3News has partnered with the League of Women Voters, a non-profit and non-partisan organization dedicated to voter education, to help make sure the community has access to all the information they need before hitting the polls Nov. 3.
The following information was gathered and compiled by the League and published in their Voters Guide and on Vote411.org.
Duties: A member of the court with final judgment in all crimi- nal cases. the court must review all cases in which the death penalty is assessed. it also exercises discretionary review in other criminal cases and issues writs of habeas corpus. Base salary: $168,000
Term: Six-year term.
Deberes: Un miembro de la corte con el juicio final de todos los casos penales. el tribunal debe revisar todos los casos en los que se evalúa la pena de muerte. También ejerce una revisión discrecional en otros casos penales y emite recursos de habeas corpus. Salario actual: $168,000.
Plazo: Plazo de 6 años.
Bert Richardson (Republican)
Website: http://www.electjudgerichardson.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JudgeBertRichardson/
Twitter: @None
Background: What training, experience, and background qualify you for this position?
I am the incumbent in this race and have been a State judge for over 20 years. I am a former State and Federal prosecutor that is Board Certified in Criminal Law. I have participated in hundreds of appeals, writs and over 50 capital cases.
Mental Health: How should the Court of Criminal Appeals address mental health issues of those who come before the court?
Mental health issues are litigated at the trial level. As an appellate judge, in cases with mental health issues, I write legal opinions that determine whether a trial court properly admitted, or excluded mental health evidence. If evidence of mental health is improperly excluded, the Court has the authority to grant a new trial.
Access to Justice: What opportunities are there, if any, to improve the state’s indigent defense system in criminal cases?
There are opportunities to improve the system, but that requires additional funding and that assistance has to come from the legislature and individual counties, not the courts. In order to attract qualified lawyers to represent indigent defendants, the State will have to compensate those lawyers, or create more public defender offices.
Other Issues: What other issues do you believe will be most pressing for the Court of Criminal Appeals?
In light of the current COVID crisis, one of the most pressing issues will involve getting the courts across the State back to work. I anticipate several legal challenges will follow the "new normal" including speedy trial claims, jury selection issues, witness testimonies and jury deliberations that result in fair verdicts.
Elizabeth Davis Frizell (Democrat)
Website: http://www.Frizell4Judge.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/frizell4txjudge
Background: What training, experience, and background qualify you for this position?
I have 27 years of trial experience and 13 years as a private practitioner. I have 20 years of experience as a Judge where I was elected as a Dallas County Criminal Court Judge and Dallas Criminal District Court Judge.
Mental Health: How should the Court of Criminal Appeals address mental health issues of those who come before the court?
The Court of Criminal Appeals should ensure that trial courts examine mentally ill defendants for their capacity to know the difference between right and wrong as well as whether a mental illness affected their judgment and was properly asserted and applied for sentencing purposes.
Access to Justice: What opportunities are there, if any, to improve the state’s indigent defense system in criminal cases?
The State Bar should require internships similar to internships in the medical field where newly licensed attorneys work for non-profit organizations, government agencies, and firms doing trial work and appellate work for at least one year prior to becoming licensed. This will give non-profit and pro bono agencies more attorneys to handle an increased caseload.
Other Issues: What other issues do you believe will be most pressing for the Court of Criminal Appeals?
Disparate sentencing, wrongful convictions, and death penalty cases.
The above information was gathered and compiled by the League of Women Voters, a non-profit and non-partisan organization dedicated to voter education.
3News has partnered with the League in order to help make sure our community has access to all the information they need before they hit the polls. You can find more of this information at Vote411.org.
