REAL CONCERNS ABOUT MY OPONENT
WOOD COUNTY CITIZENS:
At the start of my campaign, I indicated that I had real concerns about my opponent’s conduct, both in and out of the Courtroom, that in my opinion have a direct bearing on his ability to continue as Wood County District Judge. I also indicated that over the course of this campaign, I would be addressing these concerns, none of which are pleasant for my opponent. I understand that, but believe me, it is not pleasant for me either. Those of you that know me, know that it is not in my nature to be critical or harsh about others. However, I believe in the truth and voters being fully informed of the facts, whether good or bad.
During the last 3 years, my opponent has made many important and life-altering decisions for litigants and children in the area of family law. In conjunction with these decisions, Judge Fletcher has often lectured the parties about there wrongdoings and the affect that those wrongdoings have on his rulings. That is not an uncommon occurrence in a Courtroom, but if Judge Fletcher is going to “talk the talk”, he needs to “walk the walk”. He owes that to the litigants and to the citizens of the County.
My opponent is taking exception to my stating that his 3rd marriage was annulled on the ground that he used fraud to induce his spouse to enter into the marriage. THESE ARE THE FACTS:
1. Judge Fletcher filed for divorce; his wife counter-filed for annulment alleging the ground of fraud on the part of Fletcher.
2. In a letter dated January 2, 2019, the wife’s attorney stated to Judge Fletcher’s attorney in part: “We already allege that your client fraudulently induced our client into the marriage by lying about the reasons for his previous divorces…”.
3. Fraud is one of the statutory grounds for which an annulment can be granted in Texas. Fraud was the ONLY ground urged by the wife in her petition for annulment.
4. The effect of Judge Fletcher and his wife agreeing to the annulment was to acknowledge that fraud on the part of Judge Fletcher occurred.
5. Judge Sage, the presiding judge in the case, could only grant an annulment based on a statutory ground or grounds, in this case the ground of fraud. An annulment CANNOT be granted just because the parties want one. An annulment CANNOT be granted in a court of law based on one’s religious beliefs, as Judge Fletcher would have you believe. That reason is not a statutory ground under the Texas Family Code. I can assure you that the wife, now ex-wife, and her attorney know the truth about why the annulment was granted.
6. A “divorce” is the dissolution of a valid marriage. An “annulment” occurs when a marriage is declared void from its commencement. Judge Fletcher’s marriage was annulled.
Folks, honesty and integrity matter. My opponent is not “walking the walk” when it comes to making important decisions in family law. You, the Wood County voters, shouldn’t settle for this. You deserve better.
If you are looking for comedy hour, this is not the time nor the place for it.
Those of you who attended last night’s forum at Holly Lake surely noticed that in response to some questions and comments that were critical of my opponent, he, on more than one occasion injected humor into the discussion. Why would he do that when the scheduled event was certainly not comedy hour? Fletcher’s answer is that all of the criticism against him should be treated as a joke.
Folks, I have taken enough psychology classes and have lived enough life to be able to give the real answer. My opponent used humor last night in order (1) to DEFLECT the truth and (2) to DERAIL the criticism, pure and simple.
Deciding what is best for the Citizens of Wood County is no joke! If you are looking for comedy hour, this is not the time nor the place for it.
INDIVIDUAL REFERRED TO THE WOOD COUNTY DISTRICT COURT AS CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT
The other night at the forum in Golden, an individual referred to the Wood county District Court as the Criminal District Court. I want to be sure that everyone understands that the District Court handles many more types of cases than just criminal cases. The Court handles family law cases including divorces, child custody, child modification, child support, parent-child termination and adoptions. The Court also handles many other civil cases. I have handled just about every kind of non-criminal case that can be filed in the District Court, and in doing so, have gained valuable experience in many areas of the law. This experience will certainly assist me on the bench and will serve to reduce the “learning curve” that all new Judges go through.
I ask for your consideration and vote as Wood County’s next District Judge! Please remember that early voting starts Feb. 18 and that Primary Election Day is March 3rd.
WHAT TO MAKE OF FLETCHER'S LETTER BEING CRITICAL OF ME
I have several thoughts on it.
