129th District Court Race: Dem. Michael Gomez vs. Rep. Incumbent Samuel Grant Dorfman

Harris County Civil Courts and Judges (Non-family) Houston Opinions

11         Judge Mark Davidson   55         Judge Jeff Shadwick (new) 55         Judge Jeff Brown (formerly) 61         Judge John Donovan 80         Judge Lynn Bradshaw-Hull 113         Judge Patricia Hancock 125         Judge John Coselli 127         Judge Sharolyn Wood 129         Judge Grant Dorfman 133         Judge Lamar McCorkle 151         Judge Caroline E. Baker 152         Judge Kenneth Wise 157         Judge Randall Wilson 164         Judge Martha Hill Jamison 165         Judge Elizabeth Ray 189         Judge Bill Burke 190         Hon. Jennifer W. Elrod (formerly) 190         Judge Patricia Kerrigan 215         Judge Levi Benton 234         Judge Reece Rondon 269         Judge John T. Wooldridge 270         Judge Brent Gamble 280         Judge Tony Lindsay 281         Judge David J. Bernal 295         Judge Tracy E. Christopher 333         Judge Joseph James Halbach Jr. 334         Judge Sharon McCally

Judge Dorfman is the Republican incumbent seeking reelection in the 2008 general election. The Democratic candidate for this bench in 2008 is   Attorney Michael Gomez (click candidate names to visit their websites) The HOUSTON CHRONICLE endorsed Dorfman

THE CHALLENGER IN HIS OWN WORDS	THE INCUMBENT IN HIS OWN WORDS
Michael Gomez Democrat As a practicing attorney with over 8 years of experience, a lifelong resident of Houston, and a graduate of Rice University and the UH Law Center, Michael Gomez cares about our community and its people. Michael pledges to treat everyone in his court with dignity, courtesy and respect.	Judge Grant Dorfman is in his 6th year of service as Judge of the 129th Civil District Court. A native Texan, he graduated from Brown University, Oxford University, and the Yale Law School (1992). Prior to his appointment, Judge Dorfman served as a law clerk on the United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced law with Susman Godfrey and as a partner with Ogden Gibson White & Broocks.
WHEN SHOULD A JUDGE BE RECUSED? When should a judge recuse himself/herself from a case? (60 word limit)	WHEN SHOULD A JUDGE RECUSE? When should a judge recuse himself/herself from a case? (60 word limit)
Michael Gomez, Democrat - A judge should recuse himself when his impartiality in a particular matter may reasonably be questioned or as required to under the rules and laws of the state of Texas. Source: LWV Voters Guide: Question to candidates	Grant Dorfman, Republican – No response received Source: League of Women Voters Guide: Candidate Q&A Note: Judge Dorfman is one of two incumbent civil court judges who did not respond to the recusal question by the League of Women Voters. The Judge Dorfman moonlights for the University of Houston as a part-time law professor, but declined to recuse himself when the Provost, whose signature is required for reappointments, was a defendant in a faculty employment dispute in Dorfman's court. George C. Hanks, who is also an adjunct professor and the UH Law Center, stepped aside under similar circumstance.
More on this candidate from the Harris County Democratice Party's judicial campaign web site: Judges for All dot com	More on the incumbent from the Harris County GOP's judicial re-election campaign web site: Keep our Judges dot com