UPDATED Video Notes:
This video references two times when the lies of Judge Williams and her campaign have been refuted.
The details are these:
1. Joint Appearance at “Monday Night Politics,” (02.05.24) CLICK HERE.
Find Justice Garcia's statement at the end of the video (1:30:30)
2. Blog by Justice Garcia: Despite this, Staci Williams' Campaign has continued to assert this falsehood in formal and informal campaign material.
Therefore, Justice Garcia refuted this assertion AGAIN on 02.15.24. CLICK HERE to read.
This video is the third time this superious charge of “underperformance” has been refuted.
However! Please note!
Since this video was published, we are aware of four more official campaign releases --two mailers and two text blasts--where this lie has again been repeated after this video was published.
Democrats want candidates who can beat Republicans.
I have a record doing just that.
In 2004, I defeated a Republican incumbent for the 303rd District Court, against all odds.
Not even some local Democrats believed I could win. But I did.
In 2006, I defeated a different Republican challenger for the same bench.
In 2020, I defeated an incumbent Republican for the 5th District Court of Appeals.
In that race, I received more votes than any candidate —Republican or Democrat— in 5th District court of appeals history. (See Texas Sec of State Screenshot...)
I would appreciate your vote in this Democratic Primary, for Chief of the 5th District Court of Appeals.
Justice Dennise Garcia
I want to respond to several distortions of truth in Staci William’s recent online post about primary race for Chief Justice. While I have the utmost respect for Judge Williams, facts matter.
I must state clearly that there is no attempt here to malign Judge Williams’ character. But she has misstated the facts about my record, and our race should allow voters to compare us in a meaningful way.
The workings of the court of appeals is confusing enough without spinning facts. So, let me illustrate by citing two points Judge Williams has misstated.
In a recent joint campaign appearance with Staci Williams, I noted how I have disposed 100% of the cases assigned to me for every term since I took the appellate bench.
Staci Williams heard me cite this fact in a public forum.
Furthermore, when looking at the past two terms (2022, 2023) the total number of disposed cases on my docket was 134.
This is actually 2 cases HIGHER than the average of the justices on the 5th Court for that period.
When referring to the most recent term, Judge Williams suggests that this is somehow evidence of my “under performance.” It is, in fact, the opposite.
Cases at the 5th District are evenly assigned among the justices. The lower number of opinions last term (what she hopes you read as “under performance”) in fact indicates that, on average and over several years, I consistently keep up with my docket, and finish my cases *faster than average*, clearing 100% of all cases assigned during the term in which they are assigned.
Here is what should trouble voters:
Despite hearing me recount the above facts at a recent joint campaign event (video publicly available), Staci Williams has now repeated this obvious distortion of my record in a written communication with voters.
Speaking of records, since the disposition of cases is now a campaign issue, let’s talk about her record as a District Judge.
The latest publicly available records(1) show Staci Williams ranked 12 out of 13 judges on the civil bench in Dallas County for the disposition of cases. Meaning: the second largest backlog of all 13 courts.
This is likely one of the reasons why Dallas Bar Poll respondents consistently say Staci Williams “needs improvement,” by a shockingly high 48%.
Again, here are the available facts for both of our records, so voters can compare:
My record (Justice Garcia): 100% of assigned cases were disposed of within the term they were assigned for 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Her record (Staci Williams): 2nd worst case backlog in our Dallas County Civil District Courts (out of 13 judges).
It will be up to voters to decide who among us is telling the truth about the issues. I urge voters to look at the facts and see past the spin.
Let’s move to another distortion that Staci Williams makes in her written piece.
She says: “Do you want someone who is literally handing Gregg Abbott the opportunity to appoint a REPUBLICAN justice to this court?”
Sounds ominous. But, not really…and especially not when you look at the effect electing her would have.
The facts are these: Gov. Abbott’s appointee to the 5th District will serve for two years until the next election cycle.
They will sit as one of three justices on a panel (appellate justices hear cases in groups of three) *or* as one of 13 members when the Court gathers as a whole (en banc).
This is the beauty of our appellate system: that no one justice’s view can dominate any one decision. Should one justice express views out of line with the others, they must still convince at least one other justice (on the regular 3-judge panel) or six more justices (when we sit as a whole). As such, the appellate process has built-in checks and balances to mitigate the influence of any one person. This, again, is the beauty of the appellate system.
But, since Staci Williams draws attention to this issue a vacant bench, let’s look at the disturbing effect her election would have on her court.
As a bench judge, the facts are that 100% of the cases in her court would be heard by an Abbott appointed judge for the next two years.
There would be 100% unmitigated Republican influence, of *all* cases in the 101st District Court, should she leave her present bench.
—————————
The two issues I respond to in this essay are not the only examples of how Staci Williams has misrepresented my record, her own, and the record of the 5th District Court.
I empathize with any voters who find it difficult to understand the workings of our court systems. Ultimately, beyond all the noise of a campaign season, you are asked to make choices between candidates and their records.
As you get ready to make that choice, given that Judge Williams heard me correct her misstatement in a public forum, and has repeated it once again, I would ask voters:
“Do we really want to elect someone to the court of appeals who distorts the truth and my own public record in this way?”
I end with this:
My nineteen years of judicial service has given me a deep faith in you, the voters of the 5th District.
I believe you want facts without spin.
You deserve to know them.
You deserve a Chief Justice who understands the appellate process, who has already been there, and who —with my Family Law background— knows how to manage conflict in difficult situations…precisely the real role of the Chief Justice.
I trust that my record of service —consistently highly rated as “Excellent” by over 60% of lawyers who appear before me— will help you see me as the clear choice for Chief.
I have always been straightforward with my record, a basic value all voters should expect from their judges.
I ask you to vote for me for Chief Justice of the 5th District Court of Appeals.
Justice Dennise Garcia
——————
(1) Dallas County Judicial Management Report for 2021.
NEW! Editors Notes:
Judge Williams responded to this blog with the complaint that this was from a COVID year.
Two notes then:
1. The Covid pandemic affected all courts equally.
So, while she can assert that made things different, she has not explained being 12 out of 13 that year.
2. Justice Garcia is providing the current information of January 2024: This show Judge Williams court now 11 out of 13 courts, one better than the Covid stats, but still far below average and near the bottom of Civil District Courts.
It’s inside a week until early voting begins.
It’s time to really look hard at the choice for Chief Justice in North Texas.
And the truth is, there is only one choice.
Some might try to dismiss bar poll results as irrelevant. But facts are that as far back as you can go, Justice Dennise Garcia has been rated excellent, and Staci Williams has disturbingly high “needs improvement” scores that should concern every voter.
Again, you might dismiss ONE bar poll…but you can’t dismiss decades of data.
Click HERE to view all available Bar Poll results for each candidate. You will see the clear trend over the entire course of their careers.
Add to this…
Double the judicial experience.
Actual appellate experience.
Double-board certified.
It’s not even close, friends.
You know who the only choice is.
Vote: Justice Dennise Garcia.