For the past seven years, I have been hard at work presiding over felony cases and dispensing justice in the 204th Judicial District Court.
Before I took the bench in 2015, I hired the best and brightest staff in the Frank Crowley Courts Building and we did an assessment of the pending cases in the 204th as well as the manner in which the court operated under my predecessor and identified multiple deficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
WORST TO THE FIRST
I successfully streamlined the court’s docket process and reduced the number of individuals in jail pending court action in the 204th from an average of 300 defendants per month down to approximately 100 defendants per month. At a daily cost of $70 per day to house an individual in the County jail, this translates into cost savings to taxpayers and opportunity for the accused.
In my first year on the bench, I took the 204th from being the worst ranked felony court to the number one most efficient court in Dallas County; and since that time, the 204th has maintained an exemplary level of efficiency, consistently ranking among the top three most efficient district courts.
MOST QUALIFIED CHOICE
When I decided to run for the bench, I entered the race with confidence knowing my prior experience handling felony cases had properly prepared me for the judiciary. I have 33 years of balanced, senior level experience including working as a defense attorney, and a prosecutor at the Dallas County District Attorney’s (DA) Office, where In tried every type of felony offense including capital murder and death penalty cases.
As the former Administrative Chief Prosecutor over the Family Violence & Child Abuse Divisions, I supervised 28 attorneys, 21 investigators and 18 support staff.
I have presided over more than 100 felony trials and also preside over the Felony Domestic Violence Court.
My fellow judges elected me twice to serve as Presiding Judge over all 17 felony courts in Dallas County.
It is in this role during the pandemic that I assessed non-violent defendants to release from jail to reduce the spread of the virus among inmates and jail staff; helped implement changes to ensure the health and safety of felony court staff; and, identified the most efficient ways to continue day-to-day court operations remotely during the temporary shut- down of the courthouse.
Last year, I partnered with the 203rd Judicial District Court to launch the C.R.O.W.N.(Conversations Regarding Our Women Now) Program, to positively redirect women, ages 17 to 25, who are serving probation sentences.
Every four years my job is open and reviewed. I simply ask voters to do their homework and compare my qualifications, experience and accomplishments against that of my opponent.
While working at the DA’s Office, my opponent was assigned to my court as the #2 prosecutor in the 204th. There are three prosecutors assigned to each felony court.
Having served as a #2 prosecutor earlier in my career, I know first-hand it is the position where prosecutors gain the most trial experience, typically trying case after case after case. However, my opponent was allowed to serve the citizens of Dallas County as the #2 prosecutor in the 204th Judicial District Court for approximately two years and never tried a single case during that time. Instead, she repeatedly asked for resets and continuances and was rarely on time or prepared for court proceedings.
My extensive knowledge and application of the law make me uniquely qualified to be re-elected as presiding judge of the 204th. My rulings are legally sound, fair and factually based. My rulings have never been reversed by an appellate court and I have never been reprimanded by the Judicial Ethics Commission.
I am running on my profes- sional record and my record alone.
TOUGH BUT FAIR
I have kept my campaign promises to be accountable to the public, compassionate towards victims, and fair to the accused.
I am compassionate towards both victims and defendants and I am genuinely concerned when I see young people standing before me accused of crimes that can potentially change the trajectory of their lives forever.
So yes, I sometimes talk to young defendants as if they were my own children and I am unapologetic for caring.
Additionally, I firmly believe in second chances. Whether a defendant’s criminal activity is a result of addiction, mental illness, stupidity, immaturity, impulsivity or some other type of underlying reason, my goal is to seek treatment or a diversion program to address the root cause of the behavior.
Nevertheless, there are some repeat offenders, as well as offenders who commit serious, violent crimes where prison time is the appropriate sentence. In those cases, I take into consideration all of the information available about the offense, the applicable law(s), the defendant’s criminal history and background, and the impact to the victim(s).
THE 23rd HUG
When my opponent first announced she was running against me, her original campaign messaging focused on me granting Amber Guyger’s request for a hug.
People who truly know me will tell you I am an emotive and compassionate person. I am honestly baffled when people say they want a more compassionate justice system but then criticize a judge for demonstrating that very compassion in a tragic case.
Almost every person sentenced to prison will rejoin society. Once their sentence is complete we want them to become productive members of society. They should have life again, their punishment should be over.
While the media primarily focused on the hug with Ms. Guyger, it was actually the 23rd hug I gave that day following the conclusion of the trial. After the jury sentenced Ms. Guyger and I officially dismissed them from their duty, I thanked them for their service in the deliberation room and hugged each person individually.
