The “Rosster” of Criminal Courtroom Winners – Week Ending September 25, 2026


Harris County, Texas has some of the best Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys in Texas.  This is my "Rosster" of the week's best Attorneys at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse

TRIAL WINNERS WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 25, 2026

Prosecutors Keegan Childers, Jill Wells, Garrett Moore, Nisha King Hawkins, Lisa Calligan, Lauren Bard, Dylan Larsen, Radarius Morrow, Jason Bugg, David Sandler, Blake Farokhnia, Paul Escamilla, Alex Nutt,

Defense Attorneys Esabelle Cherry, Doug Steinman, AJ Wright, Julie Ketterman Webb, John Hundemer, Omar Salinas

Congratulations on a job well done!

This week’s Harris County criminal jury trial results include guilty verdicts, not guilty verdicts, and other trial outcomes from courts throughout the Harris County Criminal Courthouse. ShowMeTheJustice.com updates these trial results weekly as part of its ongoing coverage of criminal justice in Houston, Texas.

The total SMTJ (Show Me The Justice) verdicts listed for a lawyer dates back to January 2017. A minimum of 10 verdicts (rendered in Harris County) for prosecutors and 6 verdicts for defense lawyers is required for the listing. All lawyers and their verdicts can be seen on the below listed spreadsheet “ALL LAWYERS VERDICTS SINCE 2017”


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial convictions in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
Jason Bugg

Congratulations to Prosecutor Jason Bugg for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.

(visiting judge Sherman Ross presiding – CCL6 – jury trial – Cause #2523752) co-counsel David Sandler


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial convictions in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
David Sandler

Congratulations to Prosecutor David Sandler for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.

(visiting judge Sherman Ross presiding – CCL6 – jury trial – Cause #2523752) co-counsel Jason Bugg


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial acquittals in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
Julie Ketterman Webb

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Julie Ketterman Webb for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client. (Julie has secured 6 not guilty verdicts per SMTJ)

(judge Te’iva Bell presiding – 339th Criminal District Court โ€“  jury trial – Cause Number 1946885) co-counsels John Hundemer and Omar Salinas


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial acquittals in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
John Hundemer

Congratulations to Defense Attorney John Hundemer for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client.

(judge Te’iva Bell presiding – 339th Criminal District Court โ€“ย  jury trial – Cause Number 1946885) co-counsels Julie Ketterman Webb and Omar Salinas


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial acquittals in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Omar Salinas for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client.

(judge Te’iva Bell presiding – 339th Criminal District Court โ€“ย  jury trial – Cause Number 1946885) co-counsels John Hundemer and Julie Ketterman Webb


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial convictions in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
Alex Nutt

Congratulations to Prosecutor Alex Nutt for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.

(judge Peyton Peebles presiding – 497th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1916074) co-counsel Paul Escamilla


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial convictions in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
Paul Escamilla

Congratulations to Prosecutor Paul Escamilla for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.

(judge Peyton Peebles presiding – 497th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1916074) co-counsel Alex Nutt


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial convictions in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
Dylan Larsen

Congratulations to Prosecutor Dylan Larsen for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.

(judge Beverly Armstrong presiding – 208th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1905100) co-counsel Radarius Morrow


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial convictions in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
Radarius Morrow

Congratulations to Prosecutor Radarius Morrow for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.

(judge Beverly Armstrong presiding – 208th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1905100) co-counsel Dylan Larsen


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial acquittals in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
Esabelle Cherry

Congratulations to the Defense Attorney Esabelle Cherry for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client.

(visiting judge Margaret Harris presiding – CCL9 โ€“  jury trial – Cause Number 2618715) co-counsel Doug Steinman


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial acquittals in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
Doug Steinman

Congratulations to the Defense Attorney Doug Steinman for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client.

(visiting judge Margaret Harris presiding – CCL9 โ€“  jury trial – Cause Number 2618715) co-counsel Esabelle Cherry


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial convictions in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
Keegan Childers

Congratulations to Prosecutor Keegan Childers for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas. (Keegan has secured 28 guilty verdicts per SMTJ)

(visiting judge Marc Brown presiding – 495th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1965766) co-counsel Jill Wells


Guilty verdict graphic used to identify criminal jury trial convictions in Harris County, Texas, featured on ShowMeTheJustice.com.
Jill Wells

Congratulations to Prosecutor Jill Wells for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas. (Jill has secured 18 guilty verdicts per SMTJ)

(visiting judge Marc Brown presiding – 495th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1965766) co-counsel Keegan Childers


Garrett Moore

Congratulations to Prosecutor Garrett Moore for earning an In-Trial Plea for the State of Texas.

