Platform
Only through increasing access to justice and lowering the rate of recidivism can true reform take place in our Criminal Justice System. We must ensure that no individual falls through the cracks in Harris County.
Youthful Offenders Court
Judge Andrea Beall has a passion for working with at-risk youth and has created a Youthful Offenders Docket for offenders between the ages of 17 and 25 in order to create a more individualized approach to rehabilitation. Judge Beall has seen the effects of having a close family member become lost in the criminal justice system. Judge Beall works within the community to provide resources to prevent youthful offenders from falling into recidivism by addressing root problems such as a lack of education, job training, and social capital. If reelected, Judge Beall will continue her work to stop the revolving door of the criminal justice system.
Access To Justice
Justice delayed is justice denied. In order to bring justice and reconciliation to our community, cases must be handled in an efficient manner, so that no member of our community falls through the cracks of the criminal justice system. When caseloads are not treated with hard work, efficiency, and diligence, the size of docket caseload grows. When caseloads grow, it takes longer for cases to reach their conclusion and for both the accused and crime victims to have their day in court. People who are accused of crimes and should be vindicated are denied their day in court, yet have increased exposure to law enforcement and have difficulty obtaining work while they languish on a court’s bond. Those who are accused of crime and need treatment are delayed in getting access to resources because the disposition of their case is delayed, increasing the risk of recidivism. Meanwhile, victims of serious crime cannot reach closure in the criminal justice system because the case continues on and acts as a constant reminder of their victimization.
THE PROBLEM? Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the 185th District Court docket grew from 918 cases to 1618 cases between December of 2018 and March of 2020. The number of pending cases has continued to skyrocket to over 2800 cases throughout the course of the pandemic. In 2021, the 185th caseload is over 400 cases above the average Criminal District Court Docket caseload and was the third largest caseload of the 22 Criminal District Courts at that time. In order to decrease caseloads, Judges MUST commit to working hard and holding jury trials in order to hold attorneys for both sides accountable to their cases and decrease the backlog of cases. When elected, Judge Beall pledged to work tirelessly to lower the docket size and increase the efficiency of the 185th District Court.
She has done just that. The 185th docket today is approximately 500 cases. Judge Beall has accomplished this by increasing trials and putting case dispositions on a workable timeframe. Judge Beall has presided over approximately 70 jury trials since taking the bench in 2023 and the case backlog in the 185th has been eliminated. Due to her work to reduce this backlog, Judge Beall was selected to serve as the Docket Management Committee Chair for the Felony Board of Judges.
Felony Veterans Treatment Court
Harris County has one of the oldest veteran’s treatment programs in the country. Judge Andrea Beall presides over veteran’s treatment court and works with veterans on felony probation whose crime can be directly linked to a PTSD diagnosis stemming from active military combat or from being the victim of sexual violence while serving in the military. Judge Beall works on an interdisciplinary team along with the Harris County Probation Department, Veterans Affairs, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and others to ensure that these veterans receive individualized treatment and successfully rehabilitate while on probation.
Creating Impact In Our Community
- Will create Youthful Offenders Court
- Will work tirelessly to end case backlog
- Will push for bail reform
- Qualified to bring fairness and justice for all