Candidate: Jan Michelle Mangum-MerendinoAfter prayerful consideration and encouragement from the community, I am pleased to announce my candidacy for Judge of the 253rd Judicial District Court. I am a lifelong resident of Southeast Texas. My husband, Jared, is a Math teacher at Hull-Daisetta High School. We have three wonderful children. I graduated from Hull-Daisetta and worked my way through college, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Houston, Clear Lake. I worked as a tax manager for Clear Channel Communications prior to graduating Summa Cum Laude (top 1%) from South Texas College of Law. At South Texas I was an editor of the Law Review and worked on the preparation of federal and state appeals.
I am the first female attorney to begin her legal career as a sole practitioner in Liberty County and the first woman candidate for District Judge in Liberty County. Throughout my fourteen-year career, my work ethic and diverse experience have prepared me for service as a judge. My legal career encompasses both civil and criminal law, including juvenile law, family law, child protective services litigation, criminal defense, mental health law, probate law, tort law, real estate law, and bankruptcy law. I have tried cases in 12 Texas counties, including Chambers and Liberty. I have served as president and vice president of the Liberty County Bar Association.
I strongly believe that an individual’s ability to take his or her legal matter before a fair and impartial tribunal is essential to preserve the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Texas Constitution. Without open and fair courts, our freedoms cannot be protected. Liberty and Chambers counties need impartial judges who are committed to the letter of the law in every case.
I have filed as a Republican candidate because I believe in conservative principles. My opponent changed parties for political reasons, citing the preference for Republican officials in Chambers County in his Christmas Eve announcement.
If elected, I won’t let political expediency guide me … and I won’t taint Christmas with politics.
38 comments:
You go girl!
What is your name?
...And my name is ??????????
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Wow! How different you are Mrs. Merendino than what the mudslingers have slung out in the rumor mill. When I heard this was a contested race I asked how smart both candidates were. Judge Cain, no standout in high school or law school, got mixed reviews. But the rumor mill implied the same about you. Finally a Liberty lawyer who finished in the top 1% of your class. The rumor mill said you were too young and did not have enough experince in the courtroom. But you are more and wider experience than your opponent. So the rumor mill has to make you a bad person if these other things get to be common knowledge, but your opponent surely can't want to have his supporters say he is a better person than you, can he?
A conservative friend of mine gave me five reasons he would not vote for Chap Cain in this election. I won't list those, but I will say all of these Republicans, and all of these people that describe themselves as "conservatives", they need to get off of their high horse and support the Honorable 253rd District Judge Chap Cain. Rather than dwell on the damage he may or may not have done to their candidates chances in the past, and whether than sit around and bellyache about how he was on the Obama team just a few months ago, we need to all be thankful for the considerable talents and skills Judge Cain will bring to our side, not only this election, but for many many years to come. He also gives the Liberty County Republicans a chance in the future to have a Supreme Court Justice or Appeals Court Justice. You won't be getting that with some lawyer with children athat has never held office before now. Cain has proven his worth to this county and deserves our support. He can run our party all of the way to the top and make the Democrats have the same number of officeholders Republicans had just a few years ago.
Anyone who was "on the Obama Team" a few months ago has to be way too big a fool on whom to waste a vote. He is simply a politician who wets his finger, holds it up in the air, and senses which way the wind is blowing. Forget him.
I am so happy that SHE is LADY enough to stand up against old chap cain he is out for the money not for the people of our small town thats is why Liberty county is in the shape it is in ....And I think she is a true Lady that we could feel right to stand up in court and not feel wrong knowing that old CAIN is not true.Not even to HIMSELF. WE THINK HE IS A WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHING We the people of this SMALL TOWN OF LIBERTY COUNTY NEED HONEST JUDGES ,LAWYERS, D.A ,COPS, AND THE LIST GOS ON . Mrs. Merendino has our votes GOD BLESS FROM A PERSON WHO CARES . Iam remaining unknown because you never know what the good ole 'boys will do c
People of our small town....Why don't we have all the OFFICALS be tested for NARCOTICS on each of them and you will see who IS true. And then over half of them would not be in office.
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ............
VOTE FOR MICHELLE MERENDINO
People of our small town....Why don't we have all the OFFICALS be tested for NARCOTICS on each of them and you will see who IS true. And then over half of them would not be in office.
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ............
