Candidates running for For Worth area 141st District Court judge in November 8 election
John P. Chupp
Political party: Republican
Age as of November 8, 2022: 50
Campaign website: Judge Chupp on Facebook
Occupation: Judge, 141st District Court
Education: 1995 University of North Texas Political Science/Spanish 1998 Juris Doctorate St. Mary’s University School of Law
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought): I’ve been re-elected as the Judge of the 141st District Court several times. I ran for the 2nd Court of Appeals.
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: We have 2 daughters so over the past 15 years most of our civic involvement has revolved around their school and our Church.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?: Winstead, PC, Chuck Noteboom, Brian Butcher
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent(s)?: I don’t really know my opponent’s qualifications. I have served the citizens of Tarrant County for over 13 years as the Judge of the 141st District Court. I was appointed by the Governor in 2009 after an extensive vetting process. I have been re-elected 3 times by the voters of Tarrant County. I am Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law which is a bulk of what the 141st handles.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?: When I cast a vote for a Judge I look at experience and qualification. I have served for over 13 years and tried over 100 jury trials as a practicing attorney. Additionally, I look for someone that follows the law and doesn’t legislate from the bench. As a practicing attorney you want a judge that knows what they are doing and that makes consistent ruling based upon the law.
Why are you seeking this office?: I want to continue to serve the citizens of the county because I know how important it is to have quality judges. We run a fair and efficient Court which is what the voters should expect.
In 100 words or less, please explain how your background, skills and experience make you the best qualified candidate for this office: As a practicing attorney, I, alone tried over 100 jury trials without another attorney sitting second chair and am Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law. My experience sitting at the counsel table gave me the perspective and understanding that I use on the bench. Additionally, my 13 years experience on the bench has given me invaluable knowledge that can’t be replicated as a practicing attorney. The management of the docket and trials is not something you learn in a book.
Stefanie Klein
Political party: Democratic
Age as of November 8, 2022: 59
Campaign website: stefanieklein.org
Occupation: Attorney
Education: B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, J.D. from SMU’s Dedman School of Law
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought): I have not previously run for office.
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
Volunteered with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts
Volunteer at my parish (St. Joseph), including marriage prep, finance council, retreats, teaching and St. Vincent de Paul conference
State Bar of Texas Lawyer’s Assistance Program committee, 2013 - 2019, focusing on mental health challenges, suicide and substance issues confronting law students, lawyers and judges
Served on, and then chaired, local grievance panel of the State Bar of Texas, 2001-2006, hearing grievances brought against Texas lawyers
Who are your top three campaign contributors?: Hill Gilstrap, P.C; Traci Reilly; Margaret Klein
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent(s)?: I have more extensive experience than my opponent as an attorney, both in terms of years serving clients, and also in the breadth of state and federal courts in which I have appeared. This background has given me insights into how effective judges handle their courtroom, consistent with the type of fairness and respect the people of Tarrant County deserve. Further, unlike my opponent, this court is the only elected office I am interested in. My opponent ran two years ago for the court of appeals, but I have no aspirations to higher office. I am committed to being the best trial judge on a civil bench in Tarrant County.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?:
1. Eliminating Partisanship. Politics have no place in a trial court. A judge’s decisions should not reveal his or her political ideology, but should adhere to the rule of law. My decisions will be based on what the evidence and the law actually are, not what I wish they were.
2. Service and Respect. A judge should treat everyone in the courtroom with dignity and respect - the parties, the lawyers, the witnesses, the jurors, and the court’s staff. I will serve all the people of Tarrant County, and every individual who comes before the court, without bias or favoritism.
3. Judicial Temperament. A judge should be willing to learn, to have a humility and a curiosity that enables him or her to actually listen and hear both sides. A judge should not substitute his or her opinions for the lived experience of the parties, and should be open to the possibility that among the diverse cultures of Tarrant County, there are circumstances outside the judge’s background or imagination.
Why are you seeking this office?: Tarrant County deserves fair-minded judges, with experience and skill, who have a commitment to treating all litigants with the same level of respect, regardless of who represents them, what they look like, or how the judge thinks they vote. I believe in the rule of law, and that confidence in our justice system is critical to our democracy. The outcome of a lawsuit should never be predetermined or predictable based on who is on the bench. I am running for this office to provide that kind of leadership to this court.
In 100 words or less, please explain how your background, skills and experience make you the best qualified candidate for this office: My 34 years of practice have prepared me to listen fairly, to analyze arguments and facts and to make decisions by applying the law to the evidence. The judiciary must be independent of partisan politics in order to maintain its legitimacy and the confidence of the public. My experience in the state and federal courts of North Texas, before trial judges and courts of appeal, has provided models for me of the judicial temperament I will bring to the bench. Whether Democrats or Republicans, the best judges are able to command respect without demeaning anyone else, and to never let ideology enter into their decisions. I am committed to bringing that level of judicial service to the 141st District Court.
