Name:

Conrad Day

City in which you reside:

Bellville, Texas

Time you have lived in the district:

My family has owned land in Austin County for over half a century. My parents raised cattle and registered paint horses at their place near Shelby, which I now own. Because I was familiar with Austin County and the surrounding area, and because my wife and I did not want to raise our children in Houston, I moved my family here twenty-five years ago and have lived in the same home ever since.

Family:

I have been married to Donna Russell Day for 35 years. We have one son and four daughters, all of whom are adults. Three of our daughters are married, and our sons-in-law are wonderful additions to the family. My wife teaches fourth grade at Sealy Intermediate School. My son is a lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. My oldest daughter and her husband are educators with Austin ISD. They have recently added to the family by giving us a precious grand-son who is seven months old. Our second daughter is a chiropractor who practices with her husband in Colorado. Our third daughter is an oilfield sales representative and is married to an entrepreneur. Our youngest daughter is a student at Texas State University.

What party are you affiliated with?

I have been a Republican ever since I knocked on doors for Ronald Reagan in 1980 in Lubbock while waiting on my Bar Exam results. I ran for this job in 1990, won a contested Republican Primary, and lost the General Election to Judge Beck, who is retiring at the end of this year. I served as the Austin County Republican Chairman from 1991 through 1994. I am now, and always have been, a Reagan Republican.

What experience do you bring to the table that qualifies you to serve as district judge?

I have practiced law for 29 years, almost all of it right here in Austin County. I am Board Certified in Family Law and have done primarily family and criminal litigation throughout my career. I am currently counsel to several major local businesses, including Cliff Jones, Inc., Walcik Construction, and Fayetteville Propane Co., Inc., to name a few. I have been married to Donna Russell Day for 35 years, and together we’ve raised five children here in this community. I was also formerly an elder at the Bellville Church of Christ. I believe that my extensive legal experience, along with my deep roots in this community, make me uniquely qualified to serve as our new district judge.

Why did you decide to run for district judge?

I decided to run because I believe that judicial office is a higher calling than practicing law. I have wanted to be district judge since the early stages of my career. I believe I am the most-qualified man for the job, and I want to live in a district where disputes are resolved not only fairly, but efficiently. I ran for this job in 1990 and won a contested Republican Primary, only to be defeated by Judge Beck in the General Election. Now that Judge Beck is retiring, I am seeking election again. The 155th District Judgeship is the only elected office I have ever sought, excluding the years I appeared on the Primary ballot seeking the position of Austin County Republican Chairman, which is an elected position. It is the only public office I intend to ever seek. I have been a lawyer for twenty-nine years, twenty-five of which have been in Austin County, and I feel that now is a good time to use the knowledge and skills I have acquired in my career in the judicial arena in order to serve a broader community of people. I have the life experience, legal expertise, integrity and fairness to make reasoned decisions from the bench. I will uphold the Constitution and respect the rule of law. I will not make new law with my decisions, and will not engage in judicial activism. I will save the taxpayers’ money by avoiding the necessity of on-the-job training in order to preside over the important cases of our community.

What will be your main goals, if elected to office?

It is important that the law as it exists be applied justly to the facts of each case. My goal is to apply the law correctly, fairly, and decisively. It is also important to me that each party in every case be treated with dignity and respect. I intend to do this in each case that comes before me. Also, since the District Court is the only court with family law jurisdiction in Fayette County, I intend to set aside as much additional time as is possible to reduce the backlog of family law disputes in Fayette County.

What sets you apart from your opponents?

I have 29 years of experience practicing law, which is a decade more than any of my opponents. I have over 100 criminal and civil jury trials, 20 of which have been felony jury trials. One of my opponents, Mr. Steinhauser, told us at the Austin County Pachyderm Club meeting on July 16, 2009, that he has never tried a felony case to a jury, and another of my opponents, Mr. Chaney, told us at the same meeting that he has tried only one felony case to a jury. My trial experience will allow me to accurately apply the law to the facts of each case heard in the courtroom. I will not need to have on-the-job training at the taxpayers’ expense in order to handle the court’s docket. This distinction between me and my opponents is crucial in light of the fact that there are now nine pending capital murder cases in the 155th Judicial District.

I am the only Board Certified candidate on the ballot, which is a critical distinction, as well. In fact, I am the only attorney who is Board Certified in Family Law in all of Austin, Fayette and Waller counties (the three counties that make up this judicial district). Being Board Certified means one has met extensive practice and education requirements, been evaluated by other attorneys and judges and passed a rigorous exam. There are only 721 attorneys state-wide, less than 1% of all licensed attorneys in Texas, who are Board Certified in Family Law.

Additionally, I am the only candidate who has pledged not to accept any campaign contributions from other lawyers. I believe taking money from lawyers who will practice in my courtroom creates a conflict of interest, and in order to make sure I can impartially rule on every case, I decided before I began my campaign to turn down all contributions from attorneys.

Beyond legal aspects, I am the only candidate who has been a committed, life-long Republican. I have helped elect numerous Republican candidates, I served as the Chairman of the Austin County Republican Party and I have a long and consistent GOP Primary voting history in our community. According to the official voter records of Austin, Fayette, and Waller County, Mr. Steinhauser has voted in four out of the last four Democrat primaries, and Mr. Chaney has never voted in a Republican primary at all. I believe that, at a minimum, we must expect Republican candidates to at least participate in our party’s election process in order to call themselves Republicans.

List accomplishments, employment or community organization affiliations relevant to serving as district judge:

I am a member of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, and of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. I believe the integrity of a judicial candidate can be determined, in part, from service in areas other than the law. I served for many years as an elder at the Bellville Church of Christ. I have represented many clients on a pro bono basis over the years, and have donated legal services to charitable organizations. I actively support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Bellville FFA, Relay for Life, Austin County Habitat for Humanity and Hands of Grace Ministries/Cara’s House in Bellville, a ministry that embraces and encourages teens who have chosen life for their unborn child by providing housing, financial, spiritual and emotional support.