JUDGE SUSAN CRISS
www.co.galveston.tx.us/judgecriss
EDUCATION___________________________________________________________
1986
Doctor of Jurisprudence
1983-1984
University of
1982
Bachelor of Arts in Government
1979-1980 Sam Houston State University
1979
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE__________________________________________
1999-present 212th District Court Galveston,
Texas
District Judge
1996-1998 Law
Offices of Susan Criss
1987-1996 Galveston County Criminal District Attorney’s Office
Assistant Criminal District Attorney
1993-1996
Special Prosecutor for Child & Elder Abuse
1989-1993
Felony Trial Attorney
1988-1989
Chief of Misdemeanor Division
1985-1986
Law Clerk
1983-1984
The Office of the
Attorney General of
Environmental
Protection Division
Law Clerk
1981-1982 University
of
Assistant Ombudsman
ACCREDITATIONS__________________________________________________________
Board Certification in Criminal
Law by the Texas Board of Legal
Specialization, 1993 to present
AWARD RECEIVED_________________________________________________________
26TH Annual Telly
Award winner 2005, along with Stonefilms of Texas,
Inc. for “the Color of Justice”
video, Executive Producer
Fred C. Johnson Foundation
“People Who Make A Difference” Honoree
2005
State Bar of Texas Honorary
Resolution September 2004 for producing
The Color of Justice Video
Outstanding Young Lawyer of
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES________________________________________________
2003-2004
Color of Justice
Video Project Director of
ACCOMPLISHMENTS_______________________________________________________
In
aftermath of Hurricane Ike, That occurred September 13, 2008, participated in
re-establishing justice system in Galveston County. Within three days of hurricane we set up
system to handle emergency orders and to magistrate inmates. By the end of September the courthouse opened
for hearings. During the first week of
November I qualified citizens for jury duty and began a jury trial.
Presided
over 4,164 claims arising from British Petroleum plant explosion that occurred
March 2005 in Texas City, Texas in Cause No. 05CV0337, Miguel Arenzas vs. BP
Amoco Chemical Company, Et Al. All
claims were disposed of in three years and five months with two cases appealing
the final outcome.
Launched the Color of Justice Video Project in
Texas. This video
features minority judges, lawyers
and law students encouraging
minority school children to
pursue careers in the law and the judiciary
Created the first court web site
in
informs attorneys, law
enforcement, witnesses, jurors, the media and the
public about court schedules,
policies, rules and necessary juror
information
Created a “Court Class for
Children” section of the website. This
class
teaches children about what
happens in court and what to do if they
become witnesses in a trial
Toughened restrictions for sex
offenders on probation in the 212th
District Court requiring
polygraph examinations and limiting internet
access to children
Launched a program that provides
Spanish speaking probationers with
written Spanish translations of
forms containing probation conditions,
rules, terms and other necessary
information.
Founder of the
Child Fatality Review Task Force
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS____________________________________________
The Gulf Coast Center MHMR Jail
Diversion Task Force, chairperson;
2002
to present
College of the State Bar of Texas
The
Mental Health Task Force of Galveston County, member; 2004 to present
The
National Association of Women Judges, member;
2001 to present
Texas
Bar Foundation, member: 1998 to present
Judicial
Section of the Texas State Bar, 1999 to
present
Galveston
County Bar Association, past president; 1996-1997, member; 1986 to present
Galveston
County Community Supervision & Corrections Board, 1999 to present
Galveston
County Juvenile Probation Board, 1999 to
present
Galveston
County Pre-Trial Release Board, 2002 to
present
Galveston
County Criminal Justice Board, 2002 to
present
Galveston
County Purchasing Board, 2002 to present
PAST PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS___________________________________
Galveston
County Local Law Enforcement Block Grant Advisory Board, 1999
Galveston County Young Lawyers Association, 1987 to 1997; secretary
1992
to 1993
Galveston
County Bar Association Pro Bono Committee, 1995
to 1997
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 1998
Texas District and
Galveston County Child Abuse & Neglect Task Force,
founding member
Galveston
