Candidates running for Fort Worth area 485th District Court judge on November 8 ballot
Steven Jumes
Age: 50
Political party: Republican
Campaign website: jumesforjudge.com
Occupation: Judge, 485th District Court
Education: JD, University of Texas School of Law
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought): Ran for County Criminal Court #9 in Tarrant County in 2022
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
Served as an election clerk four times
Taught at FWPD Police Academy and TCC Police Academy
Served as President of Youth and Government Alumni Association
Contributed and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity
Who are your top three campaign contributors?: Benson Varghese, Valerie Remley, Casey Cole
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent?: I am the current sitting judge for the office I’m seeking. I’m Board Certified in Criminal Law. I have served as a prosecutor in the Tarrant County DA’s Office and been a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. I have been endorsed by the FWPOA and the TC Law Enforcement Association.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?: All 3 relate to public safety.
1. Judicial Activity: The pandemic brought a tremendous backlog that can only be addressed by proactivity. I’ve already conducted two first degree felony jury trials in my first month of office and am beginning my third this week.
2. Bond Supervision: The backlog left a massive number of folks on bond. There needs to be swift action for those that have been noncompliant with their bond conditions. I am ensuring that I immediately address bond issues.
3. Availability: Public servants need to consistently and diligently show up for work. I have been accessible to attorneys, court staff, probation officers, and police officers to keep up with many tasks and duties that arise on a daily basis.
Why are you seeking this office?: It is a high honor to be able to serve citizens by helping to administer justice. I believe that my 25 years of legal experience on both sides of the courtroom have prepared to serve in a job that I truly enjoy.
Please explain how your background, skills and experience make you the best qualified candidate for this office: I believe that my 25 years of legal experience on both sides of the courtroom have prepared me to serve as the Judge of the 485th District Court, a criminal felony court. I’ve reached the highest level of specialization in criminal law and have provided expert opinions and testimony regarding criminal law issues and prosecutorial ethics. I have taught criminal law to police officers, attorneys, and college students. I’m endorsed by the Fort Worth Police Officers Association and TC Law Enforcement Associations. I have prepared widows and children for testimony as a prosecutor and I’ve defended persons accused of serious crimes. My prosecution and defense experience has been in Tarrant County and I am honored to serve the citizens of Tarrant County as the Judge of the 485th and am seeking to continue to do so.
John Brender
Age: 43
Political party: Democratic Party
Campaign website: brenderforjudge.com
Occupation: Attorney
Education: University of Texas at Austin; Baylor School of Law, J.D.
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought): No
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
Since 2016, I have been an active member of Big Brothers and Big Sisters.
I served two terms as President of the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, which included civic activities along with nurturing the mentorship of young lawyers and community outreach to the poor and indigent.
I am also actively involved in the First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth.
I have been named by my peers as a “Top Attorney” in Fort Worth Magazine and “Rising Star” and “Super Lawyer” in Super Lawyers.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?: My mother and father, my aunt and uncle and myself.
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent?: I have extensive experience as a prosecutor trying drug dealers, gangs and organized drug traffickers. I will be an independent and impartial judge, fair to both sides, and promise that neither the district attorney nor defense attorney will run my court. I will work to make the criminal justice system fair to the parties and to the community. My opponent is a political appointee and will continue the status quo which is not working.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?: Addressing the drug epidemic, violent crime, and mental health issues.
Why are you seeking this office?: My extensive experience as a drug court prosecutor and as a defense attorney dealing with mental health issues has informed my opinions about how we can best address criminal justice in this county which must change. I hope to be an agent of that change. What we are doing now simply does not work.
Please explain how your background, skills and experience make you the best qualified candidate for this office: I started my legal career as a defense attorney then applied to the DA’s office where I started working in 2008. This gave me a unique perspective that most prosecutors do not get. Most prosecutors come straight out of law school without the benefit of other legal experience. I left the DA’s office in 2014 to practice with my father before he retires. The outcomes and results in our current criminal justice do not reduce crime or better our community. I will work a full day and never betray the public’s trust.
