Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane
Reconsider Justice Patterson
RECEIVED Fri., Feb. 19, 2010
Dear Editor,
Re: “'Chronicle' Endorsements” [News, Feb. 12]: As a trial and appellate lawyer for 28 years, I believe the Chronicle has misjudged Justice Jan Patterson, a veteran appellate judge who is now a candidate for a trial court, based on an incomplete set of facts relating to her seeking appointment to a vacant trial court seat last summer. Patterson did not approach the governor about this open seat; she was asked to apply. Her reasons for saying “yes” made perfect sense: she had already decided to run for district judge when her term expired, so her appellate seat was about to open up anyway. Had the governor filled her appellate seat, it would have been a brief interim appointment because the term was up this year. Perry ended up appointing someone else to the open trial court – but had Patterson been appointed, Travis County would have an exceptionally qualified Democrat on that bench today, instead of a Republican appointed by Rick Perry.
Intelligence, experience, work ethic, and empathy are the defining qualities of a judge and Jan Patterson exemplifies the very best in every category. With her years of experience as a federal prosecutor tackling the most serious of crimes, as a civil lawyer in private practice, followed by almost 12 years on the court of appeals, Jan Patterson has unmatched breadth of experience. She works exceptionally hard, applies the law fairly and has an intuitive feel for how the court's rulings affect citizens' lives and businesses. In my experience, she always gets it right, even when she rules against me. She has taken courageous positions in support of the same values the Chronicle has always supported, including civil rights, workers’ rights, and the environment. She has earned this progressive publication’s endorsement. It takes a big person to reconsider a position taken publicly. From what I know about my favorite local publication, I believe the Chronicle has the integrity to take a closer look at the real Jan Patterson.
Re: “'Chronicle' Endorsements” [News, Feb. 12]: As a trial and appellate lawyer for 28 years, I believe the Chronicle has misjudged Justice Jan Patterson, a veteran appellate judge who is now a candidate for a trial court, based on an incomplete set of facts relating to her seeking appointment to a vacant trial court seat last summer. Patterson did not approach the governor about this open seat; she was asked to apply. Her reasons for saying “yes” made perfect sense: she had already decided to run for district judge when her term expired, so her appellate seat was about to open up anyway. Had the governor filled her appellate seat, it would have been a brief interim appointment because the term was up this year. Perry ended up appointing someone else to the open trial court – but had Patterson been appointed, Travis County would have an exceptionally qualified Democrat on that bench today, instead of a Republican appointed by Rick Perry.
Intelligence, experience, work ethic, and empathy are the defining qualities of a judge and Jan Patterson exemplifies the very best in every category. With her years of experience as a federal prosecutor tackling the most serious of crimes, as a civil lawyer in private practice, followed by almost 12 years on the court of appeals, Jan Patterson has unmatched breadth of experience. She works exceptionally hard, applies the law fairly and has an intuitive feel for how the court's rulings affect citizens' lives and businesses. In my experience, she always gets it right, even when she rules against me. She has taken courageous positions in support of the same values the Chronicle has always supported, including civil rights, workers’ rights, and the environment. She has earned this progressive publication’s endorsement. It takes a big person to reconsider a position taken publicly. From what I know about my favorite local publication, I believe the Chronicle has the integrity to take a closer look at the real Jan Patterson.
Hamp Skelton
