Judge Porter met United States Supreme Justice Clarence Thomas in 2017, shortly after Thomas wrote the opinion in *Davila v. Davis*. *Davila* was a death penalty case that Judge Porter prosecuted when he was an Assistant Criminal District Attorney in Tarrant County.

By constitutional design, judges have the most limited role in government. As someone who has studied jurisprudence and American Constitutional Law for 30 years, Judge Porter believes legislatures write laws, not judges.

A textualist at heart, Judge Porter believes statutes should be narrowly construed to effect the Texas Legislature’s expressed purpose in compliance with the federal and state constitutions.

Trial judges are the public “face” of the judiciary. As such, Judge Porter believes judges should show respect for the law, the litigants, and the litigators who appear in court. He starts each day with prayer before donning his robe and entering the courtroom. It’s his way of remembering that a true public servant knows wisdom comes from God.

Judge Porter also believes the public deserves an efficient judicial system. Since joining the 323rd’s judicial team, Judge Porter and his colleagues have made the 323rd the most efficient District Court in Tarrant County and the second most efficient District Court in all of Texas (out of nearly 500 district courts)! Juvenile recidivism is now at a 30-year low in Tarrant County. And the time it takes to resolve a case has fallen dramatically.

Hard work. Efficiency. Safeguarding our constitutional rights. Those are the hallmarks of a great judge, and those are the cornerstones of Judge Porter’s commitment to serving the citizens of Tarrant County.