Positive Changes

2023-Current

• Pushing efforts for JP41 to Dallas County Budget office to gain additional office staff to address the increase of criminal and civil cases. This will allow for quicker court dates and faster processing times for court documents.

• Advocating for increase of pay court staff due to the heavy workload and to staff competitive with other employment positions.

• Undergoing a digitalization project to convert all paper files to electronic records

• Implementing the next phases of becoming paperless.

• Appointed and currently serves on Dallas County's IT Technology Governance Subcommittee to support efforts in improving the county's IT infrastructure.

• Enhancing the marriage booking system from manual to online booking.

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Office Accomplishments

• Upgraded the court's lobby with a paperless kiosk and numbering system que to serve all parties in a efficient manner. This system allows for individuals to receive text messages when they are next in line and reduces the wait time.

• Successfully led efforts to implement a new case management system that went live October 31, 2022 for all Dallas county Justice Courts

• Hosted an Eviction Relief Seminar that over 125 participants online and in person seeking assistance in rent, mortgage, and utilities

• Extended court hours to better serve the public

• Implemented online e-file system for self represented litigants and other parties for Evictions and Debt Claims cases

• Partnered with North Texas Legal Aid in providing onsite attorneys to represent litigants facing eviction or needing legal representation

• Partnered with Dallas County Human Services in providing onsite eviction relief navigators to screen applicants for Dallas County's Eviction Diversion program on Eviction docket days.

• Continued to work with County Officials to ensure COVID-19 Protocols were implemented

• Hosted a Food Drive along with Precinct 4 Officials for families in need

• Participated in cleaning up Loyd Park for Grand Prairie's Annual Big Event

• Implemented Teen Court to address Juvenile Truancy and at-risk youth

• Signed and Implemented a Joint Order with other Justice of the Peace Courts to temporarily halt evictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent displaced families from being homeless during the pandemic

• Halted all court proceedings as directed by the Texas Supreme Court and Office of Court Administration due to the pandemic

• Initiated online filing of cases and online payments for civil cases

• Worked with County Officials to ensure COVID-19 Protocols were implemented

• Reinstated Payment plans AND Community Service for traffic citations and other Class C Misdemeanor Offenses (This gives individuals additional options to take care of their citations which reduces the number of warrants and dispose of tickets)

• Implemented Mediation to effectively resolve Small Claims, Debt Claims and other Civil Claims with Dallas County Dispute Resolution Center (This reduces docket/court setting sizes and wait times to be heard and will move old cases) As a result, I have reduced civil case backlog of approx. 80%.

• Added Pre-Trial Settings to address large backlog of previously set cases not disposed from 2017 or older

• Collaborated with City of Grand Prairie, Grand Prairie ISD, and Irving ISD for additional programs to address and reduce Truancy students in the Precinct

• Started first steps in transitioning the court from paper to become the first JP Court in Dallas County to become paperless and electronic (This will serve as a model to other JP Court Judges who wish to become paperless)

• Currently working with Dallas County Elected Officials and staff to implement and pilot a new Court Case Management System for the Justice of the Peace Courts (make office more effective)

• Implemented summer and year-round student internships for high school students (junior/seniors) and college students. 5 students graduated in summer 2019

• Selected to serve on Dallas County’s Technology Steering committee for the selection of a new county-wide case management system

• Hosted, along with other Precinct 4 officials, the first State of the Precinct Event. This event gives Precinct 4 stakeholders updates as well as receive feedback from the community

• Partnered with Meals on Wheels to serve meals for the less fortunate in Grand Prairie

• Upgraded the court’s phone system to reduce effectively route, reduce extended call times, and hold the court accountable

• Received a Leadership and Excellence Award from the Dallas County Dispute Resolution Center for implementation of mediation and onsite mediators at the court

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