TEXAS MUNICIPAL COURTS EDUCATION CENTER FACULTY ROSTER

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1 TEXAS MUNICIPAL COURTS EDUCATION CENTER FACULTY ROSTER Regional Judges Seminar Addison March 7 9, 2016 Michael Acuna Presiding Judge Dallas 2014 Main St Dallas, TX michael.acuna@dallascityhall.com Richard Alpert Assistant Criminal District Attorney Tarrant County 401 W.Belknap Street Fort Worth, TX ralpert@tarrantcounty.com Jan Blacklock Matthews Judge Wilson P.O.Box 22 Wilson, TX lubbock7@gmail.com Thomas Bridges Deputy City Attorney Portland 1900 Billy G Webb Portland, TX tytomb@aol.com Raquel Brown Associate Judge Fort Worth 1000 Throckmorton St Fort Worth, TX raquel.brown@fortworthtexas.gov Robby Chapman Director of Clerk Education and Program Attorney chapman@tmcec.com Elizabeth De La Garza TxDOT Grant Administrator elizabeth@tmcec.com Mark Goodner Deputy Counsel & Director of Judicial Education goodner@tmcec.com Peter Graham Judge Irving P.O. Box Irving, TX grahamusmc1980@yahoo.com Andrew Hagen Judge Uvalde PO Box 799 Uvalde, TX ahagen@uvaldetx.com David Hamilton Prosecutor Reno in Lamar County 160 Blackburn St Reno, TX parisattorney@gmail.com Myra Kirkland Presiding Judge Blue Ridge 200 South Main St. Blue Ridge, TX Kirklandls@gmail.com Patricia McArdle Court Investigations Supervisor Dallas County Probate Courts 1200 Main St.#306 Dallas, TX Patricia2003t@yahoo.com Ned Minevitz TxDOT Grant Administrator & Program Attorney ned@tmcec.com Erik Nielsen Staff Counsel State Commission on Judicial Conduct PO Box Austin, TX Erik.Nielsen@scjc.texas.gov Harvey Perriott Protective Security Advisor North Texas District U.S.Department of Homeland Security harvey.perriott@hq.dhs.gov Edward Spillane Presiding Judge College Station PO Box 9960 College Station, TX espillane@cstx.gov Ryan Kellus Turner General Counsel and Director of Education 2210 Hancock DR0. rturner@tmcec.com

2 , Austin, Texas fax FACULTY BIOGRAP HIES MICHAEL ACUNA Michael Acuña received his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and was admitted to the Bar in He started his legal career at the City of Houston in 1993 as a municipal court prosecutor. In April 1997, Judge Acuña moved to the Land Use Division where he litigated nuisance abatement and sexually oriented business cases in state and federal courts. In November 1999, he was hired by the City of Dallas where it created the position of Assistant Chief Prosecutor for him. He served in that capacity until August 2004 when he was first appointed a full-time municipal judge. Since then, Judge Acuña has presided over various dockets including traffic, penal code, animal control, bond forfeitures, environmental pollution, substandard buildings, and gambling machine cases. Judge Acuña represents the City of Dallas on the Dallas County Bail Bond Board. Judge Acuña has been the Region III representative on /TMCA board of directors since Fall He also serves as co-chair for the board s Education and Budget and Finance Committees. He has been a regular speaker for and other entities on many subjects since 1994 including municipal court complaints, bail bond forfeitures, pretrial hearings, court interpreters, cross-examination, Chapter 54 and 125 cases, attorney general opinions, sexting, bullying, online impersonation, and jury charges. RICHARD ALPERT Richard Alpert received his B.A. in Liberal Arts in 1982 and his J.D. in 1986, both from the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Alpert has been an Assistant Criminal District Attorney with Tarrant County since He is a member of the Texas District and County Attorney s Association (TDCAA) and of the National College of District Attorneys. He was a National Member of the Order of Barristers in From , he sat on the TDCAA Training Committee. He has presented papers, sat on panels, advised, provided testimony, and written reports on DWI since JAN BLACKLOCK MATTHEWS Jan Blacklock Matthews currently serves as municipal judge for the City of Wilson (appointed 2011). Previously, she served as a municipal judge for the city of Lubbock (elected 1994 and 1998, appointed ). She also serves as an Assistant City Attorney/Prosecutor for the cities of Idalou and Petersburg. Matthews is an attorney and trained mediator. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas (1981) and her Juris Doctorate from Texas Tech University School of Law in Lubbock (1987). THOMAS BRIDGES Tom Bridges serves as the Municipal Court Prosecutor for the City of Portland. Prior to serving in this capacity he was the District Attorney in Aransas and San Patricio Counties from 1978 to Mr. Bridges served as a pilot in the United States Air Force from 1962 to 1967 attaining the rank of Captain. He earned his undergraduate degree from North Texas State University and his juris doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law.

