The Judge Jan Krocker Story

 

 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 184^th 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 184^th 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 184^th “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 184^th,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 184^th 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 184^th was going to be open in 2018,and someone asked me who the judge was of the 184^th 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 web site  is in joinder with all the post on this website. Please visit our other post within. 832-258-7511