Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed a Dallas County prosecutor and two-time former judge to fill the vacant seat of one of the county's criminal courts, his office announced Wednesday.
Jennifer Balido, chief of the Dallas County District Attorney's Office's appellate division, will now serve as judge of Criminal District Court No. 1. She fills the vacancy left by Democrat Tina Clinton, who won a tight race for a seat on the Dallas-area Fifth Court of Appeals with two years left in her criminal district court term.
Balido previously served as the DA's felony chief, worked in the county public defender's office and in her own private criminal law practice. Balido said that trio of roles has given her the varied experience she needs to oversee a court once again.
"When you walk in and realize that you're the person that can kind of control that situation in such a way that people feel like that they have been heard and the right result comes out, then that's something that I am really kind of attracted to and want people to feel good about the criminal justice system," Balido told KERA News.
Clinton told KERA News in a text message she wishes Balido the best.
In her role as the DA's appellate division chief, Balido supervises 21 attorneys and four support staff members in representing the office in appeals and more.
“We are very happy and excited for her – she deserves it," DA John Creuzot said in a statement. "We will miss her leadership in the office and her wise counsel, but we look forward to working with her. The citizens of Dallas County have an excellent judge in Jennifer Balido.”
Former Gov. Rick Perry twice appointed Balido, a Republican, as a district court judge in the county to fill expired terms — first to the 203rd District Court in 2009, then to the 291st District Court in 2013.
She narrowly lost her campaign for a full term on the 203rd District Court in 2010 to Democrat Teresa Hawthorne with 49.22% of the vote. She lost her 2014 race for the 291st court to Democrat Stephanie Mitchell with 46.91% of the vote.
Balido's term expires at the end of 2026, after which she'll have to run for election. She said she hopes to be sworn in Monday but doesn't know when she'll officially start her new role.
Her appointment makes her the only Republican state district judge in Dallas County. It was a title once held by J.J. Koch, who also won a seat on the Fifth Court of Appeals in November.
"Judge Balido was a fantastic jurist when she was on the bench previously, and I anticipate she'll be even better for the two years that she'll have here finishing out this term and maybe even further should she seek reelection and win reelection," Koch told KERA News Wednesday.
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