3 Mr. Bridges is a co-author of Warrants Manual for Arrest, Search and Seizure with Ted Wilson and currently lectures on Fourth Amendment Law for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, the Texas Department of Public Safety and, occasionally, the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center. RAQUEL BROWN Raquel Brown is a municipal judge with the city of Fort Worth. Prior to her appointment in 2012, Judge Brown served as an associate municipal judge with the city of Dallas from Judge Brown also worked at the Dallas County Public Defender s Office and was in private practice. Judge Brown graduated from the Howard University School of Business with a degree in International Business and later graduated from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Judge Brown founded the Justice for All art competition, in which students from the underserved Easter Hills High School enter artwork interpreting Constitutional themes including justice for all, the 14 th Amendment, and this year s theme: The Bill of Rights. Top entrees are voted on by court personnel, attorneys, and school district officials; and the winner s artwork is displayed in the courtroom until the following school year. ROBBY CHAPMAN Robby Chapman is Director of Clerk Education and Program Attorney for the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center. Mr. Chapman manages the Center s court clerk continuing education program and edits both the Fine-Only Misdemeanors Green Book and the Clerk Certification Study Guide. Prior to working for the Center, Mr. Chapman served as an Assistant District Attorney for Nueces County and as the Municipal Court Prosecutor for the City of Cedar Park. Mr. Chapman regularly speaks on legal issues throughout the state and is a past presenter for the Texas Municipal Courts Association, the Texas Court Clerks Association, and the National Center for State Courts Institute for Court Management. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from St. Mary s University School of Law and Bachelor of Arts in History from The University of Texas at Austin. ELIZABETH DE LA GARZA Elizabeth De La Garza joined the team as a TxDOT Grant Administrator for Driving on the Right Side of the Road in June Ms. De La Garza has spent the last 32 years as a public school teacher in the Round Rock Independent School District, spending most of these years at Chisholm Trail Middle School teaching music and social studies. She has her BME from Baylor University in Waco, and completed her MME at The University of Texas at Austin. Ms. De La Garza is a native of San Antonio. MARK GOODNER Mark Goodner serves as the Presiding Judge for the City of Woodcreek and is the Deputy Counsel and Director of Judicial Education for the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center. Prior to joining the Center, he worked in civil litigation in Austin. Mr. Goodner graduated from the University of Texas School of Law with a juris doctorate and certification in the Graduate Portfolio Program in Dispute Resolution in May of While in law school, he worked in the mediation clinic, was a finalist in the Thad T. Hutcheson Moot Court Competition, and served on the executive board of Assault & Flattery.

4 PETER GRAHAM Judge Peter Graham has been an associate judge in Irving since December After graduating from University of Dallas in Irving with a BA in Politics, he joined the Marine Corps where he served as a tank commander before being stationed at the Marine Recruiting Station in Dallas. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University School of Law and is in private practice in Arlington. He is a member of the Marine Corps League, Marine Corps Tankers Association, and is active in the Marine Corps Toys-for- Tots program. Recreation interests include civil war re-enactments and anything else that does not involve being on a telephone. ANDREW HAGEN Andrew Hagen is the municipal judges for the City of Uvalde, where he has been presiding since Mr. Hagen received his juris doctorate from the Rutgers University School of Law, Camden. Mr. Hagen previously served the City of Uvalde as an IT administrator. DAVID HAMILTON Mr. Hamilton has been licensed lawyer in Texas for over 30 years, spending most of that time in private practice. For the last ten years, Mr. Hamilton has served as City Attorney for City of Reno, Lamar County. Mr. Hamilton began his career as a law enforcement officer, while attending undergraduate and law school at Texas Tech University. He holds the Advanced Law Enforcement License, as well as the Instructor s Certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. After law school, Mr. Hamilton served as a briefing attorney for the Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin, then began his legal career, which has included five years as a felony prosecutor. A member of the National Order of Barristers, Mr. Hamilton has participated in every type of criminal case, from traffic tickets to capital murder. In addition to his faculty duties with, Mr. Hamilton is a member of the State Bar Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect. Born in Lubbock, Mr. Hamilton s published articles include Multiple Personality Disorder: Competency and the Insanity Defense and Expert Witness Testimony. MYRA KIRKLAND Myra Kirkland is the managing attorney for the Dallas County Probate Courts Investigator s Office. She is an attorney, licensed master social worker and municipal judge for the small town of Blue Ridge in northern Collin County. She graduated from law school in December, 1999, and is licensed to practice in both Texas and Mississippi. For the last 15 years, she has practiced law in Collin, Dallas, Tarrant and Denton counties in the fields of guardianship, probate, family law, and personal injury. Mrs. Kirkland became a municipal judge in She began her current position in the Dallas County Probate Court Investigator s Office in In her current position Myra manages the Court Investigator s Office and files guardianship cases indigent persons with no family or friends, many of whom have been abused, exploited, or lived in a state of neglect. PATRICIA MCARDLE Patricia McArdle is the Court Investigations Supervisor in the Dallas County Probate Courts. She received her Master s Degree of Science in Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a

