Two lawyers who are intimately familiar with the 65th District Court, which handles protective orders and juvenile cases, are vying to replace the incumbent, who is not seeking reelection.
Attorney Omar Carmona, 42, who specializes in defending juveniles and is known for filing the lawsuit that got the former district attorney out of office, and Selina Saenz, 45, who oversees the County Attorney’s Office child protective services division, are seeking to replace Judge Yahira Gutierrez.
“This court is like my home,” Saenz said. “I’ve practiced in this court just about every day of my career. It’s where I adopted my children. It really is a part of my family, both professionally and personally.”
Carmona, too, has spent years practicing in the 65th court and its juvenile courts.
“The 65th District Court is my calling,” he said. “If there is one message that I want the community to know about me, it’s this: You are talking to a lawyer who has defended kids at all levels, from holding a cigarette to murder, and what I can tell you is that my kids – yes I call everyone I’ve defended my kid – are very good kids who made a horrible choice and sometimes several horrible choices. But they are all good kids.”
The 65th District Court is a family court handling child protective services cases, juvenile crime cases and other family cases. The judge oversees three associate judges who run the juvenile courts and the protective order court.
The winner of the March 5 Democratic Primary in this race will take the seat as there is no Republican opponent in the November general election. The winner will serve a four-year term in the judgeship, which has a starting annual salary of $158,000.
While Carmona, who is in private practice, was key in the eventual removal of then-District Attorney Yvonne Rosales, he said he does not want his legacy to be tied to Rosales. Carmona filed the lawsuit which formed the basis for the case the County Attorney’s office was putting together to ask for Rosales’ removal at a trial. Rosales resigned months ahead of the trial.
“I want the voters to know that I’ve stood up for this community in the past and I’m ready to do it again as a judge,” he said. “I want the community to know that when it comes to the safety of our children I will do whatever it takes and I will stand up to any injustice.”
Similar to Carmona, Saenz has a passion for the court she is seeking. She has been practicing family law for 16 years.
“I adopted my three daughters out of the Foster Care program in the 65th District Court,” she said. “I’ve seen and felt the type of trauma children go through when they are put in these situations. That’s why I want to help, to protect children.”
Saenz’s three daughters, whom she adopted in 2018, are now 9, 10 and 11 years old.
As the chief of the protective services division, Saenz says she has the experience to manage a courtroom such as the 65th District.
According to his campaign finance reports, Carmona still has $43,500 available. He received most of his contributions between July and December 2023, when he raised $32,400. Some of his major contributions came from Chris Antcliff, $2,000; Michelle Braden, $2,500; Lawrence Smorado, $2,500; Gabriela Olivas, $2,500; Aaron Chiu, $2,000; and $1,000 each from Adolfo Quijano, Arthur Ramirez and Wyatt Underwood.
Carmona has paid $16,296 to political consultant Chris Hernandez, who is an Ysleta Independent School District trustee, his campaign filing shows.
Saenz has raised a little more than $4,000 throughout her campaign. She still has $4,284 available.
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