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Five candidates seek 380th District Judge post
By Dan Eakin, deakin@acnpapers.com
Five candidates have filed for the 380th District Court judge position to replace Suzanne Wooten, who was found guilty of bribery and other charges last November.
The candidates, all Republican, are Terri Green, Chip Jarvis, Jody Johnson, James Mosser and Ben Smith.
They hope to learn later this week whether the primary will take place April 3 as last scheduled, or at a later date, depending upon when district remapping gets final approval.
In order to run for a district judge position in Collin County, the candidate must have lived in the county for five years and have been licensed to practice law for at least five years.
Green says she is the candidate most qualified for the position because of her extensive experience of law practice in the areas in which the 380th District Court is most involved.
"According to court records, the 380th Court hears approximately 55 percent family law matters, 35 percent civil trial and personal injury matters and the remainder felony criminal cases," Green said. "I have been licensed for 22 years, in addition to 10 years as a litigation paralegal, clerk and intern in a large law firm, for over 30-plus years working in the legal field. I have tried cases involving family law and civil trial matters, personal injury cases and probate litigation in both state and federal court to juries. In addition, I am the only candidate in my race who is admitted to practice law before the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the highest court in the land."
Green served as a teen court judge for four years, hearing criminal misdemeanor cases, after being appointed by Judge Don Stevenson in Plano.
Jarvis, who joined the military at age 31 in 2001 after becoming a practicing attorney, said, "Today, the citizens of Collin County don't trust our court system. It is in times like these that a strong and experienced leader is needed in the 380th District Court."
Jarvis holds a philosophy degree from Austin College in Sherman and a law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law. After practicing law in Dallas and Sherman, he was inspired to enlist in the U.S. Army, following the attack on the World Trade Center towers in 2001, and served in Iraq.
"I have shown, through my actions, the type of sacrifice, leadership and experience needed to lead the 380th District Court," he said.
Johnson said she feels she is the most qualified candidate for the position because she said she has been licensed to practice law longer than any of the other candidates, has the most relevant attorney experience and is the only candidate with board certification by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Minnesota with a journalism degree and later earned her law degree at Southern Methodist University. She has been a licensed attorney in Texas for 28 years.
Mosser has practiced law since graduating from Texas Wesleyan University in 1994. He was the son of a Navy man and attended more than 17 schools before graduating from high school. He began college in Japan, but later graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy. He flew several combat missions in Vietnam.
"I have been a Republican all of my life," said Mosser, adding that he was chairman of a Republican club while in the sixth grade, the year that Dwight Eisenhower was elected president.
In addition to his experience as a lawyer, Mosser has had extensive business experience.
After being discharged from the Navy in 1973, he worked as a securities salesman, a financial analyst for EDS, an independent due diligence consultant, and created and ran a real estate business. He also established an export business and owned and managed a restaurant business. He has owned his own law firm for several years.
Smith has been employed in the Collin County District Attorney's Office for the past seven years. He has served as chief felony prosecutor, second assistant district attorney, chief of the misdemeanor division and, most recently, chief of the special prosecution division that handles white collar crimes.
He said he has handled more than 5,000 criminal cases and served as prosecutor for more than 100 jury trials.
Smith holds both an undergraduate degree and a law degree from Boston University. He also studied law at Oxford University in England.
"Recent events in Collin County have cast a shadow on the courthouse," Smith said. "Public confidence must be restored to ensure proper administration of justice. It is important that the new judge of the 380th District Court possess absolute integrity and a commitment to the rule of law. I will bring honor to the 380th District Court."
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