Texas politics at its best. Or at its worst. This authorized gunfight featured two opponents vying for a chance to put on the crown as a decide in Houston, the fourth largest metropolis within the nation. A decide place is very coveted as probably the most highly effective positions within the authorized enviornment.
Nonetheless, a tidal wave of controversy struck the Harris County courtroom system in Houston, Texas.
Choose Loses Bid in 2026 Major
As every candidate battled it out, one Houston lawyer who can also be a former decide and former prosecutor was disqualified from the poll for the 2026 major election season following allegations of making an attempt to strong-arm the present decide into stepping other than the race.
A place on the bench right here not solely shapes authorized outcomes but additionally carries important affect within the native and state justice programs. With one contender out, the highlight now turns to the remaining candidate because the spring election approaches.
This high-octane courtroom battle is likened to an old style, ‘mafia-style’ shakedown, because the hand-play verges on the brink of a blackmail and bribery paying homage to an thrilling Legislation & Order TV episode.
Actual-life drama – that is it.
Up shut and private, the seething accusations are rife to the bone with intimidation because the gamers fired off ‘sizzling’ rounds of accusations like a six-shooter. The motion reached into the social media sphere the place hostile messages threatened to spill a previous romance affair that the sitting decide as soon as engaged in.
The decide is married with youngsters.
Drama 360 – like this – doesn’t get way more intense.
The Texas warmth between the authorized combatants grew so sizzling within the coldest month of January – that the previous decide demanded the present decide give up the race by excessive midday.
Ultimately, Harris County Senior Civil Courtroom Choose Christi Kennedy issued a ultimate ruling indicating that the present felony protection lawyer recognized as Kimberly McTorry can’t run for the seat presently held by Choose Lauren Reeder of the 234th Civil District Courtroom.
“McTorry tried to extort my shopper,” argued distinguished civil lawyer Lloyd Kelley.
“This conduct renders McTorry administratively ineligible to be licensed as a candidate for judicial workplace,” Kennedy wrote in a late-evening order following two days of contentious hearings.
“The repair is in,” stated Jolanda Jones, a Houston-based felony protection lawyer and Texas State Consultant. Jones expressed her perception on Instagram that Black attorneys had been being wrongfully eradicated from working for judgeships in Harris County.
Misunderstanding, Improper Notion?
On the flip facet, a trial witness took the stand and testified that former Choose Kimberly McTorry could have been mistaken in her perception that Choose Lauren Reeder had not directly supplied her a monetary bribe when the witness mentioned with McTorry at a luncheon how regulation corporations don’t donate marketing campaign funds to a rival opponent (McTorry was Reeder’s opponent).
And the witness stated it was the norm that if McTorry ran for a distinct seat then the regulation corporations supporting Reeder would donate cash to McTorry. Additional, McTorry thought somebody working for Reeder had been making an attempt to get McTorry’s personnel file from the District Legal professional’s Workplace to make use of grime towards her in the course of the major race.
What an online we weave when suspicion spins, entangling everybody concerned as the actual fact will get misplaced alongside the best way.
Throughout courtroom testimony, Reeder, who’s working for a 3rd time period, claimed McTorry threatened to publicly expose a long-ago extramarital affair if Reeder didn’t withdraw from the race. Courtroom data confirmed that Reeder acknowledged McTorry meant to “extort” her by threatening to expose private data destined to achieve her husband, youngsters, and prolonged relations.
After the sitting decide refused to withdraw, she additional claimed McTorry joined forces with a Democratic operative in Houston and commenced rising the threats via derogatory social media posts.
McTorry denied the allegations, and, in a reversal of allegations, she acknowledged that Reeder tried to coerce her throughout a dialog witnessed by attorneys Chauntelle Wooden White and Michael Harrison, each of whom testified in the course of the listening to.
McTorry additionally denied any involvement within the social media messages directed on the decide.
The hearings featured testimony from each candidates, a forensic writing knowledgeable, and a number of attorneys. Choose Takasha Francis of the 152nd Judicial District Courtroom was initially assigned to the case. However she voluntarily recused herself, and Kennedy was appointed to preside.
Invalid Petition Signatures Set off Extra Issues
Extra issues emerged for McTorry. On or about December 2025, Legal professional McTorry filed an software with the Harris County Democratic Occasion searching for a spot on the 2026 Democratic Major poll in Houston (Harris County), Texas.
