A candidate running for a local judicial spot has only had two cases in front of the bench he is running to represent.
Records from the Tyler Odyssey Portal show that Norris, a former Amarillo city attorney and attorney at Underwood Law Firm, has had two cases in front of the 320th District Court. In total, Norris has practiced fourteen cases in front of Potter County courts, the records show.
The first case was in August of 2000, when he represented the City of Amarillo in a case involving defendants Francis P. Beeman and Linda Madison. The case resulted in a default judgment, according to the records.
The second case was in April of 2002, when Norris represented the City of Amarillo in a case involving defendants Richard Zaccardo and Lupe Gonzalez. The case resulted in an agreed judgment.
Norris' opponents have all had more cases in front of the court than the former city attorney. According to the records, Steven Michael Denny has had thirty-two cases in front of the 320th District Court, Lynda Smith has had seventeen cases in front of the court and Pamela Cook Sirmon has had nine cases in front of the court.
Candidates running for the office have raised the issue of experience as a central one on several occasion during the campaign. At a forum, Norris said that while he does not currently know Texas' family law code, he plans to learn it, if elected, as the 320th District Court handles a large amount of family law cases.
"I'm going to spend the months after I am elected learning," Norris said at the Amarillo Tea Party forum in January.
Voters will decide the 320th District Court race in the March 6th Republican primary. No Democrats have filed to run, meaning that the winner of the Republican nomination will likely succeed Judge Don Emerson.
Photo by Norris Campaign