County Criminal Court 1 candidate: Linda Noelle Estrada
County Criminal Court 1 candidate
Linda Noelle Estrada
Age: 40
Please describe your personal and professional background.
I am the daughter of Ignacio Pratti Estrada and Mona Estrada. I was born in Austin, Texas while my father was attending law school. After he graduated, my family moved back home to El Paso, and I have lived here ever since. I have two siblings and am the auntie of two nephews and a niece. I attended local schools growing up and am a proud UTEP graduate. After I was licensed as an attorney in 2012, I worked as a criminal defense attorney alongside my father, who had over thirty years of experience as an attorney. In 2018, I was appointed as a part-time magistrate and worked evenings, weekends, and holidays while maintaining a law practice. In 2020, I decided to leave private practice and accept a position as a full-time magistrate so that I could contribute to the court in a meaningful way.
How do you earn a living? Do you plan to continue if elected?
I am currently employed by El Paso County as Criminal Law Magistrate Judge and work at the Downtown Detention Facility. If elected, I will resign from that position.
Please describe your education. Where did you get your high school diploma? What higher education degrees and certificates have you earned from where?
I am a graduate of Eastwood High School. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Texas At El Paso, where I majored in Criminal Justice with a minor in Legal Reasoning. I moved to California for law school and earned my Juris Doctorate degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
What experiences in leadership do you have that qualify you for this position?
I have been a full-time judge at the Jail Magistrate Court since 2020 and have presided over thousands of hearings with multiple participants from various departments. I also supervise astaff of two court coordinators, a mental health coordinator and an indigent defense coordinator. As a private bar attorney, I supervised two legal assistants.
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.
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
No.
Issue related questions
Why are you running for this office?
County Criminal Court One is very near and dear to my heart. I spent a great deal of time there while I worked as a legal assistant prior to becoming an attorney. I learned that I was accepted to law school there. After I learned that I had passed the bar exam, I was sworn in as an attorney by Judge Trejo prior to the afternoon docket beginning, and minutes later, I performed my first hearing before her. I practiced there almost on a daily basis and feel like I grew up there. Later, when I was appointed as a Criminal Law Magistrate, I was sworn in by Judge Trejo. Under Judge Trejo, County Criminal Court One had a reputation as being efficient and fair; I want to carry on that tradition of excellence.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
I am the only candidate whose entire career has been focused on criminal law. I was a defense attorney for eight years representing individuals charged with offenses from Class C misdemeanors to Murder and tried numerous cases to verdict. While I do not have experience as a prosecutor, my opponents’ prosecutorial experience was as a trial team chief for Yvonne Rosales, the administration responsible for driving our criminal justice system into the ground. In my role as a criminal law magistrate, I am presented with affidavits from all local law enforcement agencies seeking arrest and search warrants for individuals suspected of state criminal offenses. It is my job to determine whether probable cause exists to take away an individual’s liberty, search their homes and belongings, and in some instances, take blood from their bodies. In order to make these determinations, I have to be familiar with the elements of every single misdemeanor and felony offense. I also am required to have extensive knowledge of criminal procedure. Through my combined experience as a practicing attorney and a judge, I have had the opportunity to work closely with all departments involved with the criminal justice process, have supervised court staff and managed an efficient docket. My opponent’s judicial experience is limited to less than three months and she does not have experience in private practice.
What do you feel are the largest challenges facing County Criminal Court 1? What would you do to address those challenges?
The largest challenge Criminal Court One faces is maintaining the reputation that was established during the twenty years that Judge Trejo presided over the court. Judge Trejo’s experience as a trial attorney, knowledge of criminal law and procedure, judicial temperament and work ethic are what resulted in her court being one of the most efficient courts in El Paso. During my time as a practicing attorney and as a magistrate judge, I have gained extensive experience and proficiency in criminal law and have demonstrated the same judicial temperament and work ethic necessary to continue her legacy.
What role can/should judges play to help alleviate the backlog of cases currently in El Paso?
The best ways to address a backlog are through scheduling and accessibility. Drawing from my experience as a practicing attorney and as a judge, I have insight into the demands of attorneys and also recognize the need to maintain an efficient docket. I would stagger my hearing times to accommodate scheduling conflicts and be available for contested matters as frequently as a trial schedule will allow to help move 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?
There is a misconception that justice is served only when individuals are punished with convictions or incarceration. Sometimes justice is served by making every effort to rehabilitate offenders who are charged with low level offenses that do not pose a threat to our community. Other times, justice will demand sentences involving confinement. A judge’s role is to apply the law impartially to each case, making decisions consistent with the law and unaffected by public perception.
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 will propose a specialty court that focuses on gang intervention due to the recent influx of gang affiliated violence and the use of firearms in our community. The program would provide monitoring and resources such as substance abuse treatment, tattoo removal, a mentoring program, education and job assistance. Participants who successfully graduate from the program would not have a conviction on their record and would leave with the resources to become productive members of our community.
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 that the media plays a vital role in keeping our community informed. So long as their presence does not interfere with court proceedings, the media will always have access to my courtroom.
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 believe that transparency is key to maintaining public confidence in our judicial system. I am dedicated to maintaining an environment where all participants are treated fairly, with patience, dignity and respect. All court proceedings will always be open to the public, whether in person or via zoom, so that the public can be informed and will have the opportunity to observe.
The candidates' responses are being published largely as they were submitted.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: County Criminal Court 1 candidate: Linda Noelle Estrada
