If you're looking for integrity,
you've come to the right place!
Let's Keep
Chief Justice Ann McClure!
Campaign to Re-Elect
Chief Justice Ann McClure
David McClure, Treasurer
218 W. Franklin
El Paso, TX 79901
915-309-3052
Dear Voters:
Experience matters in this Democratic primary campaign for Chief Justice of the 8th Court of Appeals. With a three million dollar budget, it's a serious job needing serious leadership. I’ve served the court for nearly twenty years and have the distinct honor of serving as the court’s first female chief justice in its 103 year history. A chief justice must have both judicial and administrative experience.
During my tenure, I have authored nearly 2000 opinions on the merits and have a low reversal rate of less than 2%. I am board certified in Civil Appellate Law and Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal specialization. In fact, I was the first attorney from far west Texas to obtain certification in appellate law the first year it was recognized as a specialty.
As Chief Justice, I have the administrative duty to shepherd our budget through each Legislative session. I am proud that during this past session, the court obtained additional funding of nearly $300,000 to provide pay raises for our staff attorneys and legal support personnel. These pay raises have allowed us to return to full staffing that had been cut in previous sessions.
I am excited about the technology we are implementing in the court. We were the first to utilize video conferencing to better serve the other counties of our district. The courts have rolled out a new case management system which has brought us into the digital age. We are now e-filing the clerk's record, the court reporter's record, and attorney briefing. We will eventually become paperless. The 8th Court is now hosting a pilot project for strategic disaster recovery and cloud computing to enhance efficiency while streamlining costs.
This past July, I was elected Chair of the Council of Chief Justices. In this role, I serve as the spokesperson for all fourteen intermediate appellate courts in Texas. It is my responsibility to assist the Office of Court Administration in preparing and presenting a unified appropriations request. I will be the spokesperson for the Council to the Legislative Budget Board, the Senate Finance Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. I have already appointed a Legislative Committee to focus on key funding issues over the next biennium and a long range planning committee to address changes to the docket equalization (transfer) process and better allocation of visiting judge funds.
This year, I received the Bravo Award from the El Paso League of Women Voters. Together with Justices Guadalupe Rivera and Yvonne Rodriguez, the court received the Trailblazing Jurist Award from both the Tejano Paso del Norte Democrats and the West El Paso Tejano Democrats. The three of us were also recognized by the Black El Paso Democrats as recipients of the Legacy Award.
I have been named outstanding jurist of the year by three separate organizations -- the El Paso Mexican American Bar Association, the Texas Bar Foundation, and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers/Texas Chapter. I have received the Community Service Award and the Trailblazer Award from the Black El Paso Democrats, and the Trailblazer Award from the El Paso Women's Bar Association. I was also honored with presentation of the Civil Rights Award from the El Paso Chapter of the NAACP. I received the Gene Cavin Award from the State Bar of Texas for my dedication to continuing legal education. I have authored over 100 legal articles and published two law review articles throughout my legal career. I have just completed an article for the American Bar Association which will be published nationally.
Community service is equally important to me. I am a member of the School Age Parenting Center’s Advisory Board and a frequent guest speaker to the classes. I explain the importance of establishing paternity, the mechanics of setting and receiving child support, the rights and responsibilities of joint managing conservatorship, the process of determining the best interest of the child, the conflicts between the teen mothers and their own parents arising from children having children of their own, the rights of the respective grandparents, the warning signs of abusive behavior, and the resources available to them for escaping the cycle of violence.
The court has always been dedicated to education. We routinely hold arguments in other counties of our district. In November, we heard arguments in Alpine and presented a panel discussion in conjunction with the Trans Pecos Bar Association. In past years, we heard arguments at UTEP and this year, we conducted arguments at El Paso Community College.
Please review the webpages concerning my service record. I ask for your vote in the Democratic primary. If you have any questions, please contact me at crawfordmcclure@gmail.com.
ENDORSEMENTS
To be posted as announced
Westside El Paso Democrats
El Paso Central Labor Union
Black El Paso Democrats
Greater El Paso Ass'n of Realtors
Tejano Democrats Paso del Norte
AFSCME Local 59
Eastside El Paso Democrats
West El Paso Tejano Democrats
Texas Farm Bureau
El Paso Times Editorial Board
Winner of the State Bar of Texas Judicial Poll (84%)
Winner of the El Paso Bar Association Judicial Poll (92%)