388th District Court candidate: Joy Degenhart
388th District Court candidate
Joy Degenhart
Age:
Please describe your personal and professional background.
I am the second oldest child of 5 siblings. I grew up in the North East and I was homeschooled. I was raised with strong family values and a commitment to making my community a better place.
I have been a family law attorney for 7 years. I am very familiar with the Texas Family Code and the Judicial Code of Conduct, both which govern and direct the decisions of a Family Court Judge. I have experience in complex custody cases, jurisdictional issues, multi-million dollar divorces, business and property disputes, and jury trials. I have participated in all aspects of family law litigation. I have successfully settled hundreds of cases and have tried the cases that wouldn’t settle. I have presented cases to both the Judge and to juries. I have handled every type of family law case that I would preside over in the 388th District Court.
How do you earn a living? Do you plan to continue if elected?
I have been part of the James Rey Attorney at Law team for the last 6 years. If elected, I would resign from my associate attorney position and I would work full time as the Judge of the 388th District Court.
Please describe your education. Where did you get your high school diploma? What higher education degrees and certificates have you earned from where?
I was homeschooled through high school. I started taking dual credit classes at EPCC when I was 16. I transferred my credits to Texas Tech University, where I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Communication Studies. I received my Juris Doctorate from Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, VA.
What experiences in leadership do you have that qualify you for this position?
I manage the daily operations of our law practice, implementing procedures, and refinancing policies. I have also been considered a leader amongst my peers. In law school, I was the Vice Chairwoman of a Trial Advocacy Board, where I helped manage a budget and coordinate nationwide competitions.
Have you ever been arrested or charged with a crime? Have you ever had a civil judgment against you? Have you ever been in arrears on local, state or federal taxes? If so, please provide an explanation.
No, I have not.
If elected, would you have any potential conflicts of interest that you are aware of that would impair your ability to serve? Please explain what they are and how you would avoid the conflict.
If elected, I would not allow my current partner, James Rey, or my associate attorney, Alexis Castillo, to practice in my court. I would recuse myself from their cases and request a transfer of their cases to a different family court.
Issue related questions
Why are you running for this office?
Editor's note: The El Paso Times has not been able to verify the claims involving the judge's performance.
I am running for this office because I believe that El Paso deserves another option than the current Judge. I do not believe that she has fulfilled her role and served the community of El Paso. I have personally conducted numerous public information requests and have compiled the statistics of how the current Judge is failing. She has not presided over the jury trials that have occurred in her court. She has substituted out over 31 weeks, or 1,240 hours of court time to visiting judges, which has cost El Paso County tax payers over $95,000. She has a history of bias and unprofessional behavior that is harming litigants. I am running because I believe that Judge Gonzalez needs to be held accountable for the position and the trust that was placed on her three years ago and because I believe that El Paso deserves a qualified, professional, and integrous option for Judge of the 388th District Court.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
I have dedicated my entire legal career to not only practicing family law but to helping families. Families in need are served by amicable, expeditious, and cost effective representation. I have immersed myself in the Texas Family Code and am familiar with its application in all scenarios. I have courteous, professional, and conduct myself with integrity. But most importantly, I am strong and I am willing to make hard decisions. Another failing of the current Judge is that she allows her Associate Judge to go weeks and months without rendering a ruling, even after a hearing or trial is concluded. A Judge that is unwilling to make hard decisions causes harmful delay for litigants. The current Judge allows her court coordinator to refuse to schedule hearings based on personal bias. When families are not given court dates, families are harmed. I believe so strongly in the importance of this Court and that this Court should serve El Paso, and I am committed to ensure that El Paso is benefitted from the 388th District Court.
What do you feel are the largest challenges facing the 388th District Court? What would you do to address those challenges?
I would focus on rebuilding trust with litigants and attorneys. I would strive to show the difference between myself and what would be the former Judge, Judge Gonzalez, who has targeted attorneys that supported her opponent in the prior election. I would strive to create a reputation that all litigants and all attorneys will be treated with respect in the 388th District Court.
What role can/should judges play to help alleviate the backlog of cases currently in El Paso?
The current Judge has several prominent attorneys with recusals out of her Court which creates a backlog amongst the other family courts. Currently 10% of the cases are transferred out of the 388th because of the recusals. I would conduct myself in a manner that eliminates the need for attorneys to question my ethics and my integrity and I would strive to eliminate the recusals out of the Court. This in turn would benefit the entire El Paso family law system.
The El Paso community has been upset over what they believe to be lenient sentences given to serious criminal offenders, what steps will you take to make sure justice is served?
Lenient sentences are seen in family law when a parent files an enforcement action against another parent for violations of the custody order. I believe that Judges should be strong in enforcing their orders and in establishing that violations will not be tolerated. The former District Attorney did not prosecute interference with child custody, but I would support those violations to be charged as crimes, and I would in turn hold violators responsible within the enforcement action.
Will you be willing to participate in treatment courts (mental health court, veteran court, drug court, etc.) to make sure defendants are getting the treatment they need and to avoid recidivism?
I believe that our family courts should implement a mental health and veteran court which would provide support to suffering veterans. Our veterans suffering from substance abuse problems, and suffering from traumatic brain injuries which result in PTSD and anxiety, are often not protected through the family court system and their access to the children is decreased because of their conditions. I believe that we should provide a therapeutic approach to those custody orders, one that promotes the health and success of the veterans, in addition to ensuring the safety and welfare of the children.
El Paso judges have increasingly limited media access to courtrooms, as an elected official, what will your policies be on transparency and allowing media access to court proceedings to make sure the public knows what is happening in your courtroom?
I believe in open court rooms, whether the courtroom is a Zoom Room or the actual courtroom. I believe that community members who observe proceedings should conduct themselves with decorum and professionalism.
The judicial system is under constant attack related to objectivity and bias, what will you do to maintain public confidence in a fair judicial system?
Family law is subjective to a certain extent. There will always feel like a winner or loser, but in reality, no one wins or loses. The children are often the biggest losers, if we are going to categorize it that way. I believe that following and applying the Texas Family Code is the best way to maintain consistency. And I believe that consistency creates credibility and reduces the concern of bias.
The candidates' responses are being published largely as they were submitted.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: 388th District Court candidate: Joy Degenhart
