Home

qualifications

Experienced, hard-working and dedicated. Details follow.

  • 23 years of varied law practice as Attorney/CPA prior to taking the bench.
  • District Judge since January 1997.
  • Presided over 100's of trials, both juries and before the Court, including felonies, complex civil cases, juveniles, juveniles certified to stand trial as adults.
  • Totally revamped the methods of scheduling criminal cases to make the possibility of a swift trial a greater reality for defendants.
  • Modernized the office procedures for the Court Coordinators.
  • Implemented the widespread use of internet website and email technology for the Court, attorneys and public (details below).
  • Initiated the creation of the 424th District Court (Hon. Dan Mills, Judge Presiding) in anticipation of continued growth in the four counties.
  • Collaborated with Burnet County District Clerk Dana DeBerry's cutting-edge initiatives for "e-filing" (direct filing by attorneys over the internet to the clerk's office) and "I-jury" (citizen ability to respond to summons and be qualified via the internet thus avoiding the initial trip to the courthouse for qualification).
  • Member, Texas Supreme Court Task Force on Foster Care which was responsible for the Court Improvement Project which resulted in the specialty courts with associate judges presiding over child protection (CPS) cases.
  • Implemented the creation of the specialty CPS court for the district (Associate Judge Rob Hoffman presides).
  • First required a seminar for divorcing parents in order to encourage better communications for the benefit of children during and following the divorce of the parents.
  • One of the first courts in Texas to use "CourtCall" -- a system for telephonic court appearances on brief matters which saves lawyers substantial amounts of time, and their clients substantial amounts of legal fees by avoiding unnecessary travel.
  • Oversees two associate judges who are responsible to the District Court, one for CPS and one for the Attorney General child support collection cases.
  • Expanded the mediation process for the district to include a formal association of local mediators who are required, in order to be appointed by the Court, to be credentialed.
  • Was one of the first courts in Texas to require mediation in CPS cases involving termination of parental rights, thus saving taxpayers 100's of thousands of dollars.
  • Created the first multi-county rural Drug Court in Texas.
  • Regional representative for the 3rd Judicial Administrative Region to the Texas Association of District Judges (TADJ).
  • Gave daily assistance to the TADJ in monitoring legislation affecting the judiciary during the 2007 legislative session.
  • Re-elected in 2000 and 2004 after a contested race in 1996.
  • Served as Chairman of multi-county juvenile board since 1997.
  • Reputation as hard-working, always attempting to be fair and impartial with a judicial temperament to be courteous and respectful of all who come before the Court.

Click for larger image 

Technology details

In 1997 no lawyers in the district were using email, or at least not consistently for business, and the Court was still working with typewriters and no desktop PC's. There was one fax machine in the entire courthouse in each of the counties of the district. Judge Jones has single-handedly created and personally (in his "spare" time) manages the following at no cost to taxpayers (except less than $100 per year for website hosting service):

  • Website containing substantial information for citizens.
  • Special web page for jurors with updated information on the status of reporting for jury service.
  • Content Management System site for attorneys -- a website providing for constant interaction among the attorneys and with the Court.
  • Email list for attorneys and the Court.
  • Email lists for attorneys, the public and the media distributing docket lists (using Yahoo Groups -- no cost).
  • Online calendar containing the entire master schedule for the district courts (33rd and 424th), associate judge dockets, mediation room assignments and special settings or hearings.