VOTE FOR MICHELLE MERENDINO
Chap is straight up and doesn't deserve your negative comments, I believe he is truly an angel in disguise. He has Gods blessings as a fine judge, matter of fact the only honest one sitting in Liberty County. I ask everyone to vote for this man, he will be our new leader in the Republican Party along the side of Morefield. God bless them both and protect them.
Vote Cain and Morefield!
I love Michelle, she is a wonderful and beautiful woman with a heart of gold, we need this in Liberty County with so much rampant corruption. Look at Hight, a bad example of a public official, corrupt to the core with his father-in-law calling the shots. Very soon you will be shown the depths of corruption and why these people need to be stopped.
Such disrespect for Chap needs to stop, I have known him for over thirty years and he has been one of the best people I know. Thank you Liberty Dispatch for welcoming him to the Republican party, that me means so much more than any slap on the back by the party chair.
Ray, keep up the good work!
Chap Cain for Republican Governor!
The rumor mill (I-Dineout) is such a shameful example of news media. I am ashamed to be from Liberty County and for Aleen Youngblood to say he is from here. We already get enough bad press from the surround counties media. To all in Liberty County who comment and post on I-Dine out I pray for you. In the Bible, Proverbs 13:3 says He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. So go on and speak rashly all of you I-dineouter's its your character. Remember what goes around comes around. Remember that one day you will be on the chopping block and you will know how it feels and then you will know why.
If we want Chap Cain to win we need to get him and his followers to back off the scorched earth, destroy all of your opponents strategy he had against his last opponent, Assistant District Attorney Green and he has always had against the Republican party. This is a different day. Judge Cain needs to be encouraged to act judicial. If anybody does anything negative Judge Cain should make sure it is not traced back to him. If we want him to win we should just point out he is The man. The power of being the incumbent is almost impossible to defeat. She may have better experience and even things that show she is a better attorney, but his incumbency and his ability to get re-elected shows the people have approved of his experience. She has no way to claim she is a better judge because she has never been a judge!
The messes that have involved Chap and his small group of inner circle people that ended up in an affair and having a baby and denial of paternity should not be aired out in public. Those that know the whole situation do not need to be asked to be quiet about all of the relationships involved in this case and in the shenanigans about the paternity. The political temptation to strategize overcoming Merendino’s good grades and achievements in law school and her variety of courtroom experiences by saying “well she was the woman” in this affair and she has the baby is too dangerous with the other things that are involved in this. Rather than risk the small chance that the people would wade through the other circumstances, just let her have her bragging about being smarter and we will remind voters that they were right when they chose Chap before and they are right to choose him again. If we start the mudslinging there are too many gray areas and rumors about what has gone on in the courthouse over the last few years that could be dots connected back to our side by conspiracy-minded voters. A quiet non-confrontational, ‘we both put our nice signs out’ campaign will end in an easy victory for Judge Cain. Let’s be nice.
If we want Chap Cain to win we need to get him and his followers to back off the scorched earth, destroy all of your opponents strategy he had against his last opponent, Assistant District Attorney Green and he has always had against the Republican party. This is a different day. Judge Cain needs to be encouraged to act judicial. If anybody does anything negative Judge Cain should make sure it is not traced back to him. If we want him to win we should just point out he is The man. The power of being the incumbent is almost impossible to defeat. She may have better experience and even things that show she is a better attorney, but his incumbency and his ability to get re-elected shows the people have approved of his experience. She has no way to claim she is a better judge because she has never been a judge!
The messes that have involved Chap and his small group of inner circle people that ended up in an affair and having a baby and denial of paternity should not be aired out in public. Those that know the whole situation do not need to be asked to be quiet about all of the relationships involved in this case and in the shenanigans about the paternity. The political temptation to strategize overcoming Merendino’s good grades and achievements in law school and her variety of courtroom experiences by saying “well she was the woman” in this affair and she has the baby is too dangerous with the other things that are involved in this. Rather than risk the small chance that the people would wade through the other circumstances, just let her have her bragging about being smarter and we will remind voters that they were right when they chose Chap before and they are right to choose him again. If we start the mudslinging there are too many gray areas and rumors about what has gone on in the courthouse over the last few years that could be dots connected back to our side by conspiracy-minded voters. A quiet non-confrontational, ‘we both put our nice signs out’ campaign will end in an easy victory for Judge Cain. Let’s be nice.
