Judge John Creuzot and former Judge Eric Moyé Endorsed in Democratic Primary by Dallas Morning News

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The Dallas Morning News weighed in this week on two Dallas County Democratic Primary judicial races, giving the nod to current Criminal District Court 4 Judge John Creuzot in his re-election bid. The paper also endorsed former Judge Eric Moyé for the 14th Civil District Court in his quest to return to the bench. Democratic Primary early voting runs from Feb. 19 to 29 and election day is March 4 (visit www.dalcoelections.org to find voting times and locations).

Former Democratic Judge Eric Moyé, first appointed by Gov. Ann Richards in 1993, was called "the clear choice in this race" by the News due to his broader practice experience, judicial background, and much stronger support in the community. According to the News, "Eric V. Moyé has what voters look for in a strong judicial candidate. He's served on the bench before and spent his legal career representing a wide array of clients, from individuals to large companies and Dallas ISD. ...add to that his long list of supporters from throughout the legal world and across the political spectrum – Rafael Anchía, Martin Frost and Ron Kirk, just to name a few of the Democrats – and Mr. Moyé clearly is a smart choice in the Democratic primary for the 14th Civil District Court in Dallas County." For more information visit www.moyeforjudge.com.

The News referred to Judge Creuzot as "a hardworking, innovative judge with widespread respect across the legal and political spectrum" and noted Judge Creuzot's most successful innovation, the DIVERT drug court program that directs some first-time drug offenders into treatment instead of jail. DIVERT, which has been cited as "one of the most effective drug courts in Texas" by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, has saved over nine dollars in criminal justice costs for every dollar spent on the program. A third-party study by Southern Methodist University showed that just 16 percent of DIVERT graduates were rearrested, compared to 50 percent among drug offenders who received no treatment. The News also noted Judge Creuzot's role in championing the release on new DNA evidence of Charles Allen Chatman, who had been wrongly imprisoned for 27 years. For more information: www.judgecreuzot.com.