Sentence: To Be Determined

(judge Melissa Morris presiding – 263rd โ€“ jury trial – Cause Number 1852154) co-counsel Nisha King Hawkins

ABC13NEWS


Nisha King Hawkins

Congratulations to Prosecutor Nisha King Hawkins for earning an In-Trial Plea for the State of Texas.

Sentence: To Be Determined

(judge Melissa Morris presiding – 263rd โ€“ jury trial – Cause Number 1852154) co-counsel Garrett Moore

ABC13NEWS


Lisa Calligan

Congratulations to Prosecutor Lisa Calligan for earning an In-Trial Plea for the State of Texas.

Sentence: 65 Years in Prison

(visiting judge Mark Ellis presiding – 495th โ€“ jury trial – Cause Number 1895873) co-counsel Lauren Bard

FOX26NEWS


Lauren Bard

Congratulations to Prosecutor Lauren Bard for earning an In-Trial Plea for the State of Texas.

Sentence: 65 Years in Prison

(visiting judge Mark Ellis presiding – 495th โ€“ jury trial – Cause Number 1895873) co-counsel Lisa Calligan

FOX26NEWS


AJ Wright

Congratulations to Defense Attorney AJ Wright for earning an In-Trial Dismissal for your client.

(judge Stacy Allen Barrow presiding – 487th District Court โ€“  jury trial – Cause Number 1926794)


Blake Farokhnia

Congratulations to Prosecutor Blake Farokhnia for earning an In-Trial Plea for the State of Texas.

Sentence: To Be Determined

(judge Hilary Unger presiding – 248th โ€“ jury trial – Cause Number 1902389)


ShowMeTheJustice.com is the leading independent source for Harris County criminal trial statistics, jury verdicts, attorney leaderboards, judicial activity, trial-setting dismissals, sentencing data, and courthouse news. Our database tracks thousands of criminal jury trials and continues to grow with weekly updates from the Harris County Criminal Courthouse.

Note: This scoreboard may not be 100% accurate as I could have missed some mistrials that occurred at the early stages of the trial or a quick court trial that lasted a couple of hours….. but it is close to 100%.

Harris County Criminal Courthouse Scoreboard for Verdicts September 25, 2026
Harris County criminal trial results by prosecutor and defense attorney showing guilty and not guilty verdicts from 2017 to present.

ALL LAWYERS VERDICTS SINCE 2017

Search and compare Harris County criminal trial results for prosecutors and defense attorneys from 2017 to the present. This easy-to-read spreadsheet tracks guilty and not guilty verdicts from Harris County criminal courts and allows users to quickly review individual attorney trial records and courtroom results. Find prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers by name and compare their reported jury and judge trial outcomes compiled by ShowMeTheJustice.com.

Harris County criminal judge trial results showing guilty and not guilty verdicts by judge from 2019 to present.

ALL CRIMINAL JUDGES TRIALS SINCE 2019

Search Harris County felony and misdemeanor criminal court trial and verdict results by judge from 2019 to the present. This easy-to-read spreadsheet tracks guilty and not guilty verdicts in criminal cases and allows users to compare trial outcomes before individual Harris County criminal court judges. Search judges by name and review their reported jury and judge trial results compiled by ShowMeTheJustice.com.


Mark Thiessen

Leading Defense Attorneys for Winning Felony and Misdemeanor Verdicts since February 2017 – OVER 2,000 PRACTICING DEFENSE ATTORNEYS at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse (stats taken from above spreadsheet)


Note: The following spreadsheets, standings, charts, graphs and compilations may NOT be 100% accurate.

Some of the best criminal lawyers appear on ShowMeTheJustice.com

WEEKLY HARRIS COUNTY TRIAL SETTING DISMISSALS

ShowMeTheJustice.com recognizes the following Harris County criminal defense attorneys who obtained trial-setting dismissals this week. A trial-setting dismissal occurs when a criminal case is dismissed before jury selection, often after negotiations, further investigation, or other developments leading to dismissal of the charges.

This week’s GOLD STAR winning lawyers are: Kent Schaffer, James Kennedy, Julio Vela, Jonathan Vela, Jacob Vela, Jimmy Ortiz Jr., Marco Gonzalez and Zohair Alam (2 trial setting dismissals)


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Charles Johnson, Jr.

