Kaufman County District Attorney Swearing In Ceremony- 4/22

Judge Wiley will be sworn in as Kaufman County District Attorney on April 22nd at 1pm in the County Court at Law. All are invited to attend.

I began my career in Kaufman County as a prosecutor in Judge Wiley’s court. I learned quickly that Judge Wiley will not suffer an unprepared attorney in her court, be it a prosecutor or defense lawyer. Her high standards made me a better attorney.

Judge Wiley is tough but fair (I’ll go with present tense from here, since Judge Wiley is still on the bench). She is always curious and interested in the cases and defendants before her. She has compassion, in a very tough love kind of way, for the defendants in her court. For example, Judge Wiley created and manages the successful DWI court program. DWI court helps addict-defendants avoid prison and stay sober with a strict regimen of counseling, treatment, drug testing, and weekly court sessions. It’s a lot of extra work for her court, and it shows her level of dedication to rehabilitating defendants.

Judge Wiley also presides over the juvenile docket which allows her to influence the youth of Kaufman County so they don’t become adult defendants. Judge Wiley takes an active interest in these cases. She knows the young adults who appear before her. She knows not only what they are in court for, but why. Juvenile cases are often as much about the families (or lack thereof) as the juvenile defendant. Judge Wiley often spends as much time in court talking to the parent(s) as the defendant. Juveniles can be a hard group to reach, but Judge Wiley communicates with troubled youth as well as anyone I know. She cares about these kids, and it shows. She is always prepared and enthusiastic about the juvenile docket and her approach gets results.

There is never any going through the motions in County Court at Law. It never feels routine in the way so many criminal dockets can. It is demanding, which makes it exciting. I am going to miss that.