At the core of our democratic ideals of liberty and justice is the tenant that all people should be protected and secure, and treated equally and fairly, under the law. When our system fails those fundamental principles, it's incumbent upon us to stand up for those values.

I'm Brandon Dudley, and I'm asking you to grant me the honor of serving our community as judge for the 182nd district court, so I can work ardently to make the law work for you - to bring real fairness, justice and integrity to our courtrooms, and provide more safety and protection to our communities. Judges are honored with the privilege of acting as guardians of the law. That privilege requires more from our judges than just putting on a robe, trying cases and making rulings. It comes with the responsibility to be a full administrator of justice-a good judge protects the community by recognizing the need to improve our justice system, and possesses the courage to stand up to make sure the law works effectively and efficiently for all the people of Harris County.

I have the experience and commitment to serve as the full administrator of justice in the courtroom the people of Harris County deserve. My entire 15 year career has been dedicated to keeping our communities safe and standing for the justice that protects your rights. I began my career working hands-on with incarcerated youth and have run crime prevention programs in the community. I currently serve as Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel to Senator Rodney Ellis, where I have been lead advisor to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee and have written numerous laws to improve the effectiveness of the Texas criminal and penal codes, and rules of evidence.

I have also served as a lead advisor to the Governor's Criminal Justice Advisory Council, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals-Criminal Justice Integrity Unit, Texas Task Force on Indigent Defense and the Tim Cole Innocence Commission-all bipartisan groups charged with evaluating the effectiveness of the laws and practices in our justice system, and making recommendations on how to improve them - and I have worked for the Innocence Project on cases to exonerate the innocent and apprehend the guilty, while advancing reforms to improve the reliability of the criminal justice system. During these years of public service, I have a proven record of working effectively with law enforcement, judges, attorneys, and community organizations around the state to advance effective crime prevention strategies to improve justice and fairness in our courtrooms and our communities. I want to bring that full range of experience and knowledge of the law to serve the people of Harris County in the courtroom.

I will work to move our courtrooms toward a more fair and effective justice system that saves taxpayer dollars through efficient crime reduction practices. Responsible public safety requires more than just the appearance of being tough on crime - the people of Harris County deserve Smart on Crime strategies to improve the effectiveness and reliability of our justice system. Unfortunately, under our current system, our court dockets and jail are overcrowded with low-level substance possession arrestees and the mentally ill, when we should concentrate on using our resources to protect us from serious criminals who threaten our neighborhoods. We're plagued by a crime lab that encumbers us with unreliable evidence and backlogs that leave victims unprotected and criminals emboldened. In addition, we have a system that places genuinely innocent people at risk by failing to adequately protect their legal rights. Each of these examples is inexcusable. Together, they are clear and convincing evidence that our criminal justice system is broken.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once stated, "The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice." However, that arc does not bend on its own. We must do the work together to bend that arc towards a more fair and just legal system. In that spirit, I hope you will join me in the effort to create a criminal justice system that protects the innocent, brings the guilty to justice, and is firmly rooted in fairness and integrity.