Chad Bridges

Qualifications: What characteristics and experience qualify you to serve as a justice?

I have five years of judicial experience. I am Board Certified. I have extensive experience in both trial and appellate work. I have a track record of working with others regardless of party.

Ethics: Since judicial candidates solicit donations and raise money to be elected, how can voters be assured that campaign donations will not impact how judges interpret the law and review lower court decisions?

Look to objective measures, like the State Bar Judicial Preference Poll. That poll includes a broad cross section of voters that actually practice in our local judicial system. It is hard to do, but you can also research how often judges are reversed by higher courts.

Judicial Elections: How would the administration of justice be impacted if judges ran in nonpartisan races?

It depends on how well the electorate educates themselves about judicial candidates. One of the problems with partisan judicial elections is that voters often will not look past "R" or "D" when deciding.

Equity: What can be done to improve access to justice for all, including persons or groups who may be underserved?

I'm proud of what we have done to improve language access in Fort Bend County. Fort Bend is very diverse with many residents who do not speak English as a first language. I appoint interpreters for litigants free of cost in both civil and criminal cases.

Court System: What effect will the new business court and statewide court of appeals have on the administration of justice in Texas?

As with every bench, it depends on who is presiding. Having judges with specialized expertise to handle time consuming cases improves judicial access for other litigants. But as with every judge, they must be fair and thoughtful.