Longview Native to Replace New Houston-Area Judge Who Died

HOUSTON (AP) – A public defender who hails from East Texas has been chosen to fill the vacancy created when one of 17 black women recently elected as Houston-area judges in a “Black Girl Magic” campaign died. The Houston Chronicle reports Harris County commissioners on Tuesday appointed Genesis Draper to the bench to replace Criminal Court Judge Cassandra Hollemon. Hollemon was elected in November, then died Feb. 11, about a week after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Draper, who’s also black, is a Longview native. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Spelman College and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Draper served as a public defender in Nashville, Tennessee, and in the federal court system in Houston before joining the Harris County public defender’s office in 2017.