CONRAD DAY - Why I Seek Judicial Office

I have wanted this job for a long time. I ran for this job in 1990 and won a contested Republican Primary, only to be defeated by Judge Beck, the Democratic incumbent, in the general election. I have continued to want this job for twenty years, and now that Judge Beck is retiring, I am seeking election again. The 155th District Judgeship is the only elected office I have ever sought (excluding the four years I appeared on the ballot as Austin County Republican Chairman, which is an elected position). It is the only public office I intend to ever seek.

I believe judicial office is a higher calling than practicing law. I have been a lawyer for twenty-nine years, twenty-five of which have been in Austin County, and I feel that I have done as much as I can to perfect my skills in the areas of Family, Criminal, and Civil Law. I now want to use those skills in the judicial arena, to serve a broader community of people.

I want this job, too, because I want to live in a district where the Constitution will be upheld and the rule of law is respected. I want to live in a district where the judge will not make new law with his decisions. I want to live in a place where judicial activism is something we read about, but do not have to endure. I want to know that in Austin, Fayette, and Waller Counties, conflicts between citizens are resolved fairly and efficiently.

As a taxpayer in Austin County, I want to know that our tax dollars are not paying for the hasty education of an inexperienced new judge. This is particularly important lately, because of pending cases that will be presided over by the winner of this election. Sadly, Austin County and Waller County both currently have pending capital murder cases. These cases make the selection of a qualified judge critical, since the cost of a capital murder case in which the State seeks the death penalty can range from $250,000 to $1 million or more. The cost is so high that some rural counties have had to raise taxes.

The skill and Criminal Law experience necessary to competently try any felony case, and especially a capital case, cannot be obtained in “judge’s school” or by means of “on-the-job training.” If a capital case were to be reversed on appeal due to error by the judge, the tremendous cost would perhaps be doubled. This is an expense the taxpayers of this district can ill afford. I am already uniquely qualified to preside over these cases, because of the lessons I have learned over the past quarter of a century practicing Criminal Law in this district. This experience includes approximately twenty felony jury trials in my career, and many times more misdemeanor jury trials.

Finally, I seek this judicial office because I have evaluated all of the candidates and I am the best man for the job. I have the life experience, legal expertise, and inherent integrity and fairness to make reasoned decisions from the bench. I will uphold the Constitution and respect the rule of law. I will not make new law with my decisions, and will not engage in judicial activism. I will save the taxpayers money by avoiding the necessity of on-the-job training for the judge that will preside over the important cases of our community.

This is why I am seeking judicial office, and this is why I ask for your vote in the Republican Runoff on April 13, 2010.