33rd / 424th District Courts

Being the only district judge in an area can make for a lonely existence in terms of relationships. At best, no relationship is perfect whether it's with your spouse, your best friend or a casual or business acquaintance. But almost every relationship the judge had before election, or would like to cultivate afterwards, is problematical.

The judge is required to not only be fair and impartial but always to also appear to be so. And if he is seen at lunch too often with one attorney, or never with another, then at least some number of people begin to perceive bias for or against an attorney. And when the judge has come from the community, as all judges in rural districts do (at least for the county of the judge's residence), then all of the relationships that were built up over the years often suffer.