We Recommend Tammy Kemp in the Democratic Primary for the 204th Judicial District Court

We recommend incumbent Tammy Kemp over Dallas lawyer Stephen Duplantis for the 204th Judicial District Court, despite some concerns about her temperament and courtroom presence.Kemp, 56, a former Dallas County prosecutor, is seeking her second four-year term in this criminal court. She took over a court that had the fourth-highest in costs per disposition and has made improvements. Up-to-date county-vetted management statistics aren't yet available, but Kemp, of Dallas, says she has reduced the number of people in jail awaiting court action from over 300 per month to about 100 monthly. She also sits on a committee of district court judges seeking bail reform, a positive move. Duplantis, a former Dallas County Public Defender who is now in private criminal defense practice, says he is concerned about Kemp's courtroom demeanor. Kemp did have a spat with the Public Defenders office last year, after which she barred them from a permanent assignment in her courtroom. We'd urge her to improve this reputation.A first-time office seeker, Duplantis, 50, is held in high regard among some attorneys, who say he would make a good judge. However, he had few concrete ideas beyond demeanor on why he would be better for this bench.The winner in this primary faces no major-party opposition in the general election.   Continue reading...