BUSINESS CONNECTIONS HOUSTON
...Harris County, Texas
“As we endeavor to inform and empower our readers to make an informed voting decision at the ballot box, I would like to take this moment to congratulate Judge Michelle Slaughter on her Tuesday, March 6, 2018 Republican Party Primary victory. While Judge Slaughter will not have a Democratic opponent in the Tuesday, November 6, 2018 Midterm Election, she will have to face off against a candidate by the name of Mark Ash who is running as an independent candidate. I would like to encourage all “SWING-VOTERS” to go to the polls to cast your vote during the early voting period which begins on Monday, October 22, 2018.” — Aubrey R. Taylor, Publisher
“I am excited to be your choice for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, in Place 8. I promise to stick to my constitutional conservative values and be a judge that you can always be proud to support!”– Michelle ANALYSIS BY AUBREY R. TAYLOR
In case you don’t already know, Judge Michelle Slaughter beat both her fellow Republican Primary opponents in the Tuesday, March 6, 2018, (STATEWIDE) race for Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8. So, while Judge Slaughter will not have a Democratic opponent on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, she will have to face off against a candidate running as an independent.
Judge Slaughter is Conservative, Effective and Experienced.
Judge Michelle Slaughter is a constitutional conservative judge and an originalist – much like Justice Clarence Thomas. As a district judge, Judge Slaughter has presided over thousands of felony criminal cases and well over a hundred felony criminal jury trials ranging from statejail felonies to capital murder cases. She is the only candidate in this race with a proven track record of efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and saving taxpayer dollars.
Judge Slaughter Gets Things Done.
As a highly-accomplished attorney, Michelle was disgusted at what she saw happening in the 405th District Court. The judge in that court at the time was a liberal, activist judge. The court was the least efficient, least effective court with the highest reversal rate and the highest backlog (by far) in Galveston County. This was a judge that had been there for 12 years, had been a lifelong prosecutor and a 1st Assistant District Attorney with a lot
of criminal experience. On paper, he looked like an excellent judge. But he had the worst track record of any judge in Galveston County. As a person who gets things done, Michelle ran against and beat this 12-year incumbent judge. Within her first two years on the bench, Judge Slaughter transformed the court into the most efficient, most effective district court with the lowest backlog in Galveston County. She fought for and implemented transparency for the court. She also found cost-savings solutions and has saved taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars every year she has been on the bench. Now in her second term as a district judge, Judge Slaughter has maintained that efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.
With her conservative values, proven track record, experience with thousands of criminal cases, and quality credentials, Judge Slaughter was indeed the best candidate for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8. Judge Slaughter is proud of the fact that she earned well over 90% of all endorsements made in this race back in the March primary. In case you don’t know, Judge Slaughter received the unanimous board endorsement of Grassroots America – We the People and received 16 out of 17 votes of the board for the Conservative Coalition of Harris County endorsement. She also earned the endorsements of Empower Texans, Texas Right to Life, Texas Homeschool Coalition, Texas Values, and many, many more!
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“It’s imperative that we make it our business to elect the “BEST-QUALIFIED” candidates who value “US” when we go to the polls to vote in 2018.”
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EVERY VOTE COUNTS! — HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER© F0CUSED ON THE 2018 “SWING-VOTE”
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CONSERVATIVES ON THE MOVE IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS: Honorable Michelle Slaughter and Attorney Charles Johnson who will be seeking to beat Democrat (nominee) Attorney Amy Martin in the race for District Judge, 263rd Judicial District Court in Harris County, Texas on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Early voting will begin on Monday, October 22, 2018, and end on Friday, November 2, 2018.
Justice Brett Busby (pictured in the back - far right) will be fighting off the challenge of Democrat (nominee) Attorney Jerry Zimmerer in the race for Justice, 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 3 in Texas on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Early voting will begin on Monday, October 22, 2018, and end on Friday, November 2, 2018.
dra who were with Burt Levine and his wife San Honorable Michelle Slaughter r secure her ghte y others) with helping Judge Slau both instrumental (along with man Affairs Conent ernm Gov itol, lyst at Texas State Cap victory. Burt Levine is a Policy Ana s Campaigns. Communications Manager at Texa sultant at Texas Campaigns and
Honorable Michelle Slaughter with Congressman Kevin Brady who will be fighting off the challenge of Democrat (nominee) Steven David in the race for United States Representative for the 8th Congressional District on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Early voting will begin on Monday, October 22, 2018, and end on Friday, November 2, 2018.
*Example of how branding advertorials will look inside the “2018 MIDTERM ELECTION GUIDE” to be published by Aubrey R. Taylor Communications.
ELECTION DAY:
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018
EARLY VOTING DATES FOR THE 2018 MIDTERM ELECTION: Early voting will begin on Monday, October 22, 2018 and end on - Friday, November 2, 2018
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EVERY VOTE COUNTS! — HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS NEWSPAPER© FOCUSED ON THE 2018 “SWING-VOTE”
THE TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS JUDGES: The Court of Criminal Appeals is Texas' highest court for criminal cases. The Court consists of a Presiding Judge and eight Judges. They are elected by the voters of the entire state, and they hold their offices for terms of six years. The Court sits in Austin, near the Capitol. From time to time it may sit in other cities to hear cases.
