Recently, a questionnaire was sent out to the candidates for Collin County Court at Law Judges along with the Justice of the Peace candidates. The questions were put together by myself, the Collin County Observer, and McKinneynews.net. Most candidates answered and below is their responses which all came in within the deadline we gave (one week). If others return their answers, I will update this post to add them at that time. I already know of one candidate, Shawn Ismail who we got mixed up with through email (sorry Shawn), and is planning on completing the questionnaire soon.
Collin County Courts at law hear criminal and civil cases. A County Court at Law is court of general jurisdiction, hearing both civil and criminal law cases with a heavy emphasis on criminal cases. The criminal cases filed in a county court at law are misdemeanors — those criminal offenses that carry a maximum punishment, upon conviction, of not more than 1 year confinement in jail.
Civil jurisdiction in a County Court at Law is generally invoked in lawsuits that involve controversies up to $100,000. A County Court at Law also has appellate jurisdiction over cases appealed from justice of the peace and municipal courts.