As is customary, a district decide candidate should file a courtroom petition and will need to have at the least 250 verifiable signatures of certified voters hooked up to the petition beneath Texas Election Code 172.021(e). Not doing so quantities to submitting an invalid doc.
A complete overview of McTorry’s 52-page petition reveals invalid signatures in accordance with courtroom data. For instance:
- Attorneys and their investigators found signatures with out Voter Distinctive Identification (VUID), nor did the names bear addresses to match present voter registration data.
- Signatures from suspended voters
- Signatures from individuals whose names and/or addresses didn’t correspond to any registered voters
- Lacking required data reminiscent of condo numbers, dates of start, and so on.
- Signatures that didn’t match identified real signatures of the purported signers.
Professional Todd Welch testified in open courtroom how a number of signatures on the pages circulated by McTorry did not match any identified signatures as set forth in deed data and different public paperwork. Welch’s ultimate evaluation indicated McTorry’s candidate signatures seem cast.
On January 11, 2026, Choose Reeder’s attorneys challenged the signatures by submitting a proper written problem to Harris County Democratic Chairman Mike Doyle. Doyle rejected the signatures problem.
Kimberly McTorry Authorized Background
Described as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and member of High Girls of Distinction, McTorry had been an affiliate felony decide in Harris County from 2023 to 2025. For roughly 4 years, from 2014 to 2018, McTorry served as a prosecutor at Harris County District Legal professional’s Workplace in Houston.
Amongst McTorry’s key assignments was to coordinate with native and federal brokers on human trafficking and arranged crime felony circumstances, in accordance with her social media account.
Each McTorry and Reeder had beforehand labored as prosecutors on the Harris County District Legal professional’s Workplace.
From the start, performing because the lawyer she is, McTorry filed counterclaim petitions to take away Reeder from the poll.
McTorry alleged Choose Lauren Reeder violated the state election code by “effectuating” a $50,000 donation to McTorry, a donation that got here from a regulation agency in trade for McTorry dropping out of the race towards Reeder. McTorry additionally stated in her petition the cash in query was for her to hunt a distinct judgeship, in accordance with courtroom paperwork.
Choose Kennedy denied McTorry’s petition, saying the allegations within the petition contained “materially false allegations about an try and bribe or coerce McTorry to hunt a distinct workplace or withdraw altogether.”
Earlier than the listening to, McTorry requested a jury trial and that the decide dismiss the motion for “lack of subject-matter jurisdiction,” explaining that Reeder talked about within the lawsuit “felony” or “crime” about 20 instances. Choose Kennedy pushed towards the brand new requests on the finish of the proceedings.
“You will have carried out nothing however sort of stall and bumble round and delay,” she stated to McTorry’s lawyer, Zamora. McTorry can problem the order at a trial set for March 2. However the major election she wanted to run for decide is held on March third.
Reeder’s lawyer, Lloyd Kelley, informed Bloomberg Legislation that Texas judges are required to set trial dates once they situation injunctions. “It could or could not occur,” he stated. “It is a historic case,” Kelley stated. “It’s drawing the road that you simply can’t marketing campaign for a place on the poll as a decide in the event you have interaction in what’s mainly extortion.”
Courtroom’s Ruling Blocks Legal professional McTorry’s Probability to Run as Democratic Candidate for Choose Reeder’s Seat
Choose Kennedy dominated towards McTorry, saying that “the timing of the social media publish was unlikely to be a coincidence.” In essence, the ruling blocks McTorry from showing on the poll to take a shot at kicking Reeder off her pristine throne; thus, the decide’s motion leaves Reeder as the one candidate to run once more for the seat until a brand new candidate tosses their hat into the bullring.
Choose Kennedy additional dominated that McTorry violated Texas election regulation by making an attempt to intimidate Choose Reeder into exiting the race. The decide additionally concluded that McTorry cast signatures. And that McTorry obtained further signatures from suspended voters to acquire the 250 candidate signatures wanted to qualify as a candidate, Kennedy dominated in her order.
Kennedy rejected McTorry’s request for a mistrial, a request raised by her lawyer, Trinidad Zamora III. Zamora argued the two-day listening to violated his shopper’s due course of rights and that the courtroom didn’t have jurisdiction over a civil matter that ought to in reality be a felony case.
Reeder declined to remark. McTorry and Zamora didn’t reply to requests for remark, in accordance with native information media retailers.