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Charles Johnson Jr. for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1911317 out of the 497th Criminal District Court for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Eric Kraus

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Eric Kraus for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2607753 out of County Criminal Court at Law Number 16 for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Antonelly Vargas

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Antonelly Vargas for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2602645 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 16 for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Tim Adams

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Tim Adams for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1958233 out of the 184th Criminal District Court for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Samantha Medlin

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Samantha Medlin for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2615851 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 2 for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Josh Stephens

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Josh Stephens for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2614866 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 16 for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
De'La Spears

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney De’La Spears for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2607515 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 09 for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Bryan Garris

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Bryan Garris for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2601978 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 15 for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Sherman Hatton

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Sherman Hatton Jr. for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2582709 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 15 for the offense of


Gold Star Dismissal
Julio Vela

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Julio Vela for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1860867 out of the 174th Criminal District Court for the offense of

HPD PRESS RELEASE


Gold Star Dismissal
Jonathan Vela

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Jonathan Vela for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1860867 out of the 174th Criminal District Court for the offense of

HPD PRESS RELEASE


Gold Star Dismissal
Jacob Vela

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Jacob Vela for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1860867 out of the 174th Criminal District Court for the offense of

HPD PRESS RELEASE


Gold Star Dismissal
James Kennedy

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney James Kennedy for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1860867 out of the 174th Criminal District Court for the offense of

HPD PRESS RELEASE


Gold Star Dismissal
Kent Schaffer

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Kent Schaffer for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1860867 out of the 174th Criminal District Court for the offense of

HPD PRESS RELEASE


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Sara Roque

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Sara Roque for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1910256 out of the 209th Criminal District Court for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Jisha Jaganathan

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Jisha Jaganathan for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1926421 out of the 174th Criminal District Court for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Zohair Alam

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Zohair Alam for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2549574 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 5 for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Zohair Alam

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Zohair Alam for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2626970 out of County Criminal Court at Law Number 5 for the offense of


Gold Star Dismissal
Marco Gonzalez

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Marco Gonzalez for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1938592 out of the 184th Criminal District Court for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Carlos Rodriguez

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Carlos Rodriguez for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2609037 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 2 for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Tiffany Bartley

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Tiffany Bartley for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2616764 out of County Criminal Court at Law Number 2 for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Blanche Ndoutou

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Blanche Ndoutou for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2614781 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 9 for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Brandon Bibby

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Brandon Bibby for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2608550 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 12 for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Tate Williams

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Tate Williams for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2595821 out of County Criminal Court at Law Number 12 for the offense of


Gold Star Dismissal
Jimmy Ortiz Jr.

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Jimmy Ortiz Jr. for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1914939 out of the 209th Criminal District Court for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Mike Monks

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Mike Monks for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1934935 out of the 176th Criminal District Court for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Mark Aronowitz

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Mark Aronowitz for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1898129 out of the 232nd Criminal District Court for the offense of


Case dismissed icon recognizing a Harris County criminal defense attorney who secured a trial setting dismissal prior to trial.
Julie Ketterman Webb

Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Julie Ketterman for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1922594 out of the 496th Criminal District Court for the offense of


ShowMeTheJustice.com provides weekly coverage of Harris County Criminal Courts, including jury trials, trial-setting dismissals, attorney leaderboards, courtroom statistics, judicial activity, and criminal justice trends.


September 25, 2026 โ€“ The race for the top spot continues! Congratulations to Harris County prosecutors Traemon Anderson, Mikeala Morris and Nidia Ventura who currently lead all prosecutors with 8 guilty verdicts in 2026. Following closely with 7 guilty verdicts are Samantha Barnhart, Abeer Farid, Tieranee Jones and Peter Uli III and Morgan Kline, Keegan Childers and Ellie Fossier with 6 guilty verdicts each. Rankings are updated regularly by ShowMeTheJustice.com, featuring Harris County criminal trials in progress, criminal trial statistics, attorney leaderboards, verdicts, and courtroom news.

Harris County Prosecutor Leaderboard through September 25, 2026

Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for Harris County criminal jury trial results, attorney leaderboards, judge statistics, verdict trends, courthouse news, and comprehensive courtroom analytics.



September 25, 2026 โ€“ The competition among Harris County’s top criminal defense attorneys continues to intensify. Arienna Toh currently leads the field with 5 jury trial victories in 2026. Close behind are Jordan Schuck, Brianne Boiarsky, Alyssa Craze-Awbrey, Tyler Flood, Paul Morgan, and Duncan Isaac, each with 3 trial wins. The remaining attorneys on the leaderboard have each earned 2 jury trial victories, reflecting the depth of trial talent in the Harris County criminal courthouse. Rankings are updated regularly by ShowMeTheJustice.com based on publicly available jury trial verdicts.

