual Mental Health Seminar, providing education to attorneys practicing in this specialized area. I regularly speak on probate, guardianship and civil mental health law and have contributed to leading Texas practice resources, including the Texas Guardianship Manual and Texas Probate System.
I also serves as President of the Texas Probate Law American Inn of Court and as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where I teach future lawyers in the areas of estates and guardianship.
Independent Evaluation
My performance has also been evaluated by the lawyers who practice in Harris County courts.
In the Houston Bar Association’s 2025 Judicial Evaluation, 84.2% of responding attorneys rated me Excellent or Very Good overall.
Among the results:
- 85.6% rated Excellent or Very Good for following the law.
- 85.6% rated Excellent or Very Good for being courteous and attentive.
- 84.8% rated Excellent or Very Good for impartiality.
- 82.7% rated Excellent or Very Good for working hard and being prepared.
- 80.6% rated Excellent or Very Good for using attorneys' time efficiently.
The Houston Bar Association’s judicial evaluation is an attorney survey and is not an endorsement.
Experience. Innovation. Results.
I have approached public service with a straightforward goal: make the court work better for the people who depend on it.
That has meant managing a demanding docket, strengthening Harris County’s response to serious mental illness, improving access to the courts, educating attorneys, collaborating with community partners, and planning for the future.
There is more work to do. I am seeking another term to continue that work and ensure that Harris County Probate Court No. 3 remains a court characterized by experience, fairness, innovation, and respect for every person it serves.