County Child Death Review Task Force, founding
member2004
NAWJ
Board of Directors, District 11 Director (Texas, Oklahoma & Arkansas) 2004 to 2005
Trial
Judges Legislative Committee, Judicial Section of the State bar of Texas, October 12, 2004 to 2005
SPEECHES & LECTURES_____________________________________________
“Emergency
Preparedness: Lessons Learned From Hurricane Ike” Winter Regional Conference
for the Texas Center for the Judiciary, January 26, 2009 San Antonio, Texas,
February 24, 2009 El Paso, Texas
“Handling
High Profile Cases and Dealing with the Media” Houston Bar Association, January
9, 2009
National Judicial College, Reno NV, “The Arrival of
Blogs and Online
Journalism”, panel member, November 18, 2008
State Bar of
Sealed Records and Open
Courtrooms” panel member June 27,
2008
Mental
Health Legislative Forum, Mental Health & Substance Abuse Task Force &
Gulf Coast MHMR Center, panel member, January
6, 2005 Alvin, Texas
New
NAWJ
Annual Conference “Judges & the Media”, panel
member, Houston,
Color
of Justice Video/DVD presentations 2004, numerous
Trinity
Episcopal Church Lenten Series, speaker
Galveston,
March
2004
Invited
Testimony before House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
78th Legislative Session Public Hearing
March
30, 2004
State
Bar of Texas Advanced Criminal Law Seminar, lecturer
“Domestic
Violence”
July 2003 CLE credit
18th
Annual Texas Community MHMR Center Staff and Trustee Training Conference, “Jail
Diversion Services in Texas” panel member
Houston, TX June 5, 2003
Galveston
Police Memorial Foundation Ceremony, speaker,
May 12, 2003
Galveston
Police Department POST Training, “Child Abuse,” lecturer April 28, 2003 (regarding MHMR budget)
National
Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) Rally at the State Capitol March 26, 2003
speech featured in the PBS documentary
“Are the Kids Alright?”
Eighth
Annual Psychiatric Update, UTMB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences, “Cruel and Unusual Punishment? Scope and Possible Solutions to the
Warehousing of the mentally Ill in the Criminal Justice System” co-presenter with Dr. Mike Fuller, Moody
Gardens Hotel,
NAMI
Gulf Coast Mental Awareness Week “Building Communities of Hope” Dinner guest speaker
“A
View From the Bench” sponsored by St. Mary’s Law School panel member Galveston, Texas October 21, 2001 CLE credit
Texas
Probation Association Regional Conference, “Special Concerns in Treatment and
Supervision of Adult Sex Offenders” co-presenter
with Dr. Collier Cole, Moody Gardens Hotel, Galveston, Texas January 22, 2001
University
of
Daughters
of the American Revolution, “Child Abuse” lunch
speaker October 15, 1994
Child
Protective Services Seminar, “Medical Evidence in Child Abuse Cases”, lecturer October 13, 1994
Galveston
Police Department POST Training, “Elder Abuse”, lecturer
March,
April & June 1994
Galveston
County Child Advocacy Project, “Sex Offender Treatment”, panel member February 15, 1994
Texas
City Police Department Training, “Sexual Assault Laws”,
November 14, 1993
Child Abuse and Neglect Task
Force Training, “Perpetrator
Confessions” panel member November 10, 1993
Women’s Resource and Crisis Center
of Galveston County, “Child
Abuse Laws and Court Procedure”, lecturer November 1, 1993
Galveston County Criminal
District Attorney’s Office, Felony Division
Training, “Child Abuse Laws and
Trials”, October 28, 1993
Rotary Club of
October 15, 1993
Laws”, September 10, 1993
Galveston
Police Memorial Foundation Ceremony, speaker,
May 12, 2003
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES_______________________________________________
League
of Women Voters of
Gleanings
from the Harvest Board of Directors, past Board member
ARTICLES_______________________________________________________________
“Moving
Out of the Old Courthouse”
April 19,
2006
“Letter to Our Visitors from Louisiana, Mississippi
and Alabama”
“Thanks for Support in Time of Trial” Galveston County Daily News,
November
26, 2004
“Mother Nature Proved Me Wrong” Galveston County Daily News, August 17, 2003
“Cuts to
Budget Will Cost Taxpayers More” Galveston
County Daily News, April 28, 2003
“Isle
Can Be Proud to Claim Suffragist” Galveston
Daily News,
October 20,
2002
“Far Too Many Mentally Ill Are Incarcerated” Beaumont Examiner,
July 1, 2002
“Time
to Respond to Mental Illness Crisis” Galveston
County Daily News, June 25, 2002
“Conference
Shows Resolve of NYC Justice System” Galveston
County Daily News, November 17, 2001(regarding
response to Sept. 11, 2001)
“Legislators
Give Children a Chance” Galveston County
Daily News,
August 21, 1997