Then following the brother’s victim impact statement, I went directly to Botham Jean’s family, expressed my condolences on their loss of an amazing young man, thanked them for their composure during the trial and individually hugged each member of the family. This is something I have done in all cases where there is loss of life.
After showing compassion to 12 jurors, four juror alternates, one staff member and five of the victim’s family members, before it ever crossed my mind to address the defendant, I had already hugged 22 other people.
After engaging with the victim’s family, I looked for Ms. Guyger’s family, they were gone. I had every intention of returning to my cham- bers, but when I looked over at the defense’s table, I was reminded how racially divided the courtroom had been throughout the trial, and I heard my mother’s voice (God rest her soul) say, “Now, Tammy, I know you aren’t going to just talk to the Black people in the room and not go over and offer a word of encouragement to this woman.”
So, I went over and told her, ‘Brandt Jean has forgiven you. You have to forgive yourself.’ To which Ms. Guyger responded, “Do you think God will forgive me?”
I said, “Yes, I know He will.’
What transpired next was me giving Ms. Guyger a bible after she told me she did not own one, and her subsequent request for a hug because she thought I treated her fairly.
“I am running on my professional record and my record alone.”
Following the trial, I received threats and a number of complaints regarding the bible and/or the hug. Then a thorough review of the facts by the Judicial Ethics Commission found no wrongdoing by me as judge and all of the complaints, including the one from the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the 300-plus page complaint filed by the Dallas County District Attorney, were all dismissed.
CLOSE CALL
As presiding judge, far more concerning than a hug after the trial, was the violation of the court’s gag order to not discuss the case in the media before the trial by the elected DA — a discovery revealed by the defense just minutes before we were getting ready to bring the jury in for opening arguments.
After a year of preparation for this very high-profile trial with potential security and protest implications to the courthouse and the city unlike anything I had ever seen before (we had snipers on the roof), the DA knowingly violated the court’s order by conducting an interview with a local television station that aired the night before the trial was set to begin.
His pre-trial media coverage potentially put the entire trial in jeopardy. If jurors had seen the news story, it could have influenced their thoughts about the case.
What raced through my mind in that moment was all of the countless hours that had gone into this trial on both sides, the idea of starting over with jury selection, potential motions for a change of venue and the domino effect of events that would likely follow; all because of a news story that never should have happened.
Later, after the trial, my decision to hold a hearing to have the DA respond to an allegation of contempt of court due to the gag order violation, was not at all personal.
It was, however, me upholding the laws I was sworn to uphold as a judge and holding the District Attorney’s Office accountable, for even prosecutors are not above the law.
KEEP KEMP
I have been deeply humbled and honored to serve as your judge and I believe whether a defendant, victim, attorney, witness or juror — ALL peo- ple deserve respect and equal access to the justice system.
I brought those values as well as strong ethics, morals, and professionalism to the bench when I was first elected in 2014 and again in 2018, and with your support at the polls beginning next week, we can continue building on that progress in the 204th Judicial District Court over the next four years.
The Preston Hollow Democrats, 23rd Senatorial District Tejano Democrats, East Dallas County Democrats, Dallas Police Association, and National Latino Law Enforcement Organization have endorsed me. Please join them in supporting my re-election for Pre-siding Judge of the 204th Judicial District Court.
JUDGE KEMP AT-A-GLANCE
A native of Wewoka, Oklahoma, I earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma. After graduating law school, I worked as an Assistant Attorney General and was later appointed Assistant Secretary of State for the State of Oklahoma, before relocating to the Dallas area.
I have been practicing law since 1988 and my areas of expertise include criminal, corporate and retirement law. I am a member of the State Bar of Texas and the State Bar of Oklahoma and previously worked as a crimi- nal defense attorney and prosecutor at the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
I have been a member of Concord Church for more than 28 years, where I serve as a Deaconess, and I am also a mem- ber of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
I have been happily married for 28 years to a wonderful, supportive husband, who is also a Deacon at Concord Church, and we have three amazing college-educated adult children.
Re-elect Judge Tammy Kemp for the 204th Judicial District Court
Accountable to the public. Compassionate towards victims.
Fair to the accused.
Early voting begins Monday, February 14th and Election Day is
Tuesday, March 1st.
Political advertisement paid for by the Judge Tammy Kemp Campaign, Paul Hamilton, Treasurer.
