A case of first impression, The Judge Jan Krocker
judicial editorial /article
In 1991 I was 17
years old and was the founding member of the Harris County Courtroom observers,
(and at that time I was the only member) which now has developed into a news
and media publication. There was an attorney that felt she wasn’t being treated
with the level of common courtesy by judge bob Burdette of the 184th
criminal court so in the mid 1990’s with very little campaign funds attorney Jan
krocker announced her campaign to take Burdette off the bench. At that time no
one thought much of her chances at winning because she was running on the
republican side and democrats controlled the courthouse. Krocker had her mind
made up, she would run a positive campaign against a sitting democrat judge
with special interest law firms throwing money his way. It wasn’t long before Burdette
would attempt to roll out a negative campaign against her, yet Jan refused to
waiver in her campaign, little would she have known or anyone else for that
matter that a republican wave was about to arrive as backup throwing burdette’s
negative campaign to the side and over powering his campaign at the ballot box
on election night.
The following morning the lawyers that had placed money against her
greeted her with a prompt good morning judge elect Jan krocker.Accepting now
that the attorney named Jan krocker who had announced her campaign to little
attention a year prior had done in the 184th court what no one but
her believed was possible,win.I waited a few years for the judge to settle in and
I kept noticing that judge bob burdettes painting wasn’t up yet, at that time
every judge would have their painting up on the wall of the courtroom after
they left. One day I finally made a trip to the 184th “judge I’m a
member of the public , I need to speak with you” judge krocker “ok” me “ judge I’ve
noticed you’ve been here for a few years and judge bob burdettes painting isn’t
up yet and I want to know what’s the delay”? the judge reply’s “ bob hasn’t asked me to put it up yet” me “no judge, that’s
not how that works ,he doesn’t need to ask you or me or anyone ,the painting
goes up as a matter of traditional operation “ Judge krocker says “come closer
to the bench I want to tell you
something ,(ok judge what is it?)When I was a lawyer judge burdette was not
always very kind to me and did not extend me the level of common courtesy he
did for others so that’s why I decided to run against him and he rolled out a
very negative campaign against me (I interrupt judge krocker and say) “judge that’s all political
and you’re not supposed to incorporate that in the fact that his painting has
to go up” (you should have seen me, there I was 21 years old in jeans
debating the judge in front of the entire courtroom like I was a 30 year
member of congress on c-span)judge krocker continues “call it what you will but
I am not coming to work every day and having to look at that man’s painting as a reminder of what I went
through politically or professionally
unless you have bob come down to this courtroom and ask me in person ,
then I will but it’s going to be out of my direct sight” I counter at the judge
“so your responsible for telling building services to hold off on placing that
painting up on the wall” krocker counters “ yes I am and if you want his
painting up with that much passion , go
tell bob to come down here and request it”. Even after 24 years that painting I
fought for has never been produced and never made it up on that wall in the 184th,years
later I would locate burdette at a law firm off Jefferson downtown and told him what judge krocker had told me ,his
reply “she knows I’m not going to go down there and request anything from her
and she knows she stopped building services from putting it up”. Over the years
I would stop by the 184th to visit with judge krocker to find out
what she was up to, she always extended me a level of noticeable courtesy where
even the court staff would notice ,we
never discussed the bob burdette painting again but we both maintained a mutual
admiration for each other’s argument for that painting , looking back on it I don’t
know what I was thinking charging into
to a felony courthouse having a debate with the judge but I did it and its definitely
in the book of memories .about four years ago I met with judge krocker to ask
if she was running again and she said yes but a year ago I heard threw
some courthouse political conversations
that the 184th was going to be open in 2018,and someone asked me who
the judge was of the 184th and I responded Jan krocker from 1994-95.I
will always remember krocker’s time when she
took a stand and took action and made a contribution because we never know what develops in a lawyers
practice of law, when a lawyer takes it beyond a case of first impression .The
Judge Jan krocker story, an editorial and article written by Joshua ben Bullard Editor of the Harris county Courtroom
observers ,a news media press publication. This article and editorial for this
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