Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee a Senior Member of the Homeland Security Committee of the United States House of Representatives and Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security listens to local and federal law enforcement on their plans for protecting all the fans from the Astros and the Phillies at this year’s 2022 World Series. The Minute Made Stadium is in Congresswoman Jackson Lee’s district, and she is pleased about the coordination and collaboration of federal, state, and local governments to ensure the safety of all the families that will be attending!

This is a monumental occasion for the City of Houston and Mayor Turner is to be applauded for providing all the necessary resources in coordination with the federal government. Thank you to Chief Finner, Chief Peña, and Constable Rosen, along with the FBI, ATF, DHS, and state law enforcement officials.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee will be engaged with federal homeland security officials, in particular about the need for any other resources.  To all of the fans, “if you see something, say something!!” Let’s have a great World Series. Let’s play ball!

Go Astros!!

Maritza Antu is the presiding Judge of the 482^nd Criminal District Court. She was appointed to be the first Judge of this court in October of last year. She is on the ballot this November.

Maritza is a proud bilingual Latina from McAllen, Texas where her family still lives. Maritza graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations and attended law school at the University of Houston Law Center.

Maritza joined the Harris County District Attorney’s office in 2005 and worked her way up the ranks in the office. Maritza was one of the highest-ranking Latinas at the District Attorney’s Office. While there, Maritza tried over 75 cases to a jury and handled hundreds of additional criminal cases of all types, including violent offenses like capital murder, aggravated robbery, and sexual assault.

Some of the work Maritza is most proud of includes her handling of child sexual assault cases and working with young victims. While assigned to the Child Abuse Division for more than two years, Maritza secured over 20 convictions for defendants who preyed on the most vulnerable.

Maritza started her own law practice in 2017. As one of the few bilingual indigent defense attorneys in Harris County, Maritza worked with low-risk and non-violent offenders struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. Her practice focused on reintegrating these individuals back into society with proper supervision.

Maritza has presided as Judge of the 482^nd for eleven months. In that time, Maritza has worked hard to cut the backlog of cases transferred to her court by over fifty percent. Maritza has the lowest trial docket in the courthouse, one of the highest disposition rates, and one of the lowest jail populations of twenty-three district courts. Maritza is focused on clearing the backlog to provide swift and fair justice while keeping the public’s safety in mind.

My family’s story is about the American Dream. My great-grandfather brought his family to the U. S. from Mexico in 1908 looking for a better life and security. My grandparents, Julian, after whom I was named, and Consuelo, were sharecroppers during the Great Depression. My mom and dad both grew up on farms. After they got married and had children, my family lived “across the tracks” in Rosenberg’s north side barrio. We went to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Rosenberg every Sunday.

Growing up, my brothers and sisters and I stocked shelves and worked the cash register in our very small family grocery store. The experience taught us the value of hard work and the importance of providing a service to the community.

Although my parents had attended school for only a few years, they knew the value of getting an education and made sure their children had the opportunities they didn’t. My six siblings and I all graduated from high school and attended college. I earned my Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

My career in public service began in 1989 at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, where I served for more than 27 years. During that time, I prosecuted thousands of felony cases and tried more than 150 first-chair jury trials for crimes ranging from death penalty capital murders to DWI’s. I was promoted to chief felony prosecutor in 1994, managing large dockets of felony cases, and division chief in 2007. As division chief, I oversaw multiple felony courts, the public corruption unit, and the civil rights division. I have also handled many gang cases, high-profile matters, and complex investigations.

I retired from the DA’s Office at the end of 2016 but have continued prosecuting cases for the State of Texas as an attorney pro tem on a contract basis. Since 2017 I have tried violent crime cases, including capital murder and murder, to guilty verdicts.

In my 32 years handling criminal cases, I have practiced before dozens of judges and seen what works and what doesn’t. That experience and the experience of managing dockets as a chief prosecutor will allow me to reduce the court’s bloated docket and keep it at a level where justice can be obtained promptly.

I have taught thousands of Houston Police Officers and Texas prosecutors about various criminal and investigative topics.

I am active in my church and my son’s boy scout troop. I live in Houston with Caroline Dozier, my wife of more than 24 years, our 14-year-old son, and our two dogs.

I am running for Judge of the 248^th District Court because the current judge has endangered our community with bad bail decisions and clogged up the court’s docket through mismanagement. With my 32 years of experience handling criminal cases I know I can do a better job. I ask for your vote.