Stolhandske is seeking his third term as judge for County Court at Law No. 11. He also serves as judge of the specialty Treatment Recovery and Accountability Court. Stolhandkske is chair of the Curriculum Committee for the Texas Center for the Judiciary.
Hear from the candidate
Why should voters choose you?
For the last eight years, I have earned a reputation as one of the most efficient and hardest-working judges at the courthouse. I have had a major role in moving our justice system forward on the issues of pretrial incarceration and bonds. I created and implemented one of the first 48-hour bond review dockets in Texas, led the way in removing predetermined bond schedules, and was the first elected judge in Bexar County to regularly use the public safety reports in setting bonds. I have served as the Judge of our Drug Treatment Court for the last seven years. In 2018, the Texas Association of Specialty Courts recognized our team as the Outstanding Specialty Court Team for the entire State. Drug Court, recently renamed Treatment Recovery and Accountability Court, has had hundreds of successful graduates who have improved their lives by finding recovery. I am honored to serve as the Chair of the Curriculum Committee for the Texas Center for the Judiciary. This bipartisan committee is responsible for planning the continuing education for judges throughout the State of Texas. County Court at Law No. 11 was the first criminal court in Bexar County to hold regular online dockets when the pandemic began. I played a major role in developing the Zoom court procedures and created the virtual paperwork that is still used to automate many of our processes. I hold regular dockets in the courtroom but have maintained technology to allow participants in routine matters to avoid the unnecessary expense of coming to the courthouse, unless it is necessary to do so. I believe voters should choose me because I have proven myself as a dedicated judge, who is willing to put in extra hours and strives to make the court fair and accessible to everyone.
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 the independence of the judiciary. In my opinion, partisan politics have been detrimental to keeping good, hard-working, and experienced judges on the bench. When I put on my robe, I am always committed to ruling with impartiality; I interpret the law and do my best to ensure that everyone who comes before me is treated fairly. Ultimately, this is an issue for the state Legislature to address, but for now, voters must be encouraged to research each race and vote for the best candidate, regardless of political affiliations.
