Disgraced Judge Denise Pratt Quits Race – Alicia Franklin is Only Republican Choice in Harris County 311th

The 2014 Texas Republican Primary Runoff Election is confusing enough as it is. Harris County has taken things up a notch on the confusing level. Alicia Franklin is the only person running in the Republican Primary Runoff race for Family Court Judge of the 311th District Court. Even though Alicia Franklin is the only person in the race for this seat, she is not the only person on the ballot. Yeah I know, talk about confusing. The other person in the race, Denise Pratt, resigned in disgrace in order to avoid criminal charges. She also dropped out of the race, but because she dropped out too late so her name is still on the ballot. As confusing as it already is, I cannot imagine the mess that will be created if Denise Pratt wins based on name recognition and the fact that many people do not even know that she resigned and dropped out of the race.

Republicans in Harris County: The Republican Primary Runoff Election Day is May 27th, 2014, but you can still vote early through Friday May 23rd, 2014. Alicia Franklin is the only person actually in the race even though there are two names on the ballot. There will be a mess, and it will damage the Republican Party, if Denise Pratt still wins the election even after resigning and dropping out of the race.

More on Denise Pratt’s Disgraced Resignation from the Houston Chronicle:

A Harris County grand jury began investigating Pratt, who was elected in 2010, last fall after Webster family lawyer Greg Enos filed the first of three criminal complaints against her. That led to the resignation of Pratt's lead clerk, whom the judge blamed for the backdating. Enos' most recent complaint, filed last month with the district attorney and State Commission on Judicial Conduct, alleged Pratt broke the law by dismissing more than 630 cases on the final two days of 2013 without giving notice to lawyers or litigants.

The move effectively nullified a bevy of property, child custody and child support arrangements she had previously made, creating additional anxiety, confusion and legal costs for families. As a result, one man's ex-wife showed up at his house demanding to move back in.

Since Enos filed his first complaint in October, dozens of prominent family court lawyers - Democrats and Republicans, alike, and many with cases still pending in her court - spoke out against Pratt, signing a letter calling for her resignation, asking for her to be recused from their cases and - last Saturday - attending a protest Enos organized

Former family court Judge Denise Pratt's resignation in late March was part of a deal to avoid indictment, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said Wednesday, asserting that the document tampering case would have been difficult to prosecute and that the agreement was the best and quickest way to get the rookie jurist off the bench and bring the "ongoing damage to a stop."