During a recent courthouse visit, Amber Givens asked Dallas County judges for candid assessments of the prosecutors she is poised to oversee as district attorney, including who is “doing this work the right way” and consistently ready for trial.
Givens, in a video posted March 23 on her campaign Facebook page, said she spent about three hours at the Frank Crowley Courts Building, meeting with misdemeanor and felony judges and seeking feedback on prosecutors’ courtroom performance and problems.
“I walked all the floors … to meet with the judges and ask them, you know, how can we do better, what are you seeing that are recurring issues,” she said.
Givens said she wanted judges to “let me know who are the stellar prosecutors. They assess their cases well. They are ready for trial. I want to know because I know we have amazing talent here in Dallas.”
The outreach, part of a roughly nine-month review between her primary win and taking office, signals how she may evaluate the office and its personnel, as outgoing District Attorney John Creuzot has warned of a possible prosecutor exodus.
Givens, a former felony court judge, upset the two-term DA in the March 3 Democratic matchup, and with no Republicans, independents or other candidates in the race, is set to become the county’s next district attorney.
Givens frequently clashed with Creuzot and his prosecutors during her 11 years on the bench and has vowed to make changes when she takes over. Her tenure as a judge was often contentious. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued two sanctions against her over actions and behavior, decisions she is appealing.
It wasn’t clear from the video whether she had announced her meetings with the judges in advance or whether she also had visited the DA’s office, on the 10th floor. Givens didn’t respond Wednesday to a request for more information.
In the post, she said she was eager to hear from the judges, with their “unique vantage point” across every case and lawyer who cycles through their courts and “every breakdown in the system.”
Givens said she asked them how the DA’s office could move cases more efficiently, better serve victims and defendants and improve preparedness and professionalism.
“I want them to know that I value their voices,” she said. “They are seeing the work done everyday so I just want to hear from them.”
She described the effort as groundwork for a transition that will hinge on reinforcing top performing prosecutors while flagging gaps in training, systems and accountability.
Her aim, she said, is having an office “respected in the courtroom” and “trusted by the community.”