The ringing in of a new year brings thoughts of all sorts of changes in life. It brings new opportunities, fresh perspectives, and renewed energy. In 2011, the same is true in the Probate Courts of Harris and Dallas Counties. The elections in November resulted in some distinct changes in the judges among the probate courts in these two counties.
In Harris County, contested races in all 4 probate courts resulted in the election of two new judges and the re-election of two others. In Probate Court One, Judge Loyd Wright was elected to his first term as a probate judge. Judge Wright brings 20+ years of experience as a probate lawyer and substantial real-world experience handling probate and guardianship cases as a practicing lawyer. Over in Harris County Probate Court Four, Judge Christine Butts was also elected to a first term as she replaced retiring Judge William McCulloch who served for 25 years as judge of this Court. Like Judge Wright, Judge Butts brings a substantial amount of probate and guardianship experience to the bench. She has been Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate since 2003, and her entire career has been spent practicing in this area.
In Dallas County, contested races in Probate Courts 1 and 2 produced new judges in each Court. In Probate Court 1, newly-elected Judge Brenda Hull Thompson brings an extensive background in probate and guardianships, as well as substantial experience in having worked as a mediator in probate cases. With this background, she will doubtlessly bring a conciliatory approach to the bench to help those in her Court work out their issues effective. In Dallas County Probate Court 2, newly-elected Judge Chris Wilmoth succeeds retiring Judge Robert Price. Judge Wilmoth brings a fresh perspective and enthusiasm to the bench and has said that he plans to institute innovative changes to focus his Court on better serving the citizens of Dallas County.
Ford + Bergner LLP congratulates each of these new probate judges and wishes them the best in their new role as public servants. The opportunities for change brought about by the election of each of these judges provides the citizens of Harris and Dallas counties with fresh perspectives and opportunities for improvements to our judiciary. We all look forward to working with each of these new judges!