Deadline
In accordance with Houston Chronicle reporter Nicole Hensley, Choose Reeder obtained a cellular phone textual content from McTorry on Thursday, January 8. Within the textual content McTorry demanded Reeder to withdraw from the March third race by excessive midday the following day so Reeder may end her time period “robust and blemish free.”
McTorry wrote the next message to Reeder: the content material has been condensed to preserve area.
“As a former decide, I acknowledge the significance of integrity. I’d by no means enable outdoors influences to compromise my integrity and character on this race. The gorgeous factor about democracy is that it presents a chance for everybody to have an element in positively impacting our group. I hope my participation on this course of isn’t taken as a private slight or critique to your work on the bench.
Persevering with the written message, McTorry stated Choose Reeder had a chance to assist democracy by:
- Ending your time period robust and blemish free
- Eradicating your title from the poll
- And placing your full assist and supporters behind me as we embrace the brand new path and way forward for the Democratic Occasion
- I stay up for listening to that you’ve got forwarded a letter to Mike Doyle stating you might be eradicating your title from the March 3, 2026 poll by tomorrow at midday.
Roughly one hour after McTorry despatched the decide the deadline, Democratic activist Kandice Webber pounced on McTorry’s message by posting a video on Fb, a video threatening to show Reeder’s outdoors romantic affair to her husband and youngsters.
In accordance with testimony in the course of the short-term restraining order listening to on January fifteenth, police stories had been filed by Reeder and members of her employees after the movies appeared on-line. Webber’s social media publish had sufficient vile, profanity and utter aggressiveness to scare the wits out of a lion.
Reeder claims McTorry and Webber acted in collusion, although McTorry denied conspiring with anybody in her testimony.
McTorry additionally testified that she felt like white judges in Houston usually tend to problem their black opposition, as they’d tried to do along with her. She didn’t convey forth credible proof that verified her perception but McTorry cited Webber’s social media publish as proof white judges conspire to undermine Black candidates in several methods.
A forensic investigator testified that Kandice Webber wrote her personal threatening Fb publish not lengthy after McTorry’s extortionate deadline was despatched to the decide. Webber is a nurse at a neighborhood well being care facility.
Choose Testifies About Romance That Her Political Rival Threatened to Expose
The listening to on competing requests for injunctions and short-term restraining orders continued late into the night time within the district courtroom’s ceremonial courtroom. The proceedings drew consideration from a number of native officers, together with State Rep. Jolanda Jones of Houston, Houston Public Media reported.
Choose Lauren Reeder testified on January fifteenth that she had a two-month affair in 2013 with Todd Mensing, a companion at AZA Legislation, whereas she was an affiliate on the agency. Beneath questioning by lawyer Zamora, Reeder stated Mensing later appeared as soon as in her courtroom—both in 2023 or 2024—however she didn’t disclose their prior relationship when he appeared in her courtroom.
“I didn’t recuse in that case,” Reeder stated. “I didn’t consider I wanted to.”
In accordance with a Bloomberg Legislation reporter, Joe Ahmad, AZA Legislation’s founding companion, stated by cellphone that the agency was conscious of the listening to. “We’ve been in all courts in Harris County, in entrance of all judges within the Southern District,” Ahmad stated. “Choose Reeder treats us like primarily all of the judges do. I don’t assume we get favorable remedy from her or every other judges.”
Mensing, the previous boyfriend of the decide, stated Ahmad spoke on behalf of him and the agency. He declined to additional remark.
AZA regulation agency has donated to Reeder’s campaigns and different candidates through the years, Ahmad stated. “She’s decide, and we’ve got an curiosity in maintaining extremely competent judges in Harris County,” he acknowledged.
Information media tales reported that Reeder filed an “emergency election problem” in Harris County District Courtroom on Jan. 12, asking the courtroom to stop McTorry from working within the March 3 Democratic major contest.
Reeder received a brief restraining order the next day, halting the printing or mailing of ballots that includes McTorry.
The deadline for mailing ballots to voters abroad was January 17, 2026.
McTorry’s Counterclaim Known as Materially False
Kimberly McTorry was one ‘helluva’ determined girl. Her probability to seize energy and probably put on the reigning crown jewel of judgeship by turning the tables on Choose Reeder when she alleged in a petition filed in courtroom that Reeder violated Texas Election Code beneath 141.101 – the identical violation Reeder’s attorneys accused McTorry of. McTorry stated the decide engaged in a conspiracy to bribe her from working for the Huge Measurement Texas Prize.
