65th District Court candidate: Selina Saenz
65th District Court candidate
Selina Saenz
Age: 45
Please describe your personal and professional background.
I was born in Laredo, Texas and moved to El Paso after my father was stationed here as a Border Patrol Agent when I was 8 years old. I grew up on the east side of El Paso and attended Pebble Hills Elementary, Indian Ridge Middle School, and J.M. Hanks High School. I attended UTEP for my undergraduate studies and participated in the Law School Preparation Institute, the UTEP Dance Team, the SGA Traffic Court, and was honored to be named a 2004 Men and Women of Mines. Upon my graduation from UTEP in 2004, I enrolled at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin where I graduated with a Juris Doctorate in 2007.
After graduating from law school, I returned home to begin my career in public service as a family law attorney at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc. (TRLA) representing survivors of family violence, dating violence, and sexual assault. During my time at TRLA I worked as the liaison to the Center Against Family Violence and STARS Rape Crisis Center providing training, and legal representation to their clients. I was also the managing attorney for the Pro Se Divorce Clinic where we provided instruction, guidance, and paperwork to individuals who could not afford an attorney. After six years at TRLA, I was recruited to San Antonio to work for Family Violence Prevention Services, Inc. in their Battered Women and Children’s Shelter providing free legal representation to residents of the shelter in family law cases. In 2015, my husband and I moved back to El Paso, and I joined the El Paso County Attorney's office as a Senior Trial Attorney. At the County Attorney's Office, I have served in the civil litigation unit, as the Trial Team Chief of the Protective Order Unit, and currently as the Division Chief of the Child Protective Services Unit.
How do you earn a living? Do you plan to continue if elected?
I am currently employed as the Division Chief of the Child Protective Services Unit at the El Paso County Attorney's Office. If elected, I would not continue in my current position upon taking office.
Please describe your education. Where did you get your high school diploma? What higher education degrees and certificates have you earned from where?
I graduated from J.M. Hanks High School. I obtained my B.A. in History from the University of Texas at El Paso. I then attended the University of Texas at Austin School of Law where I earned my Juris Doctorate in 2007.
What experiences in leadership do you have that qualify you for this position?
I have held various leadership positions both professionally and personally that qualify me to be the next Judge of the 65th District Family Court. I have led and supervised the El Paso County Attorney Protective Order Unit from 2018-2021 and the Child Protective Services Unit from 2021-Present, which includes supervising 4 Senior Trial Attorneys, one of whom is a former Associate Family Court Judge, 2 paralegals, and 5 legal secretaries. I have also served as the President of the El Paso Women's Bar Association, the Vice President of the El Paso Young Lawyers Association, and the Local Group Lead for the El Paso chapter of Moms Demand Action.
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.
I have never been arrested or charged with a crime, nor have I been in arrears on any local, state, or federal taxes. The only civil suit I have ever had filed against me was a divorce action in 2003. My ex-husband and I experienced a tragic loss that our marriage could not recover from. An agreed divorce decree was granted.
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.
I currently have cases pending in the 65th District Family Court. If elected, prior to taking office I would disclose all the pending cases that I have worked on and ensure that they are handled by other judges. Alternatively, waivers of the conflict can be obtained from all interested parties after such parties are counseled by their attorneys of the existence of a conflict and the effect of a waiver.
Issue related questions
Why are you running for this office?
I am running for the 65th District Family Court because this Court is my home, and the families in our community deserve a judge with a proven track record as a public servant keeping our community safe. Someone who is competent, caring, and capable that they know can be relied on to approach each case with compassion, fairness, and transparency.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
I am the best candidate because I have the experience and temperament to lead the 65thDistrict Family Court. I have 16 years of experience litigating family law cases, the last 5 years primarily in the 65th District Family Court. I have supervised attorneys and staff, managed grant programs, and know the County’s and Court’s procedures and programs. I am patient, hardworking, compassionate, reasonable, and fair. But what truly sets me apart is my personal connection to the 65th District Family Court. In 2018, my husband and I adopted our 3 little girls in the same courtroom where I aspire to serve as judge. I understand the important role this court plays in our community and am dedicated to ensuring our children and families have a venue where they know they will be heard.
What do you feel are the largest challenges facing the 65th District Court? What would you do to address those challenges?
I believe that the largest challenge facing the 65th District Court is the ability of participants involved in juvenile justice and CPS cases to participate in their court proceedings. Active participation is key to positive outcomes and an efficient court. That is why I will prioritize improvements that enhance court efficiency and involvement, like collaborating with community partners to make it easier for children and families to participate in their hearings by encouraging the establishment of virtual hearing stations across El Paso County. I will also work to improve effective participation by distributing scheduling orders early in cases so participants can coordinate work leave, childcare, and transportation.
What role can/should judges play to help alleviate the backlog of cases currently in El Paso?
The role of the Judiciary in alleviating any backlog of cases is to expeditiously and efficiently handle the cases assigned to the Court. Thankfully, the 65th District Family Court continued to operate throughout the pandemic and does not have a large backlog of cases.
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?
The 65th District Family Court handles juvenile justice matters and one of the Texas Juvenile Justice Code's stated purposes is, "to provide treatment, training, and rehabilitation that emphasizes the accountability and responsibility of both the parent and the child for the child's conduct." When it comes to our kids, our community knows that justice is only served when we address the root of a juvenile’s conduct. When hearing juvenile cases and determining appropriate dispositions I will balance the need for the protection of the public and public safety with the need to treat, train, and rehabilitate the juvenile. If that means imposing a strict sentence, I will not hesitate to do so after thorough consideration of the facts of each case.
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?
The 65th District Court already has a mental health and drug treatment court that serve parents in CPS cases and juveniles in delinquency cases. I plan on continuing to provide these options to ensure that respondents appearing before the 65th District Court can receive the treatment necessary to rehabilitate themselves. It is only by looking at the entire family and identifying contributing factors leading to CPS involvement or juvenile delinquency and providing treatment that we can prevent further CPS involvement and juvenile recidivism.
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?
The types of cases heard in the 65th District Court are family law matters that often involve juveniles in delinquency cases, children in CPS cases, and victims of family violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Many of these cases are confidential by statute and the records of them are sealed. I would not allow access to the courtroom when hearing any case that requires confidentiality under the law but would allow media access in cases that do not.
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?
I will conduct myself with the upmost respect for the law, ethical principles, and judicial canons. I will promote transparency by 1) creating opportunities to educate the community about what the 65th District Family Court does and how it operates, 2) providing clear explanations of the law supporting my decisions, and 3) developing publicly available court policies and procedures to make sure that everyone - no matter their race, gender, age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or legal representation - knows what to expect when their case arrives in the 65th District Family Court. Transparency and access are cornerstones of my beliefs, and I will work daily to ensure that our community and families know they will be heard once they step into the 65th District Family Court. No one gets left out. No one gets left behind.
The candidates' responses are being published largely as they were submitted.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: 65th District Court candidate: Selina Saenz
