Meet Joseph Aragon

What is your background and campaign platform?

I am a Criminal Defense Attorney in practice over 13yrs. I have devoted my entire career to defending the rights of people. The 483rd District Court is primarily a Criminal Court in need of a lot of reform. I am the only candidate to have tried a Criminal Trial in the last decade. I am the clear choice in this race as my opponents are both Civil/Family Law Attorneys, and one is a Republican. We need the right kind of experience on the bench. Progressive, Democratic values.

When decisions of equitable pay come before the Commissioner’s Court, how will you determine how to cast your vote?

I am not running for the Commissioner's Court.

What are the budgetary priorities for Hays County as you see them?

They are not with the Court system. I don’t know where the priorities are, but if we all want to live in a safer Hays County, more of the budget must be applied to lifting the lower income and minority population of this county. More Community involvement, diversion courts, and paths that steer away from prison are the solution.

Hays Co is growing rapidly. What are some positives and negatives of this growth?

I love living in Hays County. The positive is that we get to share this diverse, free, and unique part of the earth with more people. We get to raise more proud Texans who want to see it thrive. The negative is that with growth comes more crime. Everyone wants to feel safe in their home, but that safety requires the right Law Enforcement, and Court system to handle this. This requires evolution. Hays County is too large to ignore the evolving need to have a more qualified government to properly serve its people.

What do you envision the county to look like in the coming 50yrs regarding the environment, infrastructure, housing, and water?

I envision lots of growth. I want to trust that the future government of Hays County will be smart enough to elect the right officials to make these important decisions. I am running for Judge and I know I am the right person for the job at this time. If at some point I am not the right person to serve Hays County in the District Court, I trust the people to make the right decision on who will be best suited to serve the needs of the County.

What Democratic values will you apply to your work once elected?

Compassion. Most people don't think about how almost everyone who is sent to the penitentiary will get out. They will be your neighbor and they will have children going to school with your children. This is a fact. I intend to apply Democratic values to the court in that the goal is to change people into contributing members of this community, not just send them to prison and forget about them. Many counties have tried that approach, just to suffer the consequences.