Judge Genesis Draper was raised in a family of servant leaders, with her mother having served as a city councilmember in Longview, Texas and her father as a pastor and superintendent of schools for two different Texas independent school districts. She is the oldest of three daughters, with a sister who works as a social worker in a Houston-area hospital and another sister who is a multilingual instructional specialist for a local independent school district. Her family has always placed a premium on service to the community.
Judge Draper earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Spelman College, a historically black liberal arts college for women. She received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Upon graduating law school, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee and began her career as an assistant public defender. Judge Draper went on to be an assistant public defender at the federal and state level here in Houston.
In addition to fighting for the constitutional rights of hundreds of clients, Judge Draper has traveled the country lecturing and training lawyers on best practices in indigent defense. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center, teaching advanced trial advocacy. She previously served on the board of directors for the Texas Civil Rights Project and the Houston Texans YMCA.
For over a decade Judge Draper represented indigent people accused of crimes and had a front row seat to the failings of our criminal justice system. Since taking the bench, Judge Draper has been committed to reducing the length of time from arrest to trial, so that defendants and victims of crime don’t have to wait years for justice. Judge Draper continues to be a champion for bail reform in Harris County. Defendants charged with misdemeanors no longer remain in jail simply because they don’t have the money to post bond, instead, people charged with misdemeanors are treated the same, regardless of how much money they make. Lastly, Judge Draper is working to ensure the Harris County Criminal Courts’ indigent defense plan is a model for other misdemeanor and felony courts across the country.
While Judge Draper is proud of the work she has done to reform the criminal justice system, her greatest joy comes from her marriage to her husband, Attorney Brandon Leonard, and their two children, Asa and Phoenix.
Judge Genesis Draper was raised in a family of servant leaders, with her mother having served as a city council member in Longview, Texas and her father as a pastor and superintendent of schools for two different Texas independent school districts. She is the oldest of three daughters, with a sister who works as a social worker in a Houston-area hospital and another sister who is a multilingual instructional specialist for a local independent school district. Her family has always placed a premium on service to the community.
Judge Draper earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Spelman College, a historically black liberal arts college for women. She received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Upon graduating law school, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee and began her career as an assistant public defender. Judge Draper went on to be an assistant public defender at the federal and state level here in Houston.
In addition to fighting for the constitutional rights of hundreds of clients, Judge Draper has traveled the country lecturing and training lawyers on best practices in indigent defense. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center, teaching advanced trial advocacy. She previously served on the board of directors for the Texas Civil Rights Project and the Houston Texans YMCA.
For over a decade Judge Draper represented indigent people accused of crimes and had a front row seat to the failings of our criminal justice system. Since taking the bench, Judge Draper has been committed to reducing the length of time from arrest to trial, so that defendants and victims of crime don’t have to wait years for justice. Judge Draper continues to be a champion for bail reform in Harris County. Defendants charged with misdemeanors no longer remain in jail simply because they don’t have the money to post bond, instead, people charged with misdemeanors are treated the same, regardless of how much money they make. Lastly, Judge Draper is working to ensure the Harris County Criminal Courts’ indigent defense plan is a model for other misdemeanor and felony courts across the country.
While Judge Draper is proud of the work she has done to reform the criminal justice system, her greatest joy comes from her marriage to her husband, Attorney Brandon Leonard, and their two children, Asa and Phoenix.
For over a decade Judge Draper represented indigent people accused of crimes and had a front row seat to the failings of our criminal justice system. Since taking the bench, Judge Draper has been committed to reducing the length of time from arrest to trial, so that defendants and victims of crime don’t have to wait years for justice. Judge Draper continues to be a champion for bail reform in Harris County. Defendants charged with misdemeanors no longer remain in jail simply because they don’t have the money to post bond, instead, people charged with misdemeanors are treated the same, regardless of how much money they make. Lastly, Judge Draper is working to ensure the Harris County Criminal Courts’ indigent defense plan is a model for other misdemeanor and felony courts across the country.
ABOUT JUDGE DRAPER
ISSUES
Justice for all, NOW!
Judge Draper appreciates your support in her mission to provide justice for all, NOW!
Bail Reform
People should not be held in jail with oppressive bail amounts that force them to plead guilty just to reunite with their families. Detention should be reserved for the most dangerous and the least likely to appear in court, not simply the poorest in our community. We must reject the false choice between public safety and the equal protection rights of those accused. Additionally, all county court agencies should work together to make sure to effectively communicate court dates, times and locations.
Justice Delayed is
Justice Denied
People charged with crimes should have their day in court without delay. It is unacceptable to allow theft, driving while intoxicated, family assault and other misdemeanor cases to take upwards of a year or more to go to trial. Clogged trial dockets not only violate the rights of the accused, but it makes it less likely that victims of crime will receive justice once a case has become stale.
A Conflict-Free Court Appointment System
Appointed attorneys should be well trained, have adequate support and resources, and be independent of the judiciary. Who gets court appointments should not be based on who gives campaign contributions or who the judge likes. Judges have the ability to create a system that ensures appointed attorneys have training, resources and independence equal to that of hired attorneys.
Modeling Dignity and Respect from the Bench
People who come before the court should be treated with dignity and respect. As a practicing attorney, Judge Draper watched defendants, attorneys, court staff, and even victims be disrespected and at the mercy of judges whose moods could change with the wind. The tone of the court is set by the judge, and professionalism starts there.
OCTOBER
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NOVEMBER
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Get in touch with the campaign!
Genesis Draper for Judge Campaign
P.O. Box 4157, Houston, Texas 77201