Ashley Mayes Guice

What training, experience, and characteristics qualify you for this position?

In my 13 year legal career I have worked as a private criminal defense attorney, a prosecutor & a public defender. In 2022 I served an 11 month appointment as Judge of County Criminal Court at Law #3, where I maintained one of the lowest dockets & reduced the docket size by 20%. Since January 2023 I’ve served as Staff Attorney to all 20 Harris County Courts at Law, offering legal guidance to judges & court personnel. I know the law & how to effectively & efficiently run a courtroom.

What, if any, alternatives to incarceration do you support? Please discuss program options, as well as when and how such alternatives can be used.

I support the use of community supervision (probation) & pretrial intervention programming with conditions that actually address the root causes of criminal behavior - especially with non-violent charges. To prevent recidivism, these options should directly address substance abuse, mental health needs, intensive anger management & assistance with finding employment. By providing these specialized resources we can guide individuals into making better choices & leading more productive lives.

In setting bail amounts, how will you balance Texas’s constitutionally mandated bail requirements with other conditions of release including minimizing any public safety threat the defendant may present to community? Please discuss both first time and repeat offenders.

I will set bail amounts that are fair & proportional to the risks of nonappearance & reoffending posed by the defendant, rather than focusing solely on financial capacity. I can work with pretrial services to implement non-monetary conditions like GPS monitoring, random drug testing & curfews - all alternatives to cash bail. This avoids punishing poverty & prioritizes public safety & defendant’s rights. High risk repeat offenders who don’t comply with conditions will face high bail amounts.