Election Day is Nov. 5.
It is official like a referee with a whistle.
Early voting began in Texas on Oct. 21.
And while all eyes are on the presidential contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, many political pundits believe down ballot races have more impact on the day-to-day lives of people than the more high-profile races at the top of the ballot.
So that voters in the Greater Houston area would get a better idea of some of the down ballot positions and the candidates running for those positions, Ethnic Media Services hosted a briefing with Houston minority media leaders on Oct. 17.
Journalist Nakia Cooper of the Bayou Beat hosted the briefing.
In addition to the event giving candidates a chance to reach Greater Houston’s ethnic communities, it also gave them a chance to refute some of the accusations made by their political opponents.
One such accusation is that Democratic judges are soft on crime.
Because of those alleged soft stances, more crimes get committed by criminals who should be behind bars according to some in the Republican Party.
When asked about the allegations that Democratic judges are soft on crime, Judge Tameika Carter, Democratic Candidate for Re-Elect Judge for 400th District Court, told RegalMag.com, “I’ll say they are incorrect. I’m a former prosecutor, so I have a track record of prioritizing public safety. Regarding Democratic judges, generally speaking we do believe rehabilitation is extremely important. But I also don’t have a problem assessing tough sentences when appropriate. I have assessed lengthy prison sentences when appropriate. I have assessed lengthy prison sentences for child rapists. But I have also given second chances to nonviolent offenders.”
Carter has dedicated much of her life to criminal justice reform.
She first felt the urge to serve her community in eighth grade when several Los Angeles police officers were accused of assaulting motorist Rodney King.
Black and Brown residents of Los Angeles had long accused the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) of brutality against communities of color.
However, the issue did not get wide media attention until the King case, which was captured on videotape.
Despite the videotape of the beating, the LAPD officers accused of assaulting King were found not guilty.
That not guilty verdict led to outrage in the Black community, culminating in a rebellion that led to the destruction of many businesses.
Carter said her mother sat her down after the not guilty verdict and told her the system is not always fair.
The judge said, “And having learned that so early in high school, I had an interest in working in our courts. And so, when I was out of law school or in law school, I guess, moving out, I made the decision that I was going to go into public service. And so, I chose the district attorney’s office, having interned doing defense work and prosecution, I felt that that was the way that I could make a great impact.”
She continued, “Learning how much power prosecutors have with working with law enforcement, screening cases, making charge decisions, making decisions on assisting judges with warrants. And so just to see how instrumental and important the prosecutor’s role was in our court system, I decided that I was going to choose a career in public service and serve my community that way. So, I’m able to work on this side of public safety and protecting victims, but also if there was an injustice, I think that was happening, I had the power to tell an officer, okay, I don’t think the evidence is there. Okay, I don’t think this is a case that we should be prosecuting. And so, I felt that I could be most impactful that way. And so that was how I started my career in public service was through the district attorney’s office. And then it led me to the bench, completed my first term, living in Fort Bend County, (Texas).”
Carter handles felony criminal cases and civil cases.
While some in political circles have blamed “soft on crime” judges for the crime problem in the Greater Houston area, Marshall Slot, the Republican Candidate for Fort Bend County, Texas Sherriff believes that a lack of police officers in his county is part of the blame.
Unfortunately, many police officers and aspiring police officers began second guessing their career choices after several police officers faced jail time for police brutality during the Black Lives Matter movement that gained steam around 2020 after the murder of Houston native George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Despite the possible hesitancy of some to enter law enforcement in these tumultuous times, Slot knew early on he wanted a career in law enforcement as both of his parents served as police officers.
Both worked for the Sugar Land, Texas police department, and one of his parents worked for the Fort Bend, Texas County’s sheriff’s office while he was growing up as third generation Fort Bend County, Texas resident.
While policing is Slot’s calling and passion, he knows that the police community has work to do to build a better relationship with the community at large.
When the police department has dedicated officers, Slot believes it is imperative to give them encouragement as they do a job that faces much scrutiny.
Slot told RegalMag.com, “Recruiting is a significant issue. In Fort Bend County and law enforcement nationwide, just much like we have recruiting issues in our military. There seems to be, there’s this perception in law enforcement that there’s a lack of support from the community. So why go into a role like that?
“Law enforcement at the heart of it is service to the community. And so, I believe as a leader in law enforcement, it’s our job to set up the environment such that they are supported, encouraged to do their jobs.”
But Slot added that officers must hold themselves accountable and demand more of themselves as they serve their communities.
