Cliff and his wife, Tammie, have been married for 19 years. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Dara and Jada.

After 20 years in the legal profession serving as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and most recently as the Austin Police Monitor, I am seeking to continue my service to our community by running for election to the 147th District Court in the Democratic Primary in March of 2010. I am running to succeed Judge Wilford Flowers who, after a distinguished judicial career, will not seek re-election at the conclusion of his term.

I am asking for your support for the 147th District Court.

My candidacy for District Judge is rooted in the desire to see that all participants in judicial proceedings are treated with fairness, dignity and respect. During my career in the criminal justice system, I have seen that those basic democratic values have not always been realized. As we strive for a more perfect justice system, I will always hold those values highest. The integrity of our criminal justice system demands that this is the case.

I currently serve you as the City of Austin Police Monitor—a position I was appointed to in January of 2007 by the City Manager. As our Police Monitor, I work diligently with our community at large and the Austin Police Department (APD) to bring balance, integrity and sound judgment to the citizen complaint process against APD officers. This role has given me a very unique perspective working collaboratively with parties on all sides.

Prior to my appointment as Police Monitor, I was a practicing attorney for over 17 years where I have served the public on both sides of the aisle. I worked as a prosecutor for 10 years and as a criminal defense attorney for over 7 years in Travis County and in New York City.

While serving as a Travis County Assistant District Attorney, I had the distinct honor to be assigned as a prosecutor in the 147th District Court. During my time in this court, I handled cases involving some of the most serious felonies including murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, family violence and child abuse. District Attorney Ronnie Earle later appointed me to serve as the community liaison to North Central Austin—my role was to facilitate community-led solutions to locally identified problems.

Throughout my legal career, I have handled thousands of felony criminal cases. I have conducted over 75 jury trials, countless bench trials and pre-trial hearings and have prepared and presented cases before members of the Grand Jury.

I believe that my broad legal experience serving on both sides of the bar, coupled with my years of public service, make me exceptionally qualified to serve as the next Judge of the 147th District Court.

In the coming months, I hope I can earn your support.

I invite you to join my growing list of supporters and I sincerely thank you for any consideration you might give to supporting me in this effort.