1. Fletcher has simply gotten caught padding his resume, but instead of owning up to it, he lashes out and attacks me and my character. Fletcher knows the truth and so do we, the voters. Apparently, Fletcher’s modus operandi is to lash out against, threaten to sue or bring criminal charges against or impugn anyone who is critical of him. This has happened to several people in and around the Courthouse. I guess now it is my turn.
2. I would stack up my character and reputation against Fletcher’s any day. Laughingly, he accuses me of violating the attorney code of ethics, when, at the same time,
he does not want the public to know about his many violations of the Judicial Code of Conduct in his short 3 years in office. Folks, the pot is definitely calling the kettle black.
3.My opponent is desperate and is willing to do anything to continue to perpetuate a lie and to get re-elected. Wood County voters are the ones that should be desperate, desperate to make changes!
4. I would ask voters to use their common sense on this one. Before I publish something, I do my due diligence. I have done that in this instance and Fletcher knows it.
5. Fletcher is simply deflecting from the truth. In this campaign, I am running on my merits AND my opponent’s demerits.
Concerns about some actions of my opponent...
For some time now, myself and many others have been concerned about some of the actions of my opponent, occurring both in and out of the courtroom. In the 2016 campaign, my opponent did not have a judicial record. That fact is no longer the case. Voters need to be made aware of some of his conduct since January 1, 2017, the date he took office as Wood County District Judge.
In August of 2019, TEXAS LAWYER, a respected legal publication in this State, published an article titled “Sanction: Texas Judge Interfered in Cases to Help His Ex-Court Coordinator, Who’s Now District Clerk”. The article states that on two separate occasions, Judge Fletcher interfered with cases pending in the Wood County Court(presided over at the time by the Honorable Bryan Jeanes).
It was reported that in the first case, a probate case, Judge Fletcher pressured Judge Jeanes and his staff to expedite a hearing so as to benefit one of Donna Huston’s(his then court coordinator) relatives. Judge Jeanes told Judge Fletcher that he(Fletcher) had no business being involved in the matter and that he(Jeanes) expected no further interference in cases pending in the County Court.
Approximately one month later, Judge Fletcher did it again, this time interfering in a DWI case(with Donna Huston’s relative being the Accused) pending in Judge Jeanes’ Court.
The TEXAS LAWYER article states that after Judge Fletcher’s second interference, Judge Jeanes filed a judicial complaint against Fletcher with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. The article further reports that after investigation, the Commission issued a reprimand to Judge Fletcher, finding that he “….LENT THE PRESTIGE OF HIS JUDICIAL OFFICE TO ADVANCE THE PRIVATE INTERESTS OF HIS COURT ADMINISTRATOR AND HER FAMILY, FAILED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW AND MAINTAIN PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE IN THE LAW, IMPROPERLY FAILED TO RECUSE HIMSELF, AND ENGAGED IN IMPROPER EX PARTE COMMUNICATION.” The article went on to say that the Commission found that Judge Fletcher violated five(5) judicial conduct rules.
Voters, I have taken the time to research this matter, and as part of my research, have confirmed these facts with Judge Jeanes himself. Please do your own research. The article I am referring to can be found at https://www.law.com/…/sanction-texas-judge-interfered-in-…/…
One of two possibilities exist as to why my opponent would engage in this improper conduct. Either (1) he did not know that what he was doing was wrong, or (2) he knew that what he was doing was wrong(especially having been told by Judge Jeanes after the 1st interference) but did not care. Personally, I find it hard to believe that he did not know that his conduct was wrong. A first year lawyer would know this! Either way, my opponent’s conduct raises a doubt as to his fitness to continue as Wood County District Judge for another term.
The Citizens of Wood County NEED to know the facts; they DESERVE to know the facts; and they DESERVE better! Please share this post. I will be bringing out additional concerns that I have in future posts.
https://www.law.com/…/sanction-texas-judge-interfered-in-…/…
J. BRAD MCCAMPBELL, Republican Candidate for the
Office of District Judge of Wood County
Citizens of Wood County
CITIZENS OF WOOD COUNTY:
The Texas Code of Judicial Conduct mandates that a Judge should avoid impropriety (improper conduct) AND the appearance of impropriety(improper conduct) in ALL of that Judge’s activities.