5 Registered Guardian, Texas Certified Guardian, and a member of both the National and Texas Guardianship Associations. She also holds Independent Practice Recognition in the field of Social Work. She teaches CEU workshops on the subjects of the elderly and disabled at University of Texas at Arlington. She has presented at the World Congress on Adults Guardianship, Texas Regional Conference of the National Association of Social Workers, National and Texas Guardianship Association, National Forensic Social Workers Assoc., as well as the Dallas Bar Association, in the area of ethics, guardianship, elder issues and community social work. Ms. McArdle is a Field Instructor for Master Level Social Work Interns at University of Texas at Arlington and Texas A & M Commerce and also serves on the faculty of Texas Municipal Courts Education Center. NED MINEVITZ Ned Minevitz, a Massachusetts native, has served as TxDOT Grant Administrator and Program Attorney at the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center since November, Mr. Minevitz also serves as General Counsel for Everthin, LLC, a startup company based in Massachusetts. He received his B.A. from Connecticut College in New London, CT where he majored in East Asian Studies. Spending extensive time in China after college, Mr. Minevitz is proficient in Mandarin Chinese. In 2013, Mr. Minevitz earned his J.D. from the Sandra Day O Connor College of Law in Tempe, AZ. In his free time, he enjoys tennis, golf, and squash. ERIK NIELSEN Erik A. Nielsen is an attorney for the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Erik earned his juris doctorate with honors from the University of Texas School of Law. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he earned his bachelors degree with distinction in journalism, with minors in political science, psychology, and English. Prior to joining the Commission, Mr. Nielsen served as Training Director for TDCAA, an Assistant District Attorney in Travis County and a Briefing Attorney for Judge Tom Price at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. HARVEY PERRIOTT Harvey O. Perriott is the Protective Security Advisor (PSA) for the North Texas District and has served in that capacity for nine years. Mr. Perriott supports homeland security efforts serving as an advisor and reach-back capacity for the state s Homeland Security Advisor, as well as private sector infrastructure owners and operators throughout 65 counties in north Texas. He contributes to the development of the national risk picture by assisting with the identification of critical infrastructure, assessment of vulnerabilities and recommendation of appropriate protective measures to improve security posture and site resiliency. Mr. Perriott facilitates, coordinates, and performs vulnerability assessments and infrastructure surveys for local critical infrastructure assets, and acts as a physical and technical security advisor to private sector partners. He also works closely with regional and/or local emergency managers to ensure all stakeholders are prepared to quickly restore critical infrastructure assets in the event of any disruption. Prior to joining the PSA Program, Mr. Perriott served as the Staff Director for the Office of Infrastructure Protection s Protective Security Coordination Division (PCSD). In this capacity he facilitated the successful daily operations of a division consisting of 130 federal and contract personnel. His areas of responsibility included budget management, acquisition/procurements, human capital, security, and administrative issues. Mr. Perriott s support to the Director enabled the division to carry out its primary mission of the identification, assessment, and protection of 18 sectors of critical infrastructure across the Nation.

6 Mr. Perriott brings extensive experience and training to the PSA Program in the fields of security, counterterrorism, and special operations. With over 25 years experience in Department of Defense Special Operations, Mr. Perriott has been involved either directly or indirectly in a number of military operations directed at counterterrorism activities. During Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan, he was instrumental in the development of security plans for a U.S. military forward operating base located in the former Soviet Union, as well as two major forward operational support bases in Afghanistan. Mr. Perriott was recognized for his contributions with a Bronze Star medal. Mr. Perriott has extensive experience in performing studies, analyses, and evaluations in a wide variety of areas, including surveying, mission capability, force strategy, force structure options, and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP). He holds a Bachelors Degree in Human Resource Management and a Physical Security Professional certification with the ASIS; he has an in-depth knowledge of technical and physical security, threat and vulnerability assessments, analysis of requirements, and the development of operational plans. EDWARD SPILLANE Edward Spillane is the Presiding Municipal Judge for College Station since May Prior to taking that position, he served as an Assistant District Attorney for Brazos County for eight years and as an associate for the law firm Fulbright and Jaworski for two years. Judge Spillane received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his law degree from the University of Chicago. He is the current President of the Texas Municipal Courts Association and represents Texas Municipal Courts on the Judicial Conduct Commission. RYAN TURNER Ryan Kellus Turner is General Counsel and Director of Education for the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center. Prior to joining the Center in 1999, he served as Briefing Attorney for Judge Sharon Keller at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Mr. Turner obtained his juris doctorate from Southern Methodist University School of Law. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with highest honors from St. Edward's University, Austin, Texas, where he now teaches as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences. In 2004 and 2013 he was the recipient of the School s Adjunct Teaching Excellence Award and a finalist for the University Adjunct Teaching Excellence Award in Mr. Turner is currently Deputy City Attorney for the City of Dripping Springs and has served as a Special Assistant County Attorney for Kendall County. In 2011, he was an advisory member on the Texas Judicial Council s Juvenile Justice Committee. In 2012, Mr. Turner was named Co-Chair of the Texas Judicial Council Legislative Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice. A native Texan, Mr. Turner was raised in the north Texas town of Vernon. He is the co-author of the books Lone Star Justice: A Comprehensive Overview of the Texas Criminal Justice System and The Municipal Judges Book.