McTorry’s affiliate, recognized as lawyer Chauntelle Wooden White, shot down McTorry’s scheme to accuse the decide of bribery. White blew McTorry’s claims to smithereens when she testified beneath oath in courtroom that no bribe was supplied, no menace made, and that the assembly the place McTorry claimed the acts occurred by no means befell in any respect – as described by McTorry.
But all through the fiasco, what many could not know is the indisputable fact that McTorry initially flew off the deal with, considering an operative was trying to show her earlier romantic affair.
In her testimony, lawyer Chauntelle Wooden White, a buddy of McTorry who additionally beforehand labored alongside McTorry and Reeder on the Harris County District Legal professional’s Workplace and, subsequently, White acted as a mediator between the 2 girls, acknowledged in courtroom that the messages from McTorry that had been despatched to Reeder occurred after McTorry obtained an e mail from somebody she believed was linked to Reeder’s marketing campaign that had requested her personnel file when she was a prosecutor, the Houston Chronicle reported.
McTorry expressed concern that Reeder could reveal particulars of her romance enterprise with one other District Legal professional’s worker in the course of the 2026 marketing campaign, data that may very well be listed in McTorry’s personnel file.
Infuriated, McTorry requested White to provide Reeder the next message: “You may inform her if she comes for my household—I’m coming for hers.” In accordance with White, she gave Reeder the strict message.
What added gas to the fireplace was when lawyer White stated she confronted McTorry in regards to the ‘decide’s alleged $50,000 bribe’ supplied to McTorry to hunt a judgeship elsewhere and never run for the seat the place Choose Reeder already sat on the throne. White stated McTorry insisted she testify anyway to the brazen lies.
How daring and mindless for McTorry to assume Ms. White would carelessly jeopardize her regulation license and probably face felony prices for committing perjury.
Chauntelle Wooden White Testimony
Reeder’s lawyer lit a blaze beneath White’s toes about McTorry’s claims towards the decide. Legal professional James Pierce requested White if Reeder ever informed her to bribe McTorry or threaten her; White unexpectedly replied, “It didn’t, no.” McTorry additionally alleged Choose Beau Miller was current at a lunch assembly on December 4, 2025 – when Reeder tried to bribe her. In response to McTorry’s declare in regards to the assembly in December, Ms. White informed the courtroom, “No he (Beau Miller) was by no means there.”
White claimed McTorry apparently misunderstood sure issues she stated throughout a lunch date with Reeder and Harrison on December 4 that members of the Arnold & Itkin authorized agency would probably financially assist Reeder’s marketing campaign. White informed McTorry that if she ran for a distinct courtroom, she would possibly nonetheless obtain funds from the regulation agency as a result of regulation corporations had been unlikely to assist candidates working for a similar seat.
To make issues worse, McTorry admitted beneath oath in open courtroom she had no private data of the bribe or menace and that her whole declare of the incident taking place was primarily based on data talked about by Legal professional Chauntelle Wooden White (though McTorry extremely stated that rumour was private data). White testified that none of what McTorry claimed about Choose Reeder trying to bribe McTorry had, in reality occurred.
Reeder’s lawyer, Lloyd Kelley, informed Bloomberg Legislation reporter that the decide’s determination, “Is drawing the road that you simply can’t marketing campaign for a place on the poll as a decide in the event you have interaction in what’s mainly extortion.”
Kathryn McNiel, a marketing campaign marketing consultant for the Reeder marketing campaign, stated “We’re able to win the Democratic major primarily based on Choose Reeder’s report of equity, understanding of the regulation, and integrity.”
Defeated by the drawn-out course of, McTorry issued a press release to Houston Public Media on Friday, January 16 , saying whereas she “strongly” disagreed with the ruling, she didn’t intend to problem the order.
“I spoke my fact beneath oath, and I stand by my testimony,” McTorry stated. “The message at situation was by no means meant as a menace. It was a warning shared in good religion. The timing of a social media publish by somebody who’s a whole stranger to me was purely coincidental, but it was conveniently used to painting me as a bully, disqualify my voice, and exclude me from the democratic course of.”
Clarence Walker Jr. is a senior authorized reporter, common task reporter, a criminal offense journalist and editor of HoustonNewsToday.com. He may be reached at HoustonNewsToday@yahoo.com