It is common knowledge in the County that Judge Fletcher and the Sheriff of Wood County have a close personal relationship AND are seen together A LOT. While that, on its face, is not evidence of improper conduct on the part of the Judge, it certainly gives the appearance of improper conduct. I can assure you that the Honorable Timothy Boswell, Wood County District Judge for 17 years, would never have put himself in that position!
The Texas Center for Legal Ethics says in part that “…..this prohibition(against the appearance of impropriety) applies to both professional and personal conduct. A judge must expect to be the subject of constant public scrutiny and accept freely and willingly restrictions that might be viewed as burdensome by the ordinary citizen.”
I fully realize that becoming a judge means that I will have to lead a more isolated lifestyle. That is a sacrifice I am willing to make. Judge Fletcher, apparently, has not been willing to do the same. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, MY OPPONENT’S APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY(IMPROPER CONDUCT) IS DOING NOTHING BUT UNDERMINE THE CITIZENRY’S CONFIDENCE IN THE INTEGRITY AND IMPARTIALITY OF THE WOOD COUNTY DISTRICT COURT.
J. BRAD MCCAMPBELL, Republican Candidate for the
Office of District Judge of Wood County
Close personal relationships
Recently, I discussed my concern about the close, personal relationship between Judge Fletcher and the Sheriff creating at a minimum the appearance of impropriety. I have done some research to see if I can find a real life example of this occurrence . I found a similar situation occurring with a Florida Circuit Court Judge(a position similar a District Judge in Texas). In that situation, the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission(similar to Texas’ Judicial Conduct Commission) investigated the Circuit Court Judge and contended that the Judge’s close friendship with the then serving Sheriff of the County “contributed to the appearance of impropriety, a lack of impartiality and called into question the independence of the judiciary”.
Folks, the situation in Wood County presents a real concern. My opponent should decide if he wants to be a Judge or he wants a close, personal relationship with the Sheriff. Of course, that horse is already out of the barn. If I am elected District Judge, my relationship with the persons elected Sheriff and District Attorney will be cordial but nothing more. That is because the regulations governing judicial conduct mandate it!
J. BRAD MCCAMPBELL, Republican Candidate for the
Office of District Judge of Wood County
A CANDIDATE MUST BE HONEST
A CANDIDATE MUST BE HONEST!
My opponent has touted as part of his legal resume that he served as a briefing attorney for the 6th District Court of Appeals in Texarkana. I have learned that this is simply not true! The 6th Court of Appeals has confirmed to me and others that Judge Fletcher WAS NEVER a briefing attorney for anyone at the 6th Court. Not only did Judge Fletcher use this falsehood in the 2016 Campaign(against me), he is still using it today. He has even used this falsehood to help himself get nominated for and elected to the Judiciary Board for the Texas Center For The Judiciary(mentioned by Senator Bryan Hughes in his endorsement of Judge Fletcher), an organization whose mission is to promote judicial excellence by providing the highest quality judicial education to the judges of the State of Texas. Senator Hughes, you and I AND the voters have been duped!
Here is my take. If I lose an election based on truth, so be it. However, I don’t much cotton to losing when my opponent is not being truthful about his experience. Shame on Judge Fletcher! IF JUDGES AND JUDICIAL CANDIDATES MUST BE ANYTHING, IT IS BEING HONEST AND FAIR! If my opponent receives 1 vote based in part on that falsehood, that is 1 vote too many. Folks, misleading voters is unacceptable; it is also unacceptable and unfair to me.
J. BRAD MCCAMPBELL, Republican Candidate for the
Office of District Judge of Wood County
ADDRESSING FALLACIES
I would like to address some fallacies coming from my opponent’s followers concerning my legal experience and qualifications to serve as District Judge.
FALLACY # 1: I am nothing but a real estate lawyer.
MY RESPONSE: For 35 years, I have engaged in the general practice of law. That means that I do work for clients in many areas of the law. It is true that I am an owner of a title company (Wood County Title) and provide real estate services to customers in real estate transactions, but that is just a part of my practice. I also represent clients in
criminal defense; consumer and commercial litigation; contract preparation and disputes; estate planning, probate, and heirship; personal injury; creating business organizations etc. Just this year, I have chosen to greatly reduce my work in family law matters, an area which I have practiced my entire career. FACT: My experience in many areas of the law will serve me well on the judicial bench.
