HARRIS COUNTY WORKS
Published by Aubrey R. Taylor Communications
MEET JUDGE JOHN SCHMUDE
Published by Aubrey R. Taylor Communications
MEET JUDGE JOHN SCHMUDE
When Judge John Schmude took office as the Presiding Judge of the 247TH District Court of Harris County in January, 2015, he utilized his business and legal background to implement a series of sweeping, common sense reforms that have transformed a backlogged family District Court into one of the most user friendly and efficient courts in Harris County. And it’s clear that these reforms are being enthusiastically embraced by lawyers and litigants involved in family law matters.
One such reform that was intended to promote efficiency in the allocation of judicial resources is the Court’s new “Express Docket.” The Express Docket is designed specifically for lawyers and litigants who have a matter that requires less than five minutes of the Court’s time. The Express Docket allows parties to get in and out of court very quickly first thing in the morning before the call of the main docket. This simple reform has succeeded in improving the flow of cases in an extremely busy District Court and in giving lawyers a tool that can be used to allow them to handle their clients’ needs in a far more efficient and lower cost manner. Greater efficiency in the administration of justice and lower costs for litigants – that sounds like a win-win to me!
Another change that was instituted by Judge Schmude pertains to uncontested cases and default judgments. Most courts have what is called an “Uncontested Docket”, which is designed to handle uncontested matters and default judgments. Most Uncontested Dockets are set early in the morning during a relatively narrow window of time before the call of the Court’s morning docket. Beginning in January, 2015, the 247th District Court has allowed lawyers and litigants to handle uncontested matters and defaults at any time while the court is in session and available. This flexible approach has resulted in an improvement in the flow of cases and has given lawyers and litigants the ability to have their settlements and defaults handled at a time that is convenient for them. Again, greater efficiency for the Court and improved flexibility for litigants – another win-win!
Additional reforms instituted by Judge Schmude include the setting of hearings on temporary orders within 28 days of filing whenever a temporary restraining order is accompanied by a Petition (more than tripling in many cases the speed that litigants can get into court); allowing lawyers and litigants the ability to reset trial dates based on the filing of a written agreement with the court for an agreed continuance when the case has been pending for less than a year; the imposition of sensible time limits in temporary orders hearings; and the utilization of pre-trial conferences designed to reduce the waste of judicial resources in any trial requiring more than four hours of the Court’s time.
With a lot of hard work and with the help of sensible reforms, the 247th District Court disposed of more than 4,000 cases in 2015 – more than any family District Court in Harris County. This Court was recognized repeatedly in 2015 by the District Clerk’s Office for being the most efficient court in Harris County for e-filing. The Court’s Coordinator, Pamela Hunt, received the highly prestigious Inns of Court Professionalism Award in 2015, and both Judge Schmude and his Associate Judge, Paula Vlahakos, received impressive reviews in the latest Judicial Poll Results from the Houston Bar Association. Congratulations to Judge Schmude and the staff of the 247th District Court for a job well done. Keep up the good work!
The Harris County Republicans Party (HCRP) is a volunteer organization. HCRP is part of the Texas Republican Party and is the official Republican Party Organization in Harris County.
HISTORY OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
GRAND NEW PARTY
It began in a little schoolhouse in Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1854. A small group of dedicated abolitionists gathered to fight the expansion of slavery, and they gave birth to a Party dedicated to freedom and equal opportunity.
The name “Republican” was chosen, alluding to Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican Party and conveying a commitment to the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The Party was formally organized in July 1854 by thousands of anti-slavery activists at a convention in Jackson, Michigan. And it was no accident that two years later, in 1856, the first Republican National Convention took place in Philadelphia, where the Constitution was written.
It began in a little schoolhouse in Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1854. A small group of dedicated abolitionists gathered to fight the expansion of slavery, and they gave birth to a Party dedicated to freedom and equal opportunity.
The name “Republican” was chosen, alluding to Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican Party and conveying a commitment to the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The Party was formally organized in July 1854 by thousands of anti-slavery activists at a convention in Jackson, Michigan. And it was no accident that two years later, in 1856, the first Republican National Convention took place in Philadelphia, where the Constitution was written.
PARTY OF FREEDOM
Though popularized in a Thomas Nast cartoon, the GOP’s elephant symbol originated during the 1860 campaign, as a symbol of Republican strength. Republicans envisioned “free soil, free speech, free labor.” Under the leadership of President Abraham Lincoln, the GOP became the Party of the Union as well.
President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, but it was the entire Republican Party who freed the slaves. The 1864 Republican National Convention called for the abolition of slavery, and Congressional Republicans passed the 13th Amendment unanimously, with only a few Democrat votes.
The early women’s rights movement was solidly Republican, as it was a continuation of abolitionism. They were careful not to be overly partisan, but as did Susan B. Anthony, most suffragists favored the GOP. The 19th Amendment was written by a Republican senator and garnered greater support from Republicans than from Democrats.
