Sam Brown Silverman -- Republican for 108th District Court Judge

The following are the complete and unedited responses submitted by the candidate listed below to the Amarillo Pioneer’s Candidate Questionnaire.

Sam Brown Silverman/Photo Provided by Campaign

Name: Sam Brown Silverman

Office Sought: 108th District Court Judge

Party Affiliation: Republican

Age: 61

Educational Background:  Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center, May, 1988 (Law)

Bachelor of Arts from Columbia College, Columbia University, May, 1984 (Economics)

Bachelor of Arts from West Texas A & M University , May, 1994 (Spanish)

Bachelor of Arts from West Texas A & M University, August, 1993 (Physics)

Occupation: Attorney at Law

Please list any civic boards or commissions (non-profit, government, union, religious, political, etc.) on which you have served as a board member or equivalent.

Past President of Temple B'nai Israel (2002),  Republican Party Precinct 422 Chairman (2022-23), General Counsel of Potter County Republican Party (current)

Have you previously held or do you currently hold any elected office? If so, what office(s)?

No.

If your campaign has any online campaign resources where voters can learn more about you, such as social media accounts or a website, please list them below.

Facebook, SamBrownSilvermanforJudge.com

Why did you decide to run for this office in 2024?

The opportunity to apply my 33+ years of experience as a lawyer in private practice in the areas of law that the 108th District Court regularly addresses coincides with my interest in public service.

If elected, what will be your top priority?

The key responsibilities of a trial court are to justly and efficiently dispose of cases before it.  I am committed to moving the docket in the interests of the parties before the Court.  Protection of our Constitutional rights and liberties demand that a trial court respects  the interests of public safety as well.  Civil litigation and criminal prosecutions are expensive to the parties and our society.  Citizens expect this court to promptly and fairly address each case. I intend to work to meet that expectation. 

Please describe your legal career experience and discuss any career highlights you would like to share.

I have been licensed to practice since 1990, and during that entire time, I have been engaged in the private practice of law,   Over the course of my career, I have appeared in each court here in Potter County and have been involved in the types of cases that the 108th District Court hears.  Each time that I have been able to help a client attain a favorable result has been important, and over the last thirty-three years in my practice, there have been many such highlights. 

During your time in law school, what was the most profound lesson you learned that continues to play a role in your career and/or your life?

The legal system, including the judiciary, is only as good as the people in it.  I learned that good law and just decisions are made by people committed to respecting our laws and applying our common abiding values.  Furthermore, one must remember the perspective that each party's case is important to that person at that time.  Justice requires that the law be followed and that all of the relevant evidence be considered in order for justice to be rendered and perceived.  A judge who draws on meaningful experience adds context to the quality of the rulings rendered.

What fictional lawyer do you most identify with? Please explain.

Both of my parents were lawyers, and I have worked in law firms for many real lawyers starting in college.   I have enjoyed the privilege of working for-- then with-- real and very talented individuals from whom I have learned—and continue to learn--valuable lessons relevant to being a good lawyer and a good jurist.  Reality may be stranger than fiction; and I have found that real lawyers and judges far more compelling than the fictional ones.

Do you have any notable endorsements you would like to highlight for voters?

Conservative Patriots for Texas

Why are you the best candidate for voters to support for this position?

I am a Constitutional Conservative who believes in limited government and that the purpose of government is to protect society and individual rights and liberties.  I will be a judge who will approach the bench with the belief that the application of governmental authority through the Court should respect those basic premises of the purpose of government.  I would respect and apply the laws as proscribed by our Constitution and legislature.  I believe that a trial court should not presume to exercise authority it does not have.