By Rachel Hawkins, North Dallas Gazette Staff Writer

Judge Staci Williams, a Democrat, has presided over the cases facing the 101st District Court in Dallas County since 2015. She transitioned from being a corporate lawyer to becoming a judge focused on educating the community on issues ranging from fair workplace treatment to their civil rights. The North Dallas Gazette believes she deserves the continued support of the voters of Dallas County as she strives to continue to serve and inform the community.

Within her first three years, she launched the Citizens’ Civil Academy (CCA) to educate Dallas County citizens about the civil court system. The CCA explores the types of cases heard in the civil courts and what happens to a case from the time it is filed until it is completed. CCA’s goal is to provide citizens with a better understanding not only of the civil court system but also the inner workings of the George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building according to her website, staciwilliamsforjudge.com.

A graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., Williams has more than 10 years of experience as a judge and 27 years in the legal profession. Her passion to represent the community is evident, and her love for the law is personal. Williams demonstrated determination during her fight against allegations and attempts to remove her from the bench. She was accused of an improper document filing. She even went head-to-toe with the State Fair of Texas for alleging they bully individuals through unnecessary lawsuits.

Her persistence is like none other. She is not afraid to take the fight to court and to educate the community she serves in the 101st District.

Her opponent, Republican Mike Lee, filed a lawsuit against her, seeking her removal from the ballot saying the application for election was improperly filed. However, after all the legal wrangling the case was found to have no merit.

Lee seems to be a man who plays dirty when he does not get his way. However, Lee has no experience as a judge much less the criminal district court. He has run six times in 12 years against minority candidates. He has never run against any non-minority candidates. His preferred opponents are minorities. Do Dallas County voters have time for on-the-job training for someone who will not fairly represent everyone in Dallas County? At this point, no one wants to trust another Republican in office, especially after many Republicans have revealed how they genuinely feel about many minority groups. Did we mention Lee was defeated before in an attempt to seek judgeship in a different district court?

These are the reasons why the North Dallas Gazette is endorsing Judge Staci Williams of the 101st District Court Dallas County. We believe she will continue to fight for the civil matters of the residents within the district. The CCA will continue to thrive under her leadership, as she moves forward with representing the public’s best interest.

Williams has the experience necessary to continue her position as judge. NDG encourages voters to either early vote through Friday, Nov. 2 or get to the polls on Nov. 6 and vote to re-elect Judge Staci Williams. This mid-term election is just as important as the presidential election because these judges, local, state and national leaders are enacting laws and policies damaging our community.

Do not allow the GOP to think we are not paying attention. We need judges like Williams to ensure our best interests remain at the forefront of consideration.