TLR Endorses Huffman and Simmons in Senate District 17
Good choice for both Democrats & Republicans who support lawsuit reform
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 21, 2008
Contact: Sherry Sylvester
210-241-5296
sherrysylvester@satx.rr.com
AUSTIN, TX - Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC is proud to endorse former Harris County District Court Judge Joan Huffman, a Republican, and Fort Bend Attorney Stephanie Simmons, a Democrat, in the Senate District 17 race for the seat being vacated by Sen. Kyle Janek.
“Judge Huffman served many years as a respected prosecutor and criminal court judge and Simmons has gained distinction for her wide range of legal and business experience in her work in the residential services industry in Houston,” said Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC Chairman Dick Trabulsi. “Democrats and Republicans can both choose candidates who support lawsuit reform. And, of course, independents have two fine choices as well."
Huffman was elected to the 183rd District Criminal Court in Harris County in 1998 where she was known as a fair but tough judge. She oversaw more than 8,000 cases in her time as a judge. She was once sued by the American Civil Liberties Union because she refused to legislate from the bench and her ruling against the ACLU was upheld by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
Huffman’s reputation for courage and public service are helping her stand up to a series of brutal and inaccurate attacks by one of her Republican opponents. These attacks are so outrageous that her opponent even apologized for them, yet they still continue. TLR is adding its voice to the many others who condemn the attacks and support Joan Huffman.
Stephanie Simmons’ commitment to her community coupled with strong stands on education, lawsuit reform and property rights are giving her traction in the Democratic race against Chris Bell, an anti-lawsuit reform candidate who has been bankrolled by notorious personal injury trial lawyers such as John O’Quinn throughout his career. In the SD 17 race alone, more than half of Bell’s funding comes from personal injury trial lawyers, including $100,000 from Walter Umphrey, one of the Tobacco 5 lawyers who received the $3.3 billion fee awarded them by former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales. Mr. Morales went to prison because of activities related to the tobacco settlement.
Prior to becoming a judge, Huffman served as an Assistant District Attorney in Harris County where she was the lead prosecutor in 100 jury trials. She prosecuted 13 capital murder cases, and won them all. Simmons, who graduated from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University, said in launching her campaign that she could no longer sit back and watch our legal and political systems work against people. “Either Simmons or Huffman would be assets to the Texas Senate,” said Trabulsi. “We are proud to endorse them.”
TLR PAC is the political arm of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the state's largest civil justice reform organization. TLR is a bipartisan, volunteer-led coalition with more than 16,000 supporters residing in 818 Texas communities and representing 1,266 different businesses, professions and trades. For more information about TLR visit www.tortreform.com.
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