Judge

Judge Steve Seider was unanimously appointed by the Dallas County Commissioner’s Court as Justice of the Peace on July 13, 1999; he continues to serve as Justice of the Peace for Precinct 3 after being elected to successive terms, presiding over tens-of-thousands of cases and developing an unrivaled level of expertise. 

 

Judge Seider graduated from the University of Houston Law School in 1991 and has been a licensed Texas attorney for more than 30 years.  He achieved a degree in Finance, with Honors, from the University of Texas at Arlington prior to attending law school.

 

Judge Seider served the citizens of Dallas County as a Felony Prosecutor in the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office - with the Child Abuse Division, ensuring that child abusers and child sex offenders were held accountable for their actions. He went on to the private practice of law and developed a deep respect for protecting the due process rights of his clients in the civil and criminal courts - a perspective that is used on a daily basis in the courtroom, as well as in the educational endeavors that are part of serving as a justice of the peace.

 

Judge Seider was commissioned as a U.S. Army Field Artillery Officer, serving thirteen years, including as a Battery Commander in the U.S. Army Reserve.

 

The Texas Supreme Court unanimously appointed Judge Seider to the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct - the sole Justice of the Peace on the 13-member body charged with investigating and responding to complaints of judicial misconduct of any Texas judge or justice. Fellow commissioners elected Judge Seider Chairman for the final two years of the term. He continues to serve as a resource for the Commission and makes himself available to mentor judges with an eye toward preventing future misconduct and providing alternatives to challenged court operations.

 

Judge Seider has also served on the Judicial Ethics Committee of the State Bar of Texas, responding to requests for judicial ethics opinions by Texas attorneys and judges.

 

Judge Seider has been a leader in the Justice Court judiciary at the local, regional and statewide level, leading efforts to improve the professionalism, ethics and competence of justices of the peace. He has drafted and presented Judicial Ethics curriculum for the Texas Justice Court Training Center - providing a framework for judges to identify, understand and respond to ethical dilemmas.

 

Judge Seider has served the international legal community in conjunction with a U.S. State Department program that introduces judges and lawyers from around the world to the American system of justice and the concept of judicial ethics. He has met judges and lawyers from European, Asian, South American and African nations, familiarizing and educating them on the process of investigating and sanctioning judicial misconduct.

 

 

Judge Seider has been the driving force for a Homeless Court that he has presided over for the past 20 years. He has established a model that has been shared with judges throughout Texas for initiating and maintaining working relationships with the legal community, non-profit organizations serving the homeless community and volunteers. The program aims to provide life-transforming opportunities for individuals that have “legal” challenges that prevent them from taking ground in their lives, while maintaining the dignity and respect of law.

 

Judge Seider has served on a variety of local boards and commissions to improve the judiciary and the community including:

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Dallas County Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB)

Dallas County Bail Bond Board

Dallas County Truancy Task Force

Dallas County Volunteer Center Board of Directors

Legal Advocates for Minor’s Project (LAMP)

Texas Justice Court Training Center Education Committee

 

Judge Seider continues to donate his time and expertise in performing pro bono services for indigent individuals that need assistance or representation in having dismissed criminal charges expunged from their records.

 

Judge Seider is recognized as an expert in developing court business practices. He is an innovator, developing forms and procedures that create efficiencies for court staff, for law enforcement and for the public in the disposition of traffic cases - sharing freely the methods with other courts, counties and municipalities. His court operations have become a model of efficiency and effectiveness - they are commended and replicated by courts throughout Texas.

 

Judge Seider also serves as a subject matter expert and resource for fellow judges, elected officials, administrators, attorneys and the public in the legal and operational aspects of the Justice Courts in Texas. He assists in the drafting and vetting of proposed rules and legislation; his experience allows him to anticipate “unintended consequences” of bills and rules.

 

Judge Seider provided the Texas Justice Court Training Center with the initial curriculum and instruction on the mental health issues that have become a routine part of daily interaction with the public in the justice courts. Suicide prevention and early intervention of mental health issues have become a very personal calling and the highest priority; Judge Seider offers his court as a remote portal for access to public and veteran mental health services for the earliest possible intervention.

 

Judge Seider has recently discovered a form of “Corporate Identity Theft.” He’s sharing the many potential impacts for businesses - both small and large; seeking to alert, inform and educate the business and legal communities.   

 

Judge Seider continues to serve as an educator in every aspect of Justice Court operations and procedures - for litigants, attorneys, witnesses and jurors. He endeavors to treat everyone with a dignity, respect and patience that he would like to be treated with himself.

 

Judge Seider and his wife Angie have been married for 37 years; they are parents to four adult children and grandparents to three precious granddaughters.