DEAR SUPPORTERS,
I am Judge Sandra Peake. I am announcing my candidacy for re-election for Judge of the 257th Family District County of Harris County, Texas.
These last three years have been a test of our perseverance and our values. With my extensive family law practice experience before being elected to this bench in 2018, I knew that our courts could serve our families better in a multitude of ways. I wanted the court to do better job increasing accessibility. I wanted a court that understood family relationship matters are personal and important to the people involved. It doesn’t matter whether the case involves a simple dissolution, name change, a complex property division, termination of parental rights or a contested custody case. Litigants needed to feel their cases are taken seriously and heard carefully. Family disputes often involve emotionally charged, high stakes, protracted litigation. Litigants have to know that they have an opportunity to present their side, and, that the law is being fairly applied.
During the Covid-19 crisis, my staff and I had to come up with innovative solutions to address challenges caused by interruption of access to the courthouse. At the same time, we considered ways the financial burden, drain on time and other resources and need for resolution could be addressed. By offering flexible and expanded hours during which certain matters can be heard, we are able to provide additional convenience and a less stressful option for many litigants.
Our “Express Docket” held Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:15 a.m. and 9:50 a.m., provides a convenient forum for litigants and members of the bar to zoom in without an appointment. It’s a another opportunity to have short matters heard, check the status of an order, obtain preferential settings, or, just have a “quick approach” before the bench prior to our regular 9:00 a.m. docket. This is just another example of how the 257th has utilized technology to foster judicial economy and increase accessibility to the court. I am extremely proud of my staff for making “Families First” our service model.
I ask for your support and your vote to ensure that our families know the 257th Family District Court is a court that consistently asks how we can better serve this community and continue to treat litigants, members of the bar, and the general public, with courtesy and respect. As an experienced family law practitioner, and now, Judge of the 257th Family District Court, I can wholeheartedly assure you that the fairness and compassion expected by individuals appearing in my Court will continue to be what we strive to deliver. Residents of Harris County deserve no less.
Again, I ask for your support in my campaign to keep our “Families First” as I seek re-election to the 257th Family District Court.
Sincerely,
Judge Sandra Peake