FALLACY #2: I have little or no experience in criminal law.
MY RESPONSE: I have represented clients in criminal cases my entire career. A big part of my trial experience has come from representing criminal defendants. In fact, I was trying criminal cases in front of juries and judges approximately 10 years before my opponent received his law license. My criminal casework has included the offenses of murder, assault, sexual assault, burglary, theft, criminal mischief, drug possession, dwi, and unlawful weapons, just to name a few. FACT: I am well-versed in criminal law and its procedural and evidentiary aspects.
FALLACY #3: Criminal cases make up 90% of the cases in District Court.
MY RESPONSE: This percentage is exaggerated. While there are many criminal cases on the Court’s dockets, there are also many non-criminal cases. Unfortunately, there are far too many family law cases, i. e., divorce, child custody and child support. Additionally, the District Court has jurisdiction over many other civil (non-criminal) matters. FACT: The District Court of Wood County hears cases in many areas of the law, all of which are important.
Lastly, it appears that some of my opponent’s supporters think it a laughing matter that I value and highlight my 37 years of marriage. WHAT A SHAME! I am proud of my commitments to marriage and family. I believe that how one conducts themselves in their personal life is often indicative of how they conduct themselves in their work or professional life. I consider my family relationships to be a strength in my campaign. The simple truth is that a District Judge has to make very important decisions in the realm of family law. If as a Judge, you are going to “talk the talk”, you need to be able to “walk the walk”. The citizens of Wood County deserve nothing less.
Sorry for being so long-winded! Please remember to vote on March 3 and take a friend with you! BRAD MCCAMPBELL
CONFUSION AMONG VOTERS
In the 2016 race for Wood County District Judge, I discovered that there was some confusion among voters about me being the attorney, Brad Campbell, who has a law office in Mineola. I can certainly understand that confusion, considering that we are both attorneys and that our names are so similar. I just want to point that out and ask that you please educate anyone who still may be confused about that this time around. J. BRAD MCCAMPBELL IS THE CANDIDATE AND NOT BRAD CAMPBELL!
Thanks for your continued support!!
J. Brad MCCampbell
IF ELECTED...
TO THE CITIZENS OF WOOD COUNTY:
If I am successful in my race for the position of District Judge of Wood County……..
I WILL NOT be biased or show prejudice in favor of or against any party or attorney or of any issue before theCourt. I WILL perform the duties of District Judge without bias or prejudice.
I WILL NOT be disrespectful to the parties, attorneys, witnesses and/or jurors appearing in the Court. There is certainly a difference between a judge, at appropriate times, being stern, and a judge who engages in conduct that is berating and/ or belittling. I WILL be patient, dignified, courteous, and respectful to those appearing in District Court. A judge should expect to be treated in similar fashion; therefore, it would be a disservice to the Court and the people of the County for the sitting Judge to act in a contrary manner.
I WILL NOT discuss, in public or private, cases pending in the Court or those that may come before the Court.
I WILL NOT seek information or facts from any outside source in connection with any case pending in the Court. I WILL make case decisions solely based on the facts and evidence presented and received in Court.
I WILL NOT conduct myself in any manner, in or out of Court, that would show impropriety or even the appearance of impropriety.
I WILL NOT interfere with any case pending in other Courts in the County for the purpose of influencing the outcome of the case , or for any other purpose.
I WILL NOT attempt to influence or coerce any officer of the Court concerning the manner in which that person handles his or her side of the case pending in the District Court.
I WILL NOT lend the prestige of the office of District Judge to advance my own personal interests or the interests of others.
I WILL NOT interfere with the magistration duties of the Justices of the Peace in Wood County.
I WILL HONOR MY OATH OF OFFICE AND WILL FAITHFULLY PERFORM THE DUTIES BESTOWED UPON ME FOR THAT HONORABLE POSITION!
