Hello!  Thank you for visiting my website and giving me a chance to earn your vote.  My name is Veronica Monique Nelson, and I am running for Re-Election as your Judge of the 482nd District Court in Harris County, Texas.  Here is a little information about me and my background.

 

I am originally from Oakland, California, where my parents, Michael and Sharon Nelson, raised my brother and myself to be hardworking, humbled individuals who looked to serve the community.  My father worked for Kaiser Permanente in the optical lab for 45 years, becoming the most senior worker in Kaiser’s history.  The last 15 years of his employment he was the Vice President of the Optical Worker’s Union where he fought for equal and better pay for all employees.  My mother was the Director of Finance for multiple nursing homes where her primary responsibilities included ensuring the financial stability of individuals at the nursing homes.  I have one older brother who is a dual major graduate from Grambling State.  

 

As a young kid growing up in Oakland, California, my parents wanted to make sure I stayed out of the criminal justice system, so they put me in many activities, and I thrived at sports.  I played both softball and basketball in High School and received a full athletic scholarship in softball to attend the University of California, Berkeley (Cal).  While at Cal, I double majored in Legal Studies and African American studies, while being named to the Dean’s List on multiple occasions.  My team also won the 2002 NCAA National Championship, and I was a two time All-American, All Academic American, and still hold many NCAA and Cal records.  I was inducted into the Cal Berkeley Hall of Fame for softball in 2016.

 

After college, I attended the University of Alabama, School of Law on an academic scholarship.  In Law School, I was awarded several awards including the Dean’s Community Service Award, the Order of Samaritan Medal Winner, and best papers in Adoption, Sentencing, and Mediation.  In addition, I participated in an internship at the Tuscaloosa Public Defender’s Office where I was able to first chair try several cases as a third-year bar card intern.  

 

Oakland, California exposes you to crime and poverty at an early age.  I have seen the disenfranchisement and inequalities brought on by society, and I have witnessed people fighting those inequalities on a daily basis.  I remember the first time I met an African American attorney.  She was a prosecutor at the City Attorney’s Office who had come to my elementary school to speak to us for career day.  She taught us about fighting for victims of crime, ensuring those accused were receiving just treatment, and seeking justice instead of convictions.   What she told us that day stuck with me thorough my legal career.  So, during Law School I did a two-year internship with the Tuscaloosa Public Defender's Officer where I was able to try cases as a law student. 

 

After Law School, I applied to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office where I was a prosecutor for about ten years.  During that time, I was able to handle thousands of cases as Senior Prosecutor and a Chief Prosecutor. I have over 75 trials ranging from Class C speeding tickets to non-death Capital Murders.  In addition, I was promoted to being Chief Prosecutor in both misdemeanor and felony divisions, where I supervised junior Assistant District Attorneys, as well as, carrying a caseload of serial Sexual Assaults, Capital Murders, Injury to Child (fatality), and Murders.  I have also worked in the juvenile, the mental health, intake, misdemeanor, felony, and justice of the peace divisions.  

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 In 2019, I was selected by the newly elected democrat County Court Judges to be their Staff Attorney.  As Staff Attorney, I have been a part of many exciting changes in the criminal justice system, including helping organize the Local Rules for the Manage Assigned Counsel program.  Heading the start of new specialty programs to start in the County Courts like Mental Health, Domestic Violence, and Youthful Offenders.  In addition, I frequently aid Judges in their appeals and post-conviction writ procedures, educate them on new legislation, and study best practices within the criminal justice system.   I have seen and participate firsthand the knowledge, demeanor, dedication it takes to be a great judge.

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 In 2023, I started my first year as the presiding Judge of the 482nd District Court.  During that first year, I was able to successfully lower the docket and tried the more trials than any other felony criminal Judge.  I have tried over 60 trials as the presiding judge and handle multiple high-profile cases, including the trials of Gerald Goines, Oscar Rosales, and Patrecee Lee.  During my tenure, the 482nd has seen a tremendous decrease in both docket size and the jail population.   In 2024, I was elected the Deputy Administrative Judge of all the felony district courts and became board certified in Criminal Law.