Memorandum

CITY OF DALLAS
Date
To

September 14,2012 The Honorable Mayor Mike Rawlings Budget Amendment Relating to Municipal Judges

Subject

Several months ago, you appointed me as Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Judicial Nominating Committee. In that capacity, I have been able to participate in a wide range of issues relating to the Dallas Municipal Courts. Most recently, I assisted in recommending persons who would serve as full and part-time Judges for the 20122014 term. I worked with the City Council's Ad Hoc Committee to bring to the full City Council a recommended slate ofcandidates. Additionally, after that vote, I worked with a number of my Council colleagues in expanding the slate to include two (2) additional candidates. Those two candidates, Cheryl Williams and Timoteo Gonzalez, have served as Municipal Judges for a number of years and received recommendations for re-appointment by the Judicial Nominating Commission ["JNC"]. Both have strong work records and admirable community involvement. During the budget workshop of September 10, 2012, I was able to recommend amendment of the Council's original action, so as to include these two Judges and create greater efficiency in the overall Municipal Court system. The Ad Hoc Committee's review omitted three (3) factors that, upon reflection, I believe should have been given great weight. Those factors are: 1) 2) 3) the recommendations of the JNC; judicial experience; and, unique community service.

The JNC is the neutral body, made up of respected citizens, including officers of the court, throughout the city, appointed by the City Council, to make recommendations as to who should be appointed as Municipal Judges. The JNC goes through a lengthy and arduous process, based upon a standard of merit , in order to recommend candidates to the City Council. Those candidates are scored by the JNC, and the scores are used to rank the candidates. Judges Williams and Gonzalez ranked numbers 5 and 10, respectively, on the JNC list. Thus, on a merit-based scoring system, Judge Williams ranked ahead of nine (9) of the eleven (11) candidates whom the Ad Hoc Committee recommended. The JNC ranked Judge Gonzalez ahead of seven (7) of the Ad Hoc Committee's recommended candidates. While experience as a Judge should not be a primary or deciding factor, both Judges have significantly more years on the bench than six of the appointed Judges. Judge Williams has seventeen (17) years ofjudicial experience. Judge Gonzalez has sixteen (16) year ofjudicial experience.

Dallas. The City ThaI Works: Diverse, Vibrant, and Progr essive

Th e complete JNC recommended list, in rank order, is attached. We, the Judicial Ad Hoc Committee had the oppo rtunity to give the JNC rankings more cons iderat ion. In addi tion , more consideration should have been given to community service. Judge Williams specializes in Ju venile Justice issues. She addresses those issue s in a way that is unp aralleled in the justice system and has the beneficial effect of raising the quality of life for the juveniles who appear before her, the ir famil ies, and the communities in whi ch they live. Judge Williams consistentl y volunteers to work with the prostitution courts . Thes e courts are held in the middle of the night and are designed to help the women find a better way of life for themselve s and their children. Her specialty with juvenile justice issues should be an asset to the Municipal Courts. Judge Gonzalez is a bi-lingual Judge, who vo lunteers in his community with various organizations and causes . He also assists other Judges when needed . The resumes of both Judge Williams and Judge Gonzalez are attached. In addition to believing these two Judges would be an asset to the courts, I believe that this expansion of the Municipal Courts is beneficial to that Department and to the City as a whole. The Municipal Courts have fourteen (14) allotted courts. Lew Sterrett jail is also a major responsibility of the Municipal Judges. Without the expansion including Judges Williams and Gonzalez, on ly eleven (11) full-time Judges are available to staff the courts. Currently, those Jud ges staff the trial courts. Other duties are fulfilled by part -time (Associate) Judges. Long-time, historical data shows that in order to have adequate Associate availability, the pay scale has been structured in a way that allows unused hours to be compensated . Using full-time Judges to a greater extent will allow a more matched matrix between hours actually worked and compensation paid. The historical data strongly suggests that even with the payment of benefits for full-ti me Judges, the City will save money, overall, by the use of these additional full-time Judges. City Manager's Office has gone on record that this move will be cost-neutral and Administrative Judge Solis stated that this move would be more efficient. The addition of these two Judges to the current roster is a good first step in determining whether the Mun icipal Court system will be better served, and more efficiently operated, with an even greater expansion of full-time Judges, rather than the reliance upon Associate Judges that currently exist. Therefore, based upon all that I have stated herein, I stand by my opinion of September 10th, that the Mun icipal Courts should be expanded by two full-time Judges, and based upon their rankings by the JNC , their experience, and their unique community service, those two Judges should be Cheryl Williams and Timoteo Gonzalez.

Delia Jasso (/ Councilmember

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The Honorable Members of the Dallas Cit y Council

Dallas. The City That Works: Diverse, Vibrant, and Progressi ve