Below are the remarks of Austin Bar President Mary-Ellen King during the recent investiture ceremonies for the new Third Court of Appeals justices, Travis County criminal magistrates, and district court judges.
Jan. 6, 2025
Investitures for Third Court of Appeals Justices Karin Crump and Maggie Ellis
Thank you all for coming out today as we honor the two new justices who will join the Third Court of Appeals.
Justice Karin Crump is wellknown among the Austin Bar Association as the co-founder of the Leadership Academy, along with Past President David Courreges. Justice Crump is a dedicated mentor and donates her time to serve as the judicial liaison for the Youth Justice Alliance, a nonprofit that provides high-school students throughout Texas the opportunity to take part in four-year paid fellowships. The goal of the program is to diversify the legal profession. Judge Crump has also donated her time and talent to the Texas Young Lawyers Association, serving as its president; as a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Bar Foundation; and as chair of a Texas Supreme Court task force to expand the delivery of legal services.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Justice Maggie Ellis’ story, you really should talk with her. Suffice to say, she worked hard to graduate from Baylor Law School and to pass the bar. But as hard as she worked to become an attorney, she works just as hard to be a positive force in the community. A former
Travis County prosecutor and administrative law judge, she’s been in private practice since 2017. A mother of four, she’s past president of the Leander ISD PTA, a volunteer Spanish and English teacher, and a generous volunteer attorney for pro bono legal services. Of particular importance to her are juvenile justice matters. She has participated in the Supreme Court’s Children’s Commission on Child Welfare and Juvenile Law workgroups, and she currently serves as chair of the state bar’s Juvenile Law Section.
I speak for everyone here today when I say congratulations to you both. We know you will be wonderful additions to the court and will fight for equal access to justice for everyone in Central Texas.
Jan. 9, 2025
Investitures for New Criminal Court Judges
Thank you all for coming out today as we honor three new criminal court magistrates.
Tanisa Jeffers is the new Travis County justice of the peace for Precinct 5. Prior to entering public service, Judge Jeffers worked as a criminal defense attorney for 20 years, primarily representing the indigent and mentally ill. She also has extensive experience representing abused and neglected children and children who may have been improperly removed from the home of their birth parents. In 2018 she was appointed associate judge of the Austin Municipal Court, as well as a magistrate judge for the county. Judge Jeffers is a dedicated public servant who is passionate about learning as much as she can about the judicial system here. With her experience in both criminal and civil matters, Judge Jeffers is a valuable addition to the Travis County judicial system.
New criminal court magistrate Craig Moore is an attorney, a judge, and an educator. He’s a former faculty member of St. Edward’s University and Concordia University, where he taught criminal law. As a current faculty member of Texas Law, he trains law students in courtroom presentation, witness examinations, and evidentiary objections. Before his teaching tenure, Judge Moore worked for 13 years as an assistant district attorney for Travis County, where he led the DWI Diversion Court and the Mental Health Diversion Court. Additionally, he’s generous with his time: He’s a former commissioner of the City of Austin’s Firefighters, Police Officers, and EMS Personnel Civil Service Commission and a former member of the board of director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas.
New criminal court magistrate Jana Ortega has worked as a criminal defense attorney since 2006. She’s also been an active participant in the community and local government initiatives: She’s a former director and chair of the board of the Sobering Center, which serves as an alternative to jail or an emergency room for individuals to recover from intoxication. The center also provides these individuals with followup resources as needed. Jana is a former chair of the Hispanic Issues Section of the State Bar, president of the Hispanic Bar Association of Texas, and chair of the HBAA Charitable Foundation. She’s also served on the board of Con Mi Madre, the Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas, and the Texas Bar Foundation.
Everyone, please join me in welcoming these three new wonderful additions to the Travis County judicial system.
Jan. 10, 2025
Investiture for New 353rd District Court Judge Sherine Thomas
Thank you all for coming out today as we honor Sherine Thomas, new judge of the 353rd District Court.
Judge Thomas previously served as Travis County’s executive attorney, supervising the county attorney’s office and administering a budget of $25 million. She was the first woman and first minority to serve in this role. Before that, she was director of litigation in the county attorney’s office, and before that the state court team lead. Through her roles in the public sector, Judge Thomas has gained extensive experience in civil legal matters at both the trial and the appellate levels.
She’s also responsible for securing the largest settlement ever received by Travis County for an environmental case – $3.5 million for the pollution of Hamilton Pool by developers.
Outside of her government work, Judge Thomas has also taught trial skills, such as crafting opening and closing statements and the use of technology in litigation, at Texas Law since 2011. She’s a former chair of Austin Habitat for Humanity. She’s an integral part of the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association, where she serves as the chair of the Women Empowering Leadership in the Law Summit, as well as immediate past chair of the South Asian Bar Association of Austin.
Please join me in congratulating Judge Sherine Thomas.
Jan. 24, 2025
Investiture for New 98th District Court Judge Sandra Avila Ramirez
A native of the Rio Grande Valley, Judge Sandra Avila Ramirez is a graduate of St. Edward’s University and Texas Tech School of Law. The first in her family to graduate high school, Judge Avila Ramirez spent 25 years as a practicing attorney before being elected to the 98th District Court. She gained extensive jury trial experience while at the DA’s office and was fortunate enough to experience practicing law both as a prosecutor and defense attorney.
Her commitment to public service began as a volunteer firefighter and EMS first responder at 20 years of age, mentoring at-risk children in college and law school as well as volunteering at a local rape crisis center.
After obtaining her law degree, Judge Avila Ramirez continued her public service path by working at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in Chicago, providing legal services to family violence survivors and children as the Children’s Rights Manager for Legal Aid, assisting crime victims seek justice at the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, and establishing a criminal defense practice with an almost exclusive caseload of indigent, Spanish-speaking clients in both the adult and juvenile justice systems.
While in private practice, Judge Avila Ramirez represented multiple clients pro bono, assisting college and high school students with criminal matters and families with Guardianship matters. Through the years her charitable contributions focus on organizations serving the most vulnerable populations including food banks, those providing indigent defense such as Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, VLS, Planned Parenthood and those assisting the unhoused including Caritas, among others.
She has volunteered her time to organizations such as Latinitas, Todos Juntos Learning Center, Youth Justice Alliance, Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas, the St Ignatius Food Pantry, and League of Women Voters, among others.
Judge AR was appointed to serve on the Supreme Court Protective Order Task Force as an experienced protective order attorney. At the District Attorney’s Office, she was a member of a multi-agency (local, state and federal) Human Trafficking Task Force and was assigned to the Civil Rights Unit for 3 years in part due to her ability/willingness to hold people accountable regardless of their position or authority.
A lifelong public servant, Judge Avila Ramirez will continue that path as your elected 98th Civil District Court Judge.
She is a member of NAWJ (National Assn of Women Judges), HBAA, TCWLA, ABLA, South Austin Democrats, Travis County Democrats, League of Women Voters, National Women’s Political Caucus, and served as PTO secretary and school board vice-president at St. Ignatius, Martyr Catholic School.