Harris County Criminal Defense Attorney Verdict Scoreboard September 25, 2026

Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for Harris County criminal jury trial results, attorney leaderboards, judge statistics, verdict trends, courthouse news, and comprehensive courtroom analytics.



September 25, 2026 – 2026 Harris County Felony Trial Leaderboard โ€“ Jury trial activity remains strong throughout the Harris County felony courts. Judge Dan Simons has presided over more criminal jury trials than any other felony judge in 2026, with 27 trials completed – almost twice as many as the next two leading judges. Judge Peyton Peebles has 16 trials, Judge Veronica Nelson has 13 trials, while Judge Stacy Allen Barrow follows closely with 12 trials. The remaining judges on this leaderboard continue to maintain active criminal trial dockets, demonstrating the significant volume of felony jury trials occurring throughout the Harris County courthouse.

Harris County Felony Judge Leaderboard for Trial through September 25, 2026

Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for the latest Harris County criminal jury trial statistics, felony and misdemeanor judge leaderboards, prosecutor and defense attorney rankings, verdict trends, court dockets, and daily courthouse action.


September 25, 2026 – 2026 Harris County Misdemeanor Trial Activity โ€“ Jury trial activity remains robust in the Harris County misdemeanor courts. Judge Andrew Wright has presided over more misdemeanor criminal jury trials than any other county criminal court judge in 2026, with 22 trials completed. Judge Erika Ramirez follows with 16 trials, while Judge Linda Garcia has 14 trials. The remaining judges on this leaderboard continue to maintain active misdemeanor trial dockets as they move criminal cases through the Harris County justice system.

Harris County misdemeanor judge trial scoreboard through September 25, 2026

Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for the latest Harris County criminal jury trial results, misdemeanor and felony judge leaderboards, prosecutor and defense attorney rankings, verdict statistics, court dockets, and daily courthouse action.


September 25, 2026 – 2026 Harris County Visiting Judge Trial Activity โ€“ Visiting judges remain an essential part of the Harris County criminal justice system, presiding over numerous jury trials throughout the year. Judge Lisa Burkhalter leads the pack with 11 trials and Judge Vanessa Velasquez (who is now the appointed judge of the 486th Criminal District Court) has presided over 10 trials, while Judge Marc Brown and Judge Christi Kennedy have each completed 8 trials. Their service helps ensure that criminal cases continue moving efficiently through one of the nation’s busiest court systems.

Harris County Visiting Judges Criminal Leaderboard through September 18, 2026

Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for the latest Harris County criminal jury trial results, felony and misdemeanor judge leaderboards, visiting judge statistics, prosecutor and defense attorney rankings, verdict trends, court dockets, and daily courthouse action.


September 25, 2026 – Harris County Prosecutor Career Leaderboard โ€“ Since February 2017, hundreds of prosecutors have tried criminal jury cases in the Harris County Criminal Courthouse. Danielle Oxford currently holds the top position with 45 guilty verdicts, followed by Heather Axline with 34 guilty verdicts. Keaton Forcht (former State Prosecutor) and Helen Le (Former State Prosecutor) are tied with 29 guilty verdicts, with Abraham Chopin and Keegan Childers on their tails with 28 guilty verdicts, while several other prosecutors continue to build impressive trial records. This leaderboard reflects sustained jury trial experience over nearly a decade and is updated regularly by ShowMeTheJustice.com.

Harris County Prosecutors Leaderboard for Verdicts since 2017

These standings reflect the total number of guilty jury verdicts recorded for each prosecutor during the tracking period. They are intended as historical statistical information and do not measure conviction rates, overall case performance, or prosecutorial effectiveness.

Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for Harris County criminal jury trial results, prosecutor and defense attorney leaderboards, judge statistics, verdict trends, courtroom news, and comprehensive criminal courthouse analytics.


September 2026 – 2026 Harris County Misdemeanor Docket Report โ€“ Pending criminal caseloads vary considerably among the County Criminal Courts at Law. Judge Jessica Padilla currently maintains the smallest pending misdemeanor docket with 780 active cases, while the largest misdemeanor docket contains 1,517 pending cases. Differences in docket size may result from numerous factors, including case assignments, filing volume, court scheduling, transfers, and the timing of case dispositions. These rankings provide a current snapshot of pending misdemeanor caseloads across the Harris County criminal courts through July.

2026 Harris County Misdemeanor Docket Leaderboard showing County Criminal Court judges ranked by the number of pending criminal cases. Judge Jessica Padilla of County Criminal Court at Law No. 14 has the smallest pending docket with 780 cases, followed by Judge Leslie Johnson with 843 and Judge Paula Goodhart with 928. The highest pending misdemeanor docket contains 1,517 cases. Rankings are compiled by ShowMeTheJustice.com using publicly available Harris County court records.