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Settle down boys, let the little lady bask in the glory of yesterday and being a bookworm at law school and the top chick on the law review, CC has been the head honcho calling all of the shots at the courthouse. She can't match that and Phil can't mess with that. Experience, experience, experience. These are the only three words we need to beat her.
Despite all of the mean spiritedness, we get to choose between an experienced judge and a bright,talented attorney for this seat. Pretty good for a rural county!
I do not want to hear from all of the people who have appeared before Cain's court and think he was u nfair or any clients Merendino had that were dissatisfied. I really don't want to hear any more about drug allegations or sex scandals or crooked land deals. We have two qualified candidates with plenty of baggage. Most of us aren't qualified and still have plenty of baggage, but we need to choose who will be the most professional and impartial 253rd District Judge. I am leaning toward a change, but rather than make my decision by how much mud is piled up on each of these people on the slime ball rumor dinnertime blog I want to visit with the challenger at one of the forums.
I have noticed the garbage trucks are being emptied around town on both of the people running for this judgeship, and maybe that is all you get so there is some on here. But please Mr. Akins, can you tell your people to edit some of this stuff? I do not want my children to be at WalMart and hear who the father is or that the judge has been doing some of the things the people who appear before him do. Youngblood needs to tell us about car wrecks and start pushing his delete button. I know you must have gotten at least as much of this junk and I see you are not packing the site with it.
In order for a person to finish in the top one percent of law school and to be the editor of the law review they must be the best of the best. Michelle's expertise in the law is one good reason to consider changing the leadership in the Liberty County Courthouse. Another is that she has a repuatation for fairness and an instance applying the law even handedly and not having an agenda. With an agenda full courthouse, it would be nice to start 2011 with a clean slate.
Besides being a longtime judge, having served as County Court at Law Judge and District Court Judge for about two decades, Chap Cain is a world class saltwater fisherman and not bad at hunting and catching lobster off of the Florida keys either. Just a regular guy doing a great job, thumbs up on Cain!
If we could take a break from reporting personal scandals and think about the position we are voting for and the history of Liberty County some of us would be very grateful. Notice I did not want to take a break from exposing all of Michelle Merendino's mistakes and then want to go through the accusations, rumors, and actual behaviors of Chap Cain. No. I want to talk about trying to put an end to all of the scandals that have come to light in our courthouse in the last two decades and all of the ones none of us no about because they were covered up or people just plain got away with their criminal activity. If we want that to stop, we must change the courthouse. The few times we have ever had a chance to change the courthouse, we have watched the people with guts enough to run get blasted. I am just hoping that there are other voters out there like me. I hate hearing some of the stuff both candidates have done in their lives, but I want the courthouse to change. I am voting for the courthouse to change.
I enjoyed meeting you the other day and will certainly not hold it against you that you are a woman as I consider who to vote for this election.
Please, editors of Liberty Dispatch, in a town this small people writing into that empty-headed misguided blogger and him to keep posting about "a prominent local attorney" needs to stop. Days ago I made a similar request to him, now I am asking you to not post this kind of comment. With him being "prominent" and best friends with her opponent people will easily find out who it is and it just makes the whole race look like a personal vendetta and dirt filled laundry. Please ask your viewers to cease these comments. It will taint both candidates and whoever is judge will have their part in this scandal hanging around their neck as they represent the people.
I am posting as Anonymous simply to ask a question to all of the other Anonymous posts, but first to make a statement. "I DO NOT personally, professionally or legally know either candidate as most of the posts seem to imply." Now my question..."If you know the candidates, have so much to say, good, bad or indifferent, why post Anonymous?"
I talked to Chap, or I guess The Judge, during the holidays and had no idea he switched parties. We talked about politics and how glad we were to see universal healthcare finally and how ignorant people were to deny global warming and a bunch of stuff. He was just a great guy like he always is, but he never said anthing about becoming a Republican. So I am surprised, But he is my buddy still. Changing parties doesn't change who you are or what you believe in.
I know this site is unashamedly partisan and pro conservative, but I would like to thank you guys for being less cold hearted in your zapping out people's personal junk. Personal life is important, but if Bill Clinton were running against Ted Kennedy I would hope we could skip the gotcha politics and talk about what kind of officeholder you are or would be.
