Defense attorneys say lawyer’s removal from Juvenile Board list is ‘deeply troubling’
A criminal defense advocacy group says the removal of an attorney from the juvenile appointment wheel during a Tarrant County Juvenile Board meeting on Wednesday was “deeply troubling.”
The Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting criminal defense attorneys in Tarrant County, said in a press release Friday morning that the decision not to approve Brian Willett, a local attorney, for appointments to juvenile court cases lacks “transparency and due process.”
“TCCDLA is particularly concerned by the apparent lack of due process surrounding this decision,” the press release said. “A qualified and experienced attorney has been denied access to court appointments without notice of any alleged deficiencies, without an opportunity to respond, and without a meaningful opportunity to be heard. Fundamental fairness requires that, before such an action is taken, the affected attorney be informed of any concerns and afforded an opportunity to address them.”
Willett is board-certified in both criminal law and juvenile law.
“I have no idea why they would take me off of a list that I’ve never had a problem with once before,” Willett said.
The press release says the timing is concerning as his removal occurred shortly after Willett filed as a candidate to run for the 323rd District Court, which hears child welfare and juvenile delinquency cases. He hopes to unseat Judge Alex Kim, a Republican and the chair of the Tarrant County Juvenile Board, in the election. Kim did not vote on the agenda item due to his position as the chair.
The decision appears “politically motivated and undermines public confidence in the fairness and integrity of our judicial system,” the statement continued. The Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association urged for the Juvenile Board to reconsider its decision and provide notice to Willett of any issues or concerns as required by due process.
During a Juvenile Board meeting on Wednesday, an agenda item to approve the juvenile appointment wheel was presented. The list provides attorneys a court can assign to represent juveniles whose families can’t afford one.
Judge Christopher Taylor, a Republican who presides over the 48th District Court, said he wanted to remove Willett from the approved list of attorneys due to “personal issues” and vote on Willett separately. Willett said he has never met Taylor before.
Judge Don Cosby, a Republican who presides over the 67th District Court, questioned whether Taylor’s motion to remove Willett from the list was a political move. Three different votes were held to table the agenda item for another meeting, another to approve the list without Willett and then a final one to reapprove him. The final motion to approve Willett failed.
Willett will not receive new appointments until the board approves him again. There is no restriction on when an attorney can apply or reapply.
Kim said he could not comment on the agenda item because of the Texas Open Meetings Act.
The denial of Willett’s approval comes after Tarrant County GOP Chair Tim Davis challenged the candidacy of seven Democrats running for judicial offices in the primaries. One of the candidates was Willett.
Days afterward, the Tarrant County Democratic Party contested the ballot filings of 41 Republican judicial candidates and two state Republican House candidates in a letter to Davis.
Both parties claim problems such as invalid signatures and missing or incorrect voter information on petitions that judicial candidates submit to secure a place on the ballot.
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 1:43 PM.
