"If I am fortunate enough to have the honor of being elected into office (in November 2010) I promise to dedicate myself to serving the citizens of Hays County in a manner that would have made Judge Warner proud."
Send your comments and news tips to online.editor@valleyspringcomm.net or click on the "comments" button at the bottom of the story.
Anna Martinez Boling, who has a law and mediation practice in San Marcos and formerly served as chair of the Hays County Democratic Party, was appointed this morning as judge of County Court at Law #1.Mrs. Boling will be sworn in at the county courthouse and assume the judgeship on Sept. 21. She replaces long time Judge Howard Warner, who passed away last month.
The appointment came on a 4-t0-1 vote by county commissioners court. County Judge Liz Sumter made the motion to appoint Boling. Pct. 3 Commissioner Will Conley cast the lone dissenting vote.
Six other candidates were vying for the position, all attorneys.
According to her professional vitae, Boling's law practice in San Marcos, since 1998, has included work in criminal felony and misdemeanor defense, family law, guardianship, will and probate, mediation and general civil. She also served as an assistant district attorney prosecuting criminal misdemeanor cases in county courts in El Paso County. She will be hearing similar cases as a Hays County court at law judge.
Boling received her law degree from St. Mary's University in 1994. She is a member of the Texas Bar Association, and served on the board of the Hays County Bar Association from 1999 to 2008.
"I felt that throughout this entire (selection) process that my resume, and yes my experience, qualified me for this job," Boling said of her appointment. "I've worked both sides as a prosecutor and a criminal defense lawyer. I think I have the best experience, personally. What put me over, as well, was all my work in the community."
Among other activities such as victims' rights advocacy, Boling has been a key supporter of the Hays Caldwell Women's Center. She is currently assisting, along with her husband, with landscaping at the center's new facility.
"These (county court at law) judges work very hard," said Boling. "I feel they have had impeccable judgment and been very fair. As far as ethics and fairness, I have no doubt the judges have exercised fair and just methods."
She added, "Judge Warner was one-of-a-kind and is sorely missed. I could not begin to fill his shoes. If I am fortunate enough to have the honor of being elected into office (in November 2010) I promise to dedicate myself to serving the citizens of Hays County in a manner that would have made Judge Warner proud."
On a humorous note, the RoundUp asked whether we should be concerned about having two women presiding over our county courts at law. Linda Rodriguez is the long serving judge of County Court at Law #2. "Not at all, we have four men in district court," Boling quipped. "Should we be concerned about that?"
6 comments:
So what if she is a freaking attorney, they are everywhere. The facts:
1. She is a Democrat hack, former Party chair. Political paybacks?
2. What are her qualifications for a County-Court-At-Law judgeship, besides being an attorney?
3. Why is it that the typical process for appointments for both parties is to find the hacks who have functioned within the machine over the years and award them with plum appointments (that amount to government largesse - ala, steady paycheck?) when there are oftentimes no qualifications that are acceptable other than their political affiliation, and some minimum qualifications professionally?
Now if Boling happens to be able to show the rest of the voting public why it is she is qualified, kudos to her, all that I get from this article is that she is: a) an attorney; and b) that she was a former County chair for the Democratic Party. What are her qualifications? Is she even a good attorney? Has she ever had ethics violations? Did anyone bother to check her credentials (other than being female, hispanic, an attorney, and a former Democratic Party chair? It seems that unlike the similarities she shares with the recent Supreme Court nomination of Justice Sotomayor, who could produce qualifications other than being one of Hispanic descent, and female (both wonderful things in and of themselves, and commendable for the achievements she has achieved)she had a record of judicial background qualifying her as a good choice for the Supreme Court. Where has anyone vetted Boling? Why wasn't this information made public by the Commissioners Court to support their choice? Why weren't the others announced so that the general public could be made aware of who the potential appointees would have been?
At the end of it all, sadly, is that this was apparently (and I do stress apparent) a political pay-off and nothing more. Sad for Judge Boling, especially if she is truly qualified. Her friends on the Commissioners Court did her no favors.
Humility does not appear to be one of her attributes.
They did vet her and found that she declared bankruptcy in June.
Hey fossil heads 1&2, give the gal a break. She's just been appointed and you're already jumping all over her with all manner of conclusions. One thing's for sure, you two would never make it to first base as judge candidates.
Full resumes were released to the media and are accessible on Newstreamz and other news sources for you to review. Boling was vetted very thoroughly at Commissioners Court and in the public. I suggest you look at all of her qualifications and attributes. I believe you will come to the same conclusion Commissioners Court and the majority of the public came to. She is highly qualified, contributes much of her time to the community and cared enough to put her name and reputation up for scrutiny to serve as a public servant.
Anonymous # 1, let me help explain politics in Hays County and Texas to you. First, yes, the Democrats do appoint or elect party hacks - who often sell out their constituents once they get in office. It is the old guard payback system still operating in Texas. It needs to be changed. On the other hand, Republicans appoint or elect incompetent white men (or hack white women like Kay Bailey) all the time - and arbitrarily vote against any minority, even though white people will be the voting minority in Texas and the US in the near future. Just look at the two US Senators from Texas who voted against a clearly competent Sotomayer. And now Conley votes against Boling? See the pattern? If it is not racism, is it pure political stupidity? And if it is not racism, why is the current Republican Party pattern of hating and shunning minorities so clear? It can't totally be a competence issue, especially when you look at their own Party incompetence. And isn't it obvious when you watch all the panting white Republican men falling all over the very white Sarah Palin. Yes, I'm sure it has to do with her intelligence and her competence. In reality, politics at all levels in the US is pathetic. But what is most pathetic is the last gasp hate and anger of an increasingly hapless and violent white party that knows only two words: NO CHANGE! In the future, I encourage all Hispanics to NEVER vote for any white Republican, regardless of his or her competence. And that includes Kay Bailey Hutchison. If Kay Bailey couldn’t support Sotomayer, she doesn’t deserve to run a state with such a large Hispanic population. Hispanics should show some self-respect and make the Republicans pay with political defeat. The truth is the Republican Party has allowed itself to be turned into a white hate party - while disguising that hate as a "competence issue." On the other hand, maybe the Republicans are just too stupid to know that racism and politics are not necessarily the same thing.
Post a Comment