I counted six comments that are unabashedly aimed at scandalizing Michelle Merendino's candidacy, but then it looks like to me there are about that many again who APPEAR to be defending her at first glance, but when you re-read them it sounds like their comment is just meant to bring up heroffense all over again. That makes me think this is a concerted effort to drown her in her mistakes by reminding people without it sounding like it is coming from the Cain camp. I also notice the Merendino camp has not gotten into Cain's baggage. It is really looks like a case of one or two people, maybe even the blog editor, using their power to finish her campaign off before it starts. I like both of these people, can we jsut talk about what tehy can do to make the 253rd better?
Looking back into the last few years of news stories and advancesearch of the internet, I do not see a willingness of the media to print stories about Judge Cain's personal life but I do see controversies. I can't imagine the local news media or anyone having guts enough to post or print personal stories about the problems of a sitting district judge. I don't know what is true oir false about the following allegations but way before any political campaigns were going this judge was uncharacteristic of most judges as stories abound about his controversies. A man picketting the courthuse for days because of the judges ruling. On the radio and in the media, whether the old Republican county chair wants to bring it up now or not, Judge Cain got into nasty name calling partisan Republican bashing unbecoming of a judge. The county Christian Coalition said he put on airs of "spiritual superiority" in an address at a Republican forum when running against Assistant District Attorney Steve Green. Stories about what some called the "midnight massacre" when Bill Buchanan and Chap Cain announced on the radio from a meeting at 12 midnight that Judge Cain was replacing the newly elected County Treasurer with the wife of his business partner. News stories about ethics charges, though they were dismissed, were barely printed concerning the WalMart land or next to it. Stories about Judge Cain and Assistant County Attorney Beausoliel squabbling over more than a million dollars of an attorney's fee and stories about more pay for Cain secretary than the rest in the courthouse and stories about Cain's travel expenses and Cain involving himself in Ike money and the Fitzgerald mess. Stoires about Cain getting crossways because he doesn't want his daughters to be stopped by the Liberty police and then the dismissal of the chief of the Liberty Police. I have little doubt there are explanations for all of these allegations and explanations for things that are not written here, but why would anyone pulling for this man want anyone to start the campaign by pointing there finger and telling the public 'That woman.....did this or that' when it opens up so many things for the opposition to talk about that are not personal but involve the integrity of the office.
This Global Warming is killing my arthritus.
What! I leave town for a few weeks and the Attacker and Chief of the Democratic Party switches to the Republican Party? Wow! Since being home I have looked on here and in the paper and listen to the radio but have not heard one word of an interview or question to Democratic Party Chairman Nancy Archer on this switch. It would be a great interview. Those of us who know of this great political warrior's efforts to keep Republicans out of the courthouse are waiting to hear more on this.
LD you would not believe the screening that is going on over at the car wreck blog. His agenda is onvious. Any citizen of this community can just e-mail in something critical for those people that he is for or something positive for those people he is against and see the odds are against him posting. The only person worse than him is the spin wizard down at that wicked radio station. One needs to spend more time grinding on his organ and the other needs to shine his rear end in retirement and tend to the home front!
I noticed the car wreck site has just now posted Chap's announcement to run for office. I think this is now old news. I wonder what made him change his mind, since Chap is now a Republican? Hey Ray, Have you seen your name in the News at Cleveland Advocate. Looks like you may have something to get these crooks in Liberty deeper in the hole they have dug for themselves. GOOD LUCK with your case.
Well how are you Liberty Dispatch, Are you ok no one trying to knock you out? Well if they won't people to stop about the DRUGS. THEN JUST TAKE THE TEST AND SHOW THEM YOU ARE TRUE IF YOU ARE.SO PUT YOU MONEY WHERE YOU MOUTH IS AND SHOW THE PEOPLE YOU ARE TRUE IF YA'LL DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO HIDE . YOU NO BLACK AND WHITE SHOWS IT ALL BUT THE TEST NEEDS A OUT SIDER THAT HAS NOTHING TO GAIN ( THIS IS FOR THE PEOPLE OF OUR SMALL TOWN ) We the people fill that everyone who works for OUR SMALL TOWN NEEDS TO DO THE TEST DON'T TAKE BRAINS TO TAKE IT JUST BLOOD AND HAIR From the people of our small town... thank you GOD BLESS
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