Key Takeaways

  • Jessica Padilla (CCL14) has the smallest pending misdemeanor docket with 780 active cases.
  • Leslie Johnson (CCL3), Linda Garcia (CCL16), Toria Finch (CCL9) and Paula Goodhart (CCL2) also have fewer than 1,000 pending cases.
  • The largest pending misdemeanor docket currently contains 1,517 active criminal cases.
  • Docket sizes fluctuate throughout the year as new cases are filed and existing cases are resolved.
  • Rankings are updated regularly using publicly available Harris County court records.

Note: Pending case totals represent a snapshot of each court’s active criminal docket on the date indicated. Docket size alone should not be interpreted as a measure of judicial performance or courtroom efficiency, as caseloads are influenced by factors such as new filings, case complexity, transfers, specialty court assignments, staffing, and the timing of case dispositions.

Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for Harris County criminal court statistics, misdemeanor and felony docket reports, judge leaderboards, jury trial results, prosecutor and defense attorney rankings, verdict trends, and daily courthouse action.


Matt Peneguy, Nata Cornelio and Vanessa Velasquez

September 2026 – The 2026 Harris County Felony Docket Leaderboard ranks the Criminal District Courts by the number of active pending felony cases – through August. As of this update, Judge Matt Peneguy maintains the lowest pending felony caseload, followed by Judge Nata Cornelio and Judge Vanessa Velasquez. Felony docket totals fluctuate throughout the year as new indictments are filed, cases are transferred, trials conclude, pleas are entered, and other matters are resolved. These rankings are updated regularly using publicly available Harris County court statistics.

Harris County Felony Judge Leaderboard for docket management August 2026

Key Highlights

  • Matt Peneguy (488th District Court) currently has the lowest pending felony docket with 183 active cases.
  • Nata Cornelio (351st) and Vanessa Velasquez (486th) round out the top three lowest felony dockets.
  • The largest felony docket currently contains 986 pending cases.
  • Pending felony caseloads change regularly as cases are filed, transferred, disposed of, or set for trial.
  • Rankings are updated periodically using publicly available Harris County court records.

Note: Pending felony case totals represent a snapshot of each court’s active docket on the date shown. Docket size alone should not be interpreted as a measure of judicial performance or efficiency. Caseloads are influenced by numerous factors, including new felony filings, case complexity, court assignments, transfers, staffing, and the timing of case dispositions.

Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for Harris County criminal jury trial results, prosecutor and defense attorney leaderboards, judge statistics, verdict trends, courtroom news, and comprehensive criminal courthouse analytics.

HARRIS COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT STATISTICS โ€” SEE THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE VERDICTS

Think you know what happens inside the Harris County Criminal Courthouse? The actual numbers may surprise you.

  • What percentage of murder trials end in NOT GUILTY verdicts?
  • What is the average sentence for a murder conviction?
  • Which offense receives higher sentences – murder or child sex cases?
  • Which criminal charges give the defense the best chance of winning at trial?
  • How do verdict rates compare in murder, DWI, assault, robbery and child sex cases?
  • How much of the courthouse caseload is handled by hired lawyers, appointed attorneys and public defenders?

EXPLORE THE HARRIS COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE BY THE NUMBERS โ†’

Verdicts โ€ข Sentences โ€ข Judges โ€ข Prosecutors โ€ข Defense Attorneys โ€ข Trial Trends

CHECK OUT THE HARRIS COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE STATISTICS HERE!


WHO ARE THE JUDICIAL CANDIDATES FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY MISDEMEANOR AND FELONY JUDGE POSITIONS FOR 2026? Check out the list below!

Looking for a list of the criminal judicial candidates for the November general election?  Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for a complete list

Information found on the Harris County Democratic and Republican parties websites


Grizzy's Hood News

FOR EXCITING LIVE VIDEOS OF HOUSTON CRIME IN PROGRESS VISIT GRIZZY’S HOOD NEWS AT GRIZZYSHOODNEWS.COM

DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE DASHBOARD

OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION

HARRIS COUNTY COURTS FACEBOOK PAGE

HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FACEBOOK PAGE

THEFT BY CHECK AND ISSUANCE OF A BAD CHECK TRIAL MANUAL

Great tips from the Harris County Court Reporters – click here! 


Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for daily Harris County criminal trial results, attorney rankings, verdict statistics, judge leaderboards, and the latest courthouse action.