Bill Henry – District Judge 428th District

Bill Henry

What is your work history, including current employment? Please respond in a list format.

• Managing Partner, Law Office of Bill Henry, 2023-present
• Mediator, Henry Dispute Resolution, 2023-present
• District Judge, 428th District Court, 2005-2022
• Assistant Attorney General, State of Texas, 2003-2005
• Partner, Jones and Henry, Austin, TX, 1994-2003
• Associate, Fitzgerald Majors and Stevens, 1990-1994
• Assistant District Attorney, Hays County District Attorney’s Office, 1988-1990

 

What is your educational history, including degrees received, licenses, professional credentials, etc.? Please respond in a list format

• Baylor University, B.A. (1984)
• Baylor University Law School, J.D. (1988)
• Member, State Bar of Texas (1988 to present)
• Board certified, Civil Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
• Board certified, Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
• Certified Mediator, National Judicial College

What is your history of supporting Democratic organizations and/or candidates?

I have supported Democratic officeholders for 20 years.

What, if any, experience do you have with non-partisan volunteering and community engagement in Hays County?

I have lived in Hays County for 37 years. In that time, I have served in several community organizations, including the Hays County Bar Association (past president), the Hays County Food Bank (past Board Member), and Habitat for Humanity (past Board Member). I have also been involved as a member and deacon at First Baptist Church, San Marcos.

 

What area(s) of the law have you practiced?

I have practiced almost all areas of law. As a former prosecutor and as a judge, I have tried a variety of criminal felony cases, including capital murder, sexual assault, murder, and drug cases. I have tried all kinds of civil law cases, from personal injury to real estate and property disputes. I am a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), which is an invitation-only organization requiring the completion of at least 20 civil trials. As a judge and as a mediator, I have helped individuals resolve a myriad of family law issues.

 

How do you handle making difficult decisions, especially ones you may not personally agree with?

My experience as a judge has trained me to apply the law correctly. My experience in our community allows me to apply the law in a just and compassionate manner.

 

What Democratic values will you apply to your work once elected?

I served as judge of this Court from 2005, when it was created, through 2022. I realized early on that the learning curve was extremely high. A vast difference exists between the experience of an attorney and the requirements of a judge. Generally speaking, it takes about five years to really learn how to be a good judge. I have already invested that time. I also learned during my tenure that our district courts were disproportionately skewed toward judges from other counties. I stood up to Republican officeholders, and worked with Democratic officeholders, to help bring two additional district courts to our county. Additionally, I realized that some parts of the community tried to unjustly sway the courts through personal relationships, including relationships with members of the law enforcement community. This realization underscored how important it is for judges to be independent and objective in their review of the law in a case. Finally, I realized from my experience on the bench that many issues are created by addiction and mental illness. This led me to establish the first Drug Court in Hays County and serve our community in a just and compassionate manner.

 

The rule of law is under unprecedented attack in America. How can we trust you to defend the rights of all Hays County people even in the face of pressure from the state and federal government?

Our courts could be on the precipice of a constitutional attack with regard to the rights of innocent people. In some areas of federal and state law there is an authoritarian attack on the rule of law. Some individuals try to use their influence to sway judges to not follow the law. Often this takes the form of personal relationships between judges and law enforcement. A judge must be independent in following the law even in the face of criticism. I have shown throughout my career in Hays County that I will protect the safety of the community and will always follow the law in protecting the rights of the accused. Our party is in the best position to take these issues seriously and elect judges who are truly independent. We should always guard against those who are incompetent or who have behind-the-scenes relationships that affect fair judicial decisions.

 

Some people are being held in pre-trial incarceration for long periods of time. How will you address the backlog of cases and speed up the justice process while respecting the rights of the victim and the accused?

One of my proudest achievements when I served as judge of the 428th Court was urging officeholders to create more district courts to serve Hays County alone. These additional courts have made a positive impact on reducing the backlog of cases. I would continue to work hard and use my experience to try the most serious cases before the court in the most timely manner possible.

 

Yes or no, did you use AI to assist you in answering any of these questions?

No