A Victory by Judge Michelle Slaughter on November 6th Will Earn her a Spot on The Highest Court for Criminal Appeals in the State of Texas PRESIDING JUDGE - Place 1
HONORABLE SHARON KELLER
Judge Sharon Keller was first elected to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 1994. She was elected Presiding Judge in 2000 and re-elected to that position in 2006. She is the first woman to have served on the Court. A native Texan, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Rice University in 1975 and her Juris Doctor degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1978. Presiding Judge Keller is chairman of the Texas Indigent Defense Commission and she is on the board of the Council of State Governments Justice Center. She is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a member of the Judicial Advisory Council to the Community Justice Assistance Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. By virtue of her office, she is vice-chair of the Texas Judicial Council. In 2003 Presiding Judge Keller received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Judicial Service from the SMU Dedman School of Law. Her current term on the Court extends through December of 2018. In 2003 Presiding Judge Keller received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Judicial Service from the SMU Dedman School of Law. Her current term on the Court extends through December of 2018.
JUDGE - Place 2
2016 she presided over the 232nd District Court in Harris County, Texas. She also served Harris County as an assistant district attorney at trial and on appeal. She was a briefing attorney for the First Court of Appeals from 1985-86. She has been board certified in Criminal Law since 1990. She earned a BA in English from the University of Texas in 1982 and a JD from the University of Houston Law Center in 1985. She is married to attorney Jim Hippard, Jr., and they have three children, all now young adults.
Judge - Place 3
HONORABLE BERT RICHARDSON
Judge Bert Richardson was elected to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 2014. He served as an Assistant District Attorney for Bexar County and Assistant U. S. Attorney. He was appointed to the 379th District Court of Bexar County in 1999. He is a graduate of St. Mary's University School of Law and is board certified in Criminal Law.
JUDGE - Place 4
HONORABLE KEVIN YEARY
Judge Kevin Patrick Yeary was elected to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 2014. In 1991, he served as briefing attorney at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. He has worked as a defense attorney in private practice and as an Assistant District Attorney for Dallas, Harris and
Bexar Counties. He is a graduate of the St. Mary's University School of Law.
JUDGE - Place 5
HONORABLE SCOTT WALKER
Judge Scott Walker was elected to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in November of 2016. Prior to taking the bench, his law practice consisted of criminal litigation, appellate advocacy, civil defense, and veteran's disability. His undergraduate degree is from Dallas Baptist University and his Juris Doctorate is from Baylor School of Law. Judge Walker is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Bar College, an honorary society of lawyers who are among the best trained in Texas. He is a former member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Judge Walker is a native Texan. He and his wife have been married for 44 years. They are evangelical Christians and are active members in their Dallas area church. They have one son, one daughter, and two grandchildren.
JUDGE - Place 6
HONORABLE MICHAEL KEASLER
Judge Michael E. Keasler earned his B.A. and L.L.B. degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. In 1969, he was appointed assistant district attorney for Dallas County, where he served for twelve years. He was a senior felony chief prosecutor in the Career Criminal Division and a veteran of over four hundred jury trials when in 1981 he was appointed judge of
the 292nd District Court in Dallas. He served as judge of that trial court for over seventeen years. He was chosen by his colleagues to serve as Chair of the State Bar Judicial Section, Chair of the Texas Center for the Judiciary's Board of Directors, Chair of the Dallas County Juvenile Board, Chair of the Dallas County Criminal District Judges, and Presiding Local Administrative Judge. He also served as Chair of the ABA State Trial Judges' Ethics Committee. From 1990 to 1997, Judge Keasler served as dean of continuing judicial education in Texas and instituted the Texas College of Advanced Judicial Studies in 1993. He has been a faculty member at The National Judicial College since 1992, served on its faculty council, and was the April, 2002 Robert H. Jackson Lecturer at its General Jurisdiction Course. He is a member of The American Law Institute, the ABA Appellate Judges Conference. He is also a Fellow of the Texas and American Bar Foundations. He teaches judicial ethics, constitutional criminal law, statutory construction, and appellate standards of review nationally. Judge Keasler has been married to the former Nancy Lawson of Austin since 1969. She is a classroom teacher at St. Andrew's Episcopal School. Their daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren also reside in Austin. Current term expires December 31, 2020.
JUDGE - Place 7
HONORABLE BARBARA HERVEY
Judge Barbara Parker Hervey was elected to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in November 2000. A native of New Jersey, Judge Hervey earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1975 from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her J.D. in 1979 from St. Mary's University
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HONORABLE MARY LOU KEEL
Judge Mary Lou Keel was elected to the Court in 2016. From 1995 through
“It’s imperative that we make it our business to elect the “BEST-QUALIFIED” candidates who value “US” when we go to the polls to vote in 2018.”
