Justice of the Peace Tony Polumbo is planning to retire this year, and a primary election will be held in March to determine who will be on the ballot in November to succeed him.
Polumbo holds the Precinct 3 Position 2 spot in the local judiciary. Polumbo is well known in North Forest and East Harris County, for his work with teens in Teen Court, and his innovative sentencing and other court practices. Prior to his 20 years service as a J.P., Polumbo was a state legislator for this area, for 15 years.
Raymond Sanchez is currently a court coordinator in Judge Mike Parrott’s court. He has been working in the justice system since he was a pre-trial officer for Judge Leal in 1991. He cites this long record of experience as one reason to elect him.
His other experience includes knowledge of the many facets of justice of the peace courts, including adult and juvenile probation, evictions, civil cases, jury trials, traffic arraignments, small claims court, mental health cases, bankruptcy, and much more.
Sanchez was educated at Lee College and the University of Houston. He is bilingual, useful in many of today’s court proceedings.
Dane Listi is an attorney in Baytown, and notes that his family has been in East Harris County for 53 years.
Listi was educated at Lee College and the University of Houston. His wife is a flight attendant, and his stepson is in the army, serving his 3rd tour in Iraq.
Listi’s practice has made him familiar with J.P. court, he said. This has included criminal and murder cases, traffic tickets, civil and small claims cases, juvenile and family cases, and more.
Listi is also the City Attorney for Old River-Winfree. He has had experience as a substitute judge for Judge Sylvia, he said. Listi is also a Rotarian in Highlands.
Don Coffey is a retired attorney in Baytown. He was educated at Lee College and the University of Houston. He has been a Regent of Lee College for 26 years.
His experience includes working as a young man for Exxon for 10 years, and later in the office of Congressman Gene Green.
He is familiar with the J.P. court from his law practice, he said. He notes that a Justice of the Peace has the leeway to run the court as he prefers, but Coffey sees it as a “court of equity.”
He reviewed the history of the J.P. courts, and he praised Polumbo’s outstanding work in Pct. 3 Pos. 2. He remarked how important a local court can be, and how much it affects your daily life much more than county courts.