PARTY OF PROSPERITY
Low taxes, sound money, regulatory restraint: these were among the commonsense economic policies established by the GOP that brought about decades of prosperity after the Civil War. Republicans encouraged innovation and rule of law. Buttressed by Republican control in Congress, the McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and Taft administrations cleared away obstacles to economic growth.
President Dwight Eisenhower and congressional Republicans appreciated the fact that the private sector, not government, is the engine of wealth creation. With his bold tax-cutting agenda, President Ronald Reagan revived the economy after years of Democrat malaise.
PARTY OF VISION
Theodore Roosevelt embodies our Party’s traditional concern for the environment, but the Republican commitment to the environment actually goes back much further than that. For example, the world’s first national park, Yellowstone, was established during the Ulysses Grant administration.
President Eisenhower advocated groundbreaking civil rights legislation and vigorously enforced the Brown v Board of Education decision, sending the 101st Airborne to Little Rock when chaos erupted following integration at Central High.
Ronald Reagan explained the difference between Democrats and Republicans in a way that cannot be improved upon: “Two visions of the future, two fundamentally different ways of governing – their government of pessimism, fear, and limits, or ours of hope, confidence, and growth. Their government sees people only as members of groups. Ours serves all the people of America as individuals.”
President George H.W. Bush championed community and volunteer organizations and the tremendous power they have for doing good. He famously described them as “a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.”
In the first decade of the 21st century, President George W. Bush made an unprecedented commitment to helping those in need beyond our shores through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an aid program for countries devastated by HIV/AIDS. Since its inception, PEPFAR has saved over a million lives and currently provides over 5 million people with life-saving treatments.
PARTY OF STRENGTH
President Reagan and President George H.W. Bush led western democracies to victory over Soviet tyranny in the Cold War. The George W. Bush administration maintained the military second-to-none and projected that power in the fight against international terrorism.
PARTY OF THE FUTURE
Drawing inspiration from our Party’s history, today’s Republicans believe individuals, not government, make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home.
At the state level, the nation’s thirty Republican governors are making government more effective and efficient, spurring economic growth and striving to put more power in the hands of the people.
Nationally, Republicans recognize that the slow, bloated, top-down Washington bureaucracy is out-of-date in the 21st century. Our Party works to give Americans more choices—in healthcare, in education, in energy, and in the economy—and to free individuals and families from the intrusive overreach of federal bureaucrats.
The Party’s core principles of freedom and equal opportunity are as relevant today as at our founding, and they are the roadmap for American renewal in a new and interconnected world.
"Building our party is a team effort, and winning elections takes all of us. Click this link to register your support and join the party."
...And don't forget that voting is a "PRIVATE" personal matter. What you do when you go into the voting booth is your "PERSONAL" business. None of the CANDIDATES, POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES, POLITICAL PARTIES, OR BUSINESSES highlighted below this point are connected or affiliated with one another in any way, shape or form unless otherwise noted.
MIKE KNOX - CONSERVATIVE
JUDGE ELAINE PALMER - DEMOCRAT
YOUNG CONSERVATIVES OF TEXAS - ENGAGEMENT
THE HARRIS COUNTY GOP - JOIN TODAY!
JUDGE HILARY GREEN - DEMOCRAT
ATTEND THE NEXT BREAKFAST - 713.292.3436
...And don't forget that voting is a "PRIVATE" personal matter. What you do when you go into the voting booth is your "PERSONAL" business. None of the CANDIDATES, POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES, POLITICAL PARTIES, OR BUSINESSES highlighted below this point are connected or affiliated with one another in any way, shape or form unless otherwise noted.
JUDGE ELAINE PALMER - DEMOCRAT
YOUNG CONSERVATIVES OF TEXAS - ENGAGEMENT
THE HARRIS COUNTY GOP - JOIN TODAY!
JUDGE LOYD WRIGHT - CONSERVATIVE
JUDGE KYLE CARTER - DEMCORAT
MATT MURPHY - CONSERVATIVE
JUDGE CLYDE LEUCHTAG - CONSERVATIVE
BRUCE BAIN - CONSERVATIVE
KENDALL BAKER - CONSERVATIVE
JUDGE JOHN SCHMUDE - CONSERVATIVE
RANDY & MICHELLE - LISTEN LIVE
RAMONA FRANKLIN - LISTEN LIVE
PASTOR BRIAN SCOTT - LISTEN LIVE
PASTOR DAVID ALLEN, JR. - LISTEN LIVE
AUBREY R. TAYLOR: "I would like to take this moment to thank all of the Republican candidates who are finding value in my mission to educate and empower Harris County voters. Please be reminded that every vote will matter on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 in Harris County. And finally, I am encouraging all registered voters to vote early from Monday, October 24, 2016 through Friday, November 4, 2016."
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