Judicial Profile - Judge Chris Ponder

JUDICIAL PROFILE

By Perry Cockerell, Perry Cockerell, P.C.

Judge Chris Ponder, Probate Court No. 1

Judge Ponder is entering his fifth year as Judge of the Tarrant County Probate Court No. 1. Ponder followed the footsteps of Judge Steve M. King who announced his retirement from the court in 2018. King’s retirement led to a five-way open race, the first in many years for the probate court in Tarrant County. Ponder won the 2018 Republican primary following a May run-off; he faced no opposition in the general election in the fall of 2018.

Ponder grew up in Arlington, Texas where he graduated from Sam Houston High School in 1994 and the University of Texas at Arlington in 1999. In 2003 he graduated from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. During law school he clerked for a law firm in downtown Dallas. He kept that job after law school for fourteen months where he was immediately thrust into a high-volume trial practice as a first-year lawyer. “I did an immense amount of litigation as a brandnew lawyer. It was very similar to what young criminal prosecutors do, except this was on the civil side. I was taking three or four depositions a week. I think I tried seven jury trials during my first year as an attorney.”

Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office

In January 2005 Ponder moved to Fort Worth to take a position as Assistant District Attorney in the Civil Division of the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office. He remained in the Civil Division for the next thirteen years and became head of the Mental Health Unit. Ponder argued in the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans and twice at the Texas Supreme Court. “The Civil Division of the DA’s office has always been a great place to work because it gives you exposure to so many types of issues. And you were always encouraged to pursue any kind of case that came in to the office. I handled tort claims, contract claims, employment law, civil rights; I did forfeiture proceedings for some neglected horses; I did a commitment of a tuberculosis patient that was refusing treatment. It’s really a great place to work.”

By the time that Judge King’s seat opened up, Ponder had significant experience in the mental health area and was interested in the position. “I thought this was an opportunity for me to continue to serve the public and I thought that I had the right temperament and thoughtfulness to be a good judge.”

Life in the Probate Court No. 1

Monday has historically been an important day for the court because it is reserved for the uncontested docket. “We have a very high volume of uncontested will prove-ups. We have a lot of wills that are straightforward, and that they had a good estate plan in place and all that is needed is to get an executor appointed and qualified.” The court may conduct uncontested prove-ups throughout the week.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are for other kinds of motions. The Judge starts all jury trials on Tuesdays. Fridays are his “catch up day” that he uses to read motions and briefs for the coming week and to handle emergency motions that are filed.

Hearings calendared/documentation required

All hearings in his Court must be calendared through Heather Beyer, the court coordinator. She can be reached at probatecourt1@tarrantcounty.com. All paperwork for the hearing (proofs, oath, proposed order) must be e-filed at least five days prior to the hearing. The Judge and the court staff will review the documents prior to a hearing.

“We’ll have reviewed the application and the will in advance of the hearing. We check to make sure it is in order. For the uncontested cases, we have to make sure that the statutes are followed because there is nobody on the other side to clean it up. It’s our duty to represent the public effectively and make sure that everything is done properly. We spend a lot of time making sure everything is in order so that when you show up for your hearing, you can be in and out of there as quickly as possible.”

Judge Ponder retained former Judge King’s administrative staff. “Judge King put together such an amazing staff and had them operating at a very high level. I was grateful that they were willing to stay on with me after Judge King’s retirement.”

Binders are helpful for court hearings

Having binders for the court for hearings is helpful. “I’m going to put them in a binder for my own convenience. And if you want to do that for me, I will be most appreciative.”

Be prepared on the court’s authority to act

The Judge may pose questions to attorneys such as: “Do I have the authority to do what you're asking me to do?” He may ask attorneys to cite the statute, rule or case that gives him the authority to act. “Don't just ask me to act. Show me the authority that serves as a basis for me to give you the relief that you want.”

Advice to attorneys

The Judge’s advice to all attorneys is “being respectful to the court and to opposing counsel and to your opposing parties; be professional. Take care in preparing the paperwork you submit to the court. Your work product reflects upon you and has a big effect on your reputation. Pay attention to details. That’s a big thing for me: care about the work you do, care about what you sign your name to. And then professionalism towards the other people in the process, whether it’s court staff or opposing counsel. I’m big on manners and professionalism.” Judge Ponder is married to Dotty Ponder and with their oldest off to college, they are one-third of the way to being empty nesters. In his free time, Judge Ponder enjoys being outdoors, hunting, playing golf, and woodworking. g

WOMEN ATTORNEYS SECTION

For the 2022–2023 year the Women Attorneys Section (WAS) has its sights set on reconnecting with its members and welcoming new female attorneys to the organization. If the Pandemic taught us anything it was the importance of building and maintaining relationships as well as finding value in our activities. We plan to foster both through a variety of events we are hosting for our members this year.

We “hit” the year off in September with a pickleball social at Courtside Kitchen in Fort Worth. Those who attended received a lesson from one of Courtside’s Certified Pros, played matches on the beautiful courts, and sampled some of the delicious menu items from the kitchen. It was a great way to learn about this popular sport while also connecting with current and new WAS members.

Our next event took place in November and featured a panel discussion entitled “Things Every Lawyer Ought to Know for Family, Friends, and Social Gatherings.” The panel featured Tarrant County attorneys discussing the basic information every attorney should know about estate planning & probate, family law, immigration, and criminal law. With holiday parties and family gatherings on the horizon, you never know when this information may come in handy.

CLE On Demand

Free for TCBA Members

Women Attorneys Section Presents:

Things Every Lawyer Ought to Know for Family, Friends, and Social Gatherings A Panel Discussion With: • Heidi Angel, Estate Planning and Probate, Kelly Hart &

Hallman LLP • Donna J. Smiedt, Family Law, The Family Law Firm of

Donna J. Smiedt • Rigien Jackson, Immigration Law, Jackson, Landrith &

Kulesz, PC • Dean Miyazono, Criminal Law, The Medlin Law Firm, PLLC

Access recording at www.tarrantbar.org/WAS-cle

By Caroline Harrison, Women Attorneys Section Chair

In our quest to reconnect, our board has utilized member feedback to improve upon some of WAS’ longstanding events. Last December we hosted our first Holiday Shopping event since the start of the Pandemic and in reviving the event we changed the format from a luncheon to a sip-and-shop event. The format change was a result of member input we received about changing the event to better accommodate work schedules and expand attendance. Last year’s event was such a success that we will be hosting a Holiday Sip-and-Shop event again on December 8. Event details are below.

We also look forward to reconnecting with other sections within the Tarrant County Bar Association. Starting in January and continuing throughout the remainder of the membership year WAS plans to host a variety of events which will include speed networking and mentorship events as well as joint membership mixers with other sections like the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association and the Solo and Small Firm section.

The Women Attorneys Section looks forward to reconnecting with everyone. g