Dallas Morning News Supreme Court Endorsements: Sam Houston and Linda Yanez

[Yanez Houston Jordan]

Here is the Dallas Morning News endorsement of Sam Houston (which is sort of funny):

It's troubling that neither of the candidates in this race has experience as a judge, which is important for anyone seeking a seat on the state's highest court.

That said, we're comfortable recommending Houston attorney Sam Houston, whose law partnership and background in business-related legal affairs equips him for the types of cases that dominate the Supreme Court's docket.

Meanwhile, his opponent, Dallas attorney Baltasar D. Cruz, displays a shocking penchant for verbosity. If he were to win a judicial seat, we worry that his difficulty keeping statements brief and focused would threaten to overwhelm a court already facing a significant backlog.

Where Mr. Cruz expounds at convoluted length to seemingly simple questions, Mr. Houston responds with clarity, thoughtfulness and brevity.

Mr. Houston also has an impressive list of high-profile endorsements, and his campaign war chest – $111,650 vs. Mr. Cruz's $2,500 – shows he is prepared for a statewide race.

Our opinion of Mr. Cruz hasn't changed from when he ran in a 2006 county election. His opponent, we felt, was unacceptable. After getting acquainted with Mr. Cruz, we decided neither deserved a recommendation.

This race boils down to judgment and judicial temperament. Mr. Houston has it, and Mr. Cruz clearly lacks it.

Here is the Dallas Morning News endorsement of Justice Linda Yanez:

As impressed as we are with both candidates, the well-considered and cautious responses we received from Justice Linda R. Yañez convinced us that she's the better-suited candidate for this job. The Supreme Court is no place for showboaters, and our concern with Galveston District Court Judge Susan Criss, 46, is that she might be too outspoken for a position that requires justices to measure their words.

Justice Yañez, 59, of Edinburg, was first appointed to the 13th Court of Appeals by then-Gov. Ann Richards and has since won election three times to the post, making her the court's senior justice. She holds a noteworthy list of honors and awards as a trail-blazing Hispanic lawyer and judge, including serving on President Bill Clinton's transition team.

Judge Criss has an impressive record in Galveston, particularly handling the ongoing court cases related to the 2005 BP refinery explosion in Texas City. She speaks frankly about her involvement in the case and her disagreement with the Supreme Court's decision to overturn one of her earlier BP rulings.

That's problematic, since her comments concern a still-pending case. She boasts about being known as the "blogging judge," even though it seems to be of dubious advisability for any judge to maintain an active blog on judicial and legal matters.

Just as troubling is a failure to closely monitor the blog. We checked it out, only to find the blog empty. Asked about it, Judge Criss said she was not aware there was a problem; she found out later that her Web manager had dismantled it without telling her.

Overall, we felt that Justice Yañez has a tighter grasp of the law and projects the more disciplined judicial demeanor, qualities that are mandatory for someone seeking a seat on the state Supreme Court.

[sonias]

1. Wow!

Impressive endorsements. Congratulations to the candidates!

Sonia