JUDICIAL PROFILE
By Perry Cockerell, Perry Cockerell, P.C.
Judge Kate Stone, 233rd District Court
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ssociate Judge Kate Stone is serving in her third year on the bench in the 233rd District Court in Tarrant County. Appointed to the court in February 2019 shortly after District Judge Kenneth Newell was elected to the 233rd District Court in November 2018, her rise from a Texas attorney to associate judge after eight years of private practice, is nothing short of remarkable. She grew up in Houston, the third child of Mike and Patsy Moore as sister to older siblings, Mike and Elisa where she attended St. Agnes Academy. At the age of nineteen, she relocated to Colleyville. In 2004 she enrolled in the University of Texas at Arlington where she graduated with a B.S. in Criminology and Psychology. During college she worked with the Innocence Project of Texas, a program led by her criminology professor, John Stickels, J.D., Ph.D. The Innocence Project at UTA worked closely with the Dallas County Conviction Integrity Unit, and would review closed cases, specifically those that may require new Court ordered testing of previously gathered DNA. While in the program, Stickels noticed her abilities and encouraged her to apply for law school. In 2008 she was accepted to Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. After graduation from law school in 2011, she joined John Stickles in his law firm of Stickels & Associates, P.C. in Arlington and began a practice handling family and criminal law matters. She joined the Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association and Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association. In late 2015 she established Stone Law as a solo practitioner. In 2016, tragedy struck when her son, Max, was seriously injured after being hit by an automobile during a family trip to New Orleans. He was declared dead at the scene but was revived and rushed to the hospital. She and her then husband, Paul Stone remained with him in New Orleans until he could be safely transferred to Fort Worth. Her law practice was second to Max’s many surgeries and daily routine at the hospital. During those months she often kept a change of clothes at the hospital to run to hearings during Max’s daily therapy. Judge Stone expressed how she was “awed at the amount of love and support the Tarrant County Bar, attorneys, and Judges showed her during that time and how much grace they extended herself and her practice. During that time Tarrant County was so supportive and I will be forever grateful 12 www.tarrantbar.org MAY/JUNE 2022
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for their response.” she said. In 2019 Kenneth Newell, a friend from law school and respected colleague, was elected District Judge to the 233rd District Court. After his election the two attorneys reconnected. “I didn’t know at the time but he had been interviewing people for the associate judge position.” Soon after taking the bench, and much to her surprise, District Judge Newell called her to take the associate judge position.
Life in the 233rd District Court
Located on the fifth floor of the Tarrant County Family Law Center, 200 East Weatherford in downtown Fort Worth, Judge Stone conducts hearings daily. Her court coordinator is Angie D. Wierzbicki. Judge Stone’s court Bailiff is Bob Gonzales, who she claims, “keeps the day to day flow of the court moving as smoothly as possible.” “Gonzo” as she affectionately calls him, “is my eyes and ears in this place, he not only has a history as a police officer with many years experience patrolling the street but has the benefit of years of familiarity with the courtroom and with these families. I couldn't do what I do without him.” Judge Stone is accustomed to a sometimes-tense docket consisting of new matters arriving in her court while the cases are still developing. She notes that in the beginning of the cases there can be a lot of anger, resentment, and defensiveness between the parties. She understands that the parties “started out with dreams, or concepts and expectations of what their marriage and family life would be and sadly they are here because those hopes have not been realized.” Ideally Judge Stone prefers that the parties and attorneys work things out with minimal interference from the Court because she believes that the parties will naturally “live more happily with their agreement than my ruling.” She wants the litigants to know that there are other options besides warring with their ex-partner and hurting the children in the process. The Judge desires the parties focus on how to be better coparents with an end towards having happier and more welladjusted children with strong bonds to both parents. “As judges and lawyers, we are given the opportunity to mitigate the destruction that comes from divorce, abandonment, and separation.” There are many services available now through counseling and mediation.” The Judge prefers that the families seek these routes during their case to assist the litigation process and perhaps even avoid the necessity of further litigation. Judge Stone stated she believes that it is her “duty as a Judge to call balls and strikes but when possible, provide these families the tools that could assist them in forming a