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Here’s what Judge Slaughter said after receiving Senator Cruz’ endorsement: “I am incredibly honored, humbled, and overwhelmed to have earned the endorsement of our Senator Ted Cruz!” Here’s the message Senator Ted Cruz said in his endorsement of Judge Michelle Slaughter in the race for Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8: “We are blessed in Texas to have so many solid conservatives running for office. I’m asking Texas voters to carefully consider the choices before them this election cycle, and to stand with those who have proven themselves to be conservatives of conviction. I am proud to endorse Judge Michelle Slaughter for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, and urge the voters of the Texas to join me by supporting her.”
School of Law, where she is currently an Adjunct Professor and a past recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Hervey was in private practice for 5 years with the Law Office of M.M. Pena, Jr. of San Antonio. She was also an Assistant Criminal District Attorney in the appellate section of the Bexar County District Attorney's Office for 16 years. Judge Hervey has been an author and speaker for over 150 lectures and legal seminars, served on the Governor's Ad Hoc Committee to Rewrite the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, supervised continuing legal education training for attorneys in the D.A.'s Office, served as a Faculty Member of the National College of District Attorneys, and co-authored The Appellate Prosecutor: "Professional Responsibility on Appeal." Judge Hervey is currently a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation, and the American Law Institute. She is the Chair of the Grants Committee and the Criminal Justice Integrity Unit and is a member of the Rules Committee for the Court of Criminal Appeals. Judge Hervey has served as a member of the Governor's Criminal Justice Advisory Council and the Tim Cole Advisory Panel. She has received the Appellate Advocacy Award from Region VI, Association of Government Attorneys in Capital Litigation. She has also received a Certificate of Appreciation from the San Antonio Police Officers Association in recognition of work on
Johnathan Moore v. State of Texas, tried for the Capital Murder of S.A.P.D. Officer Fabian Dominguez. Judge Hervey and her husband Richard Langlois (defense attorney, Bexar County) reside in San Antonio, Texas. They have three children, Edward, Christopher, and Melissa. Her current term is through 2018.
JUDGE - Place 8
HONORABLE ELSA ALCALA
In May 2011, Judge Elsa Alcala was appointed to the Court of Criminal Appeals by Governor Rick Perry and unanimously confirmed by the Texas Senate. Prior to becoming a judge on the Court of Criminal Appeals, she served for nine years as a justice on the First Court of Appeals, an intermediate court of appeals in Texas with jurisdiction over criminal and civil matters. Prior to serving on the appellate courts, Judge Alcala presided over trials as a state district court judge for over three years. During her tenure on the 338th District Court, she presided over hundreds of felony criminal offenses, ranging from property offenses to violent crimes. Before becoming a judge, Judge Alcala was an assistant district attorney for nine years, serving under District Attorney Johnny Holmes at the Harris County District Attor-
ney's Office. Judge Alcala is double board certified in criminal law and in criminal appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Judge Alcala has a JD from the University of Texas, where she received the honor of Order of Barristers. Before becoming a Longhorn, she was a Javelina, receiving a BA degree from Texas A&I University in Kingsville. Judge Alcala is a mother of three teenagers and married to Dan Spjut, Judge of Harris County Criminal Court at Law Number Ten.
JUDGE - Place 9
HONORABLE DAVID NEWELL
Judge David Newell was elected to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on November 4, 2014. The son of Thomas and Linda Newell, David was born at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland, though he grew up in Sugar Land, Texas with his much taller, older brother, Robert Newell. David graduated cum laude from William P. Clements High School. He earned his undergraduate degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing at the University of Houston. He graduated magna cum laude, earning University honors and honors in his major. He received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1997 before returning
home to work in the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office. He served as an appellate prosecutor for 16 years, first in Fort Bend County and later in the Harris County District Attorney's Office from 2007 until his election to the Court. Judge Newell has twice served as the Chairman of the Editorial Board for the Texas District and County Attorney's bimonthly journal, The Texas Prosecutor. He also co-authored a regular byline for the journal, "As the Judges Saw It," a column that analyzed and summarized the significant decisions of the Court of Criminal Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. He served repeatedly on the planning committee for the Advanced Criminal Law Course for the State Bar of Texas. And he has presented the Court of Criminal Appeals Update at the Texas Conference on Criminal Appeals, the TDCAA Criminal and Civil Law Update, and the Texas State Bar's Advanced Criminal Law Course. Judge Newell is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in both criminal law and criminal appellate law. He is also licensed by the State Bar of Texas and admitted to practice before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. In 2013, David received the C. Chris Marshall Award for Distinguished Faculty from the Texas District and County Attorneys' Association. David and his beautiful wife, Shayne, currently live in the Houston area with their two sons.
www.aubreyrtaylor.blogspot.com
“It’s imperative that we make it our business to elect the “BEST-QUALIFIED” candidates who value “US” when we go to the polls to vote in 2018.”
®
832.212.8735