A San Antonio native, Escalona has practiced criminal law for nearly 17 years, working as a criminal defense attorney and a currently as prosecutor in the Bexar County district attorney’s office. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law.
Hear from the candidate
Why should voters choose you?
My experience and training make me the best candidate for this position. In addition to being board-certified in criminal law, I have served as both a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney. My broad perspective will make me a fair and balanced Judge. I currently serve as an assistant district attorney here in Bexar County. As the chief of a criminal district court I supervise a large number of felony cases, prosecuting crimes including violence involving deadly weapons like murder and capital murder, bringing justice to victims and protecting the community. With hard work, my team has helped decrease the court docket by nearly 50%, almost eliminating the backlog caused by the pandemic. This daily experience has prepared me for the hard work needed to run an efficient docket and has given me the skill set necessary to preside over complex trials and render fair and just rulings. Perhaps most important is the heart and dedication I have for the city. My family settled in San Antonio three generations ago, working the land surrounding the city. They taught me the value of hard work and sacrifice along with giving me a deep pride for the community. These values create in me a need to serve the people of San Antonio as the next Judge of the 186th District Court.
What do you see as the top challenge facing our local court system, and how should it be addressed?
The top challenge facing our local court system is mental health. The mentally ill make up a large percentage of offenders in the criminal justice system. Mental illness is an invisible disability that requires a vast amount of resources to properly diagnose and treat. We must confront this challenge by putting a greater focus on the issue as a whole. It is imperative to incorporate more advanced programs to address mental illness and create successful plans to rehabilitate mentally ill offenders. In addition, this will help decrease the potential for future danger and better protect our community.