J. BRAD MCCAMPBELL, Republican Candidate for the
Office of District Judge of Wood County
Addressing Wood County Bar Association Membership
I understand that some of my opponent’s supporters are giving voters the impression that since I am not currently a member of the Wood County Bar Association, I am somehow ineligible to be Wood County’s next District Judge. I have been a member of the Association in the past, but due to some difficulty in being able to make the meetings, I let my membership lapse. That reason is no excuse, but it is the truth. The Wood County Bar Association is a good organization, and I should be a member.
Having said that, membership in the Association is totally voluntary, and my currently not being a member HAS ABSOLUTELY NO BEARING on (1) my being able to practice law in Wood County OR (2) my being eligible to serve as Wood County District Judge. Frankly, this “issue” in my race, is much ado about nothing.
Maybe those same supporters should be asking their candidate why he has engaged in unethical conduct, despite being a member of the Wood County Bar Association, whose goal in part, is to promote honesty, integrity and ethical conduct in the legal profession. Folks, just being a member of an organization doesn’t always mean that the member complies with that organization’s ideals and standards.
J. BRAD MCCAMPBELL, Republican Candidate for the
Office of District Judge of Wood County
More Detail about my trial experience
I have been asked to provide more detail about my trial experience. I have been trying cases since 1984, both criminal and civil. I have had approximately 100 jury trials spread over Counties in North and Northeast Texas. I have had 9 jury trials in the District Court of Wood County, covering 8 different areas of the law. My last felony criminal trial in the District Court resulted in an acquittal for my client. My last civil jury trial in the District resulted in a verdict in favor of my clients. People tend to have a misconception of what it takes to have a case tried in front of a jury. There is an awful lot of work that goes into a jury trial. It is very time consuming and can be very expensive for the client. To be successful in a jury trial, you have to be willing to go that “extra mile” in preparation. I have always taken pride in my trial preparation, and it has made a difference for me in the Courtroom.
With regard to bench trials(cases where the judge is the trier of fact), I have had more than I can recall, representing clients in various disputes in many areas of the law. One thing is for certain. I have learned that each case, whether being presented to a jury or to a judge, is extremely important to the client, and I have always represented clients with that in mind.
J. BRAD MCCAMPBELL, Republican Candidate for the
Office of District Judge of Wood County
Wood County Voters
WOOD COUNTY VOTERS: Predictably, my opponent is playing the numbers game again. I would like to respond as follows: First, my opponent does not care to point out the cases I have handled in District Court that are something other than criminal or Family Law related. Folks, ALL cases in District Court are important! Maybe I should show that number to show that I have more cases in different areas of the law than my opponent. No, I neither have the time nor the inclination to do that.
Second, I would stack up the quality of my client representation over the years with that of my opponent any day. Over the years, I have handled just about every kind of case that comes up in District Court, regardless of the County, and I am proud of the job I have done. Maybe I should play the numbers game by counting the number of cases that I handled the 10 years before my opponent got his license to practice law. Needless to say, it would be a lot. Again, I neither have the time nor the inclination to do that.
Third, my opponent compares the number of cases that he has presided over as judge compared to my “None”. Frankly, this comparison is ludicrous. Of course he has presided over cases since he has been Judge. Prior to becoming Judge in 2017, he had not presided over any. If elected, I will be presiding over cases as well. My experience in many areas of the law, in my opinion, will have me better prepared to take the bench than my opponent preparedness when he started in 2017.
Fourth, my opponent’s tenure as Judge has been scarred by improper behavior. It doesn’t matter how many cases you preside over if you engage in conduct that violates our State Code of Judicial Conduct. The TEXAS LAWYER, a respected legal publication, has published a series of articles on Judge Fletcher’s improper behavior since becoming Judge in 2017. One such article chronicles the bad behavior of 17 judges ACROSS THE NATION,and Judge Fletcher is one of those judges. The TEXAS LAWYER has listed one article about Judge Fletcher as one of its top 10 stories for 2019. Neither the Wood County District Court nor Wood County need that kind of publicity!
Finally, there is so much more to being a good judge than having numbers on your side. How about HONESTY and INTEGRITY, for starters. I have that on my side.
Voters, my opponent can go ahead and play the numbers game, but I can assure you that his numbers don’t begin to tell the whole story. Thanks for your attention to this post.
J. BRAD MCCAMPBELL, Republican Candidate for the
Office of District Judge of Wood County