Jerry Simoneaux

I love seeing our beautiful Elissa sail from her home port in Galveston to New York for Sail 250 — the largest gathering of tall ships in the nation’s history. Built in 1877 and rescued from a Greek scrapyard before Galveston brought her home and restored her to sailing condition, she’s been the soul of our island’s waterfront for nearly fifty years now.

Seeing the joy of my shipmates as they share photos and videos along their journey gives me a lump in my throat. I may not have been able to go, but I’m proud to be part of the nearly 150-year history of sailors who’ve crewed her, and prouder still knowing the hundreds of hours I put into maintaining her and learning to sail her helped get this ship ready for a moment like this.

She’s been to New York before — once in 1884, once in 1986 for the Statue of Liberty’s centennial. Now she returns for the nation’s 250th, still under sail, still herself.

Law students, mostly, have asked me to live-stream proceedings. Your wish is my command.

We have all uncontested dockets (probate of wills, heirships, and guardianships) live-streaming on Harris County Probate Court 1's Channel 1, and, simultaneously, we will live-stream a jury trial June 16 - July 2 on Channel 2. Here are the links:

Channel 1: https://www.youtube.com/c/HarrisCountyProbateCourt1

Channel 2: https://www.youtube.com/c/ProbateCourt1Channel2

Probate Court 1 Channel 2 Channel 2 streams live trials and special settings. Our original channel streams all regular dockets and contains several helpful videos for practicing in Probate Court. View the original channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/HarrisCountyProbateCourt1

“Abuse begins when those entrusted with power sever the bond with the governed. When they yield the people’s authority for their own interests or for a narrow faction, place themselves beyond accountability, or turn the tools of the state against the public itself.”

A reminder from another time. Still true today?
(The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.)

Humble brag incoming.

Since March 2024, the Texas Office of Court Administration has been publicly tracking something called a clearance rate for every district and county court in Texas. Put simply, it’s the percentage of cases a court closes relative to the number of new cases filed — a 100% clearance rate means you’re keeping pace with incoming filings; above 100% means you’re actually reducing your backlog. It’s one of the clearest measures of court efficiency we have.

Since that tracking began, Harris County Probate Court 1 has ranked #1 among all county and district courts in Harris County. In fact, all Harris County and Probate Courts are among the highest-ranked.

That result belongs entirely to my staff. Probate cases involve some of the most vulnerable people in our community — elderly adults who need guardians, families navigating estates in the middle of grief, and people who can’t always wait for slow justice. My team understands that urgency, and they show up for it every single day.

I could not be more proud of them.

Want to see the data for yourself? 👇
https://public.tableau.com/shared/PR7XT2NNG?:display_count=n&:origin=viz_share_link

I feel like I’m on a crazy rock tour! Here’s my speaking schedule this year—so far!

🐎🔥 Happy Lunar New Year! 🔥🐎

I was born in the Year of the Fire Horse—and sixty years later, the Fire Horse has returned. In Chinese astrology, the Fire Horse comes only once every sixty years, making this the rarest of cycles: a full return to the beginning.

Fire Horses are said to be passionate, independent, and driven by an almost stubborn sense of justice. Energetic to the point of restlessness. Drawn to causes larger than themselves. Resistant to constraints that feel arbitrary or unjust.

I’ll take that.

After more than 7 years on the bench—and a career spent in courtrooms before that—I’ve come to believe that justice requires exactly those qualities: the fire to pursue it even when it’s inconvenient, and the stamina to keep showing up when the work is slow and hard and unglamorous.

If you were also born in a Horse year, or if you simply feel the pull of this particular new beginning, I hope this year brings you the courage the Fire Horse promises. Not the easy kind. The kind that holds when it matters.

Gong Hei Fat Choy. 新年快乐. Chúc Mừng Năm Mới.
To everyone in our community—wishing you a year of fire, purpose, and renewal.

On va passer un bons temps ensemble ! J’espère vous voir là-bas, chères!

https://www.hba.org/?pg=hbacontributions&cpAction=showDetail&pid=368&cid=656

For those of you who still don't know the rules of remote appearances, here is something I hope will get through (with apologies to Dr. Suess).

Oh, the Places You'll Zoom! (A Probate Court Primer)

You cannot Zoom while eating your lunch,
Not while sipping your coffee or having a brunch.
You cannot appear from your car on the street,
Not while you're driving or stuck in the heat!

You cannot Zoom from a bar with your drink,
Not from the spa—now stop and think!
The massage table? Oh my, no, no!
That's simply not how these hearings go.

Your phone won't do and your tablet won't work,
These rules aren't meant to go berserk—
You'll need a laptop, stable and true,
In a quiet location that's proper for you.

Not in the kitchen where pots clang and crash,
Not where the dog might make a dash,
Not where your children might run about,
Not where the doorbell could cause you to shout!

Find a quiet room, a suitable space,
Where the judge can see your respectful face.
Dress like you would if you came to the court—
A shirt with buttons, the professional sort.

No pajamas! No tank tops! No caps on your head!
Dress like you're there, not still in your bed.
The courtroom has standards, both old and new,
And virtual hearings must follow them too.

And attorneys ad litem—oh, hear this well!
You cannot be in another court, I must tell.
Don't try to appear while you're handling a trial,
Don't phone it in from the other court's aisle!

You cannot multitask, you cannot split time,
Between two different courts—that's crossing a line!
When you accept the appointment, you make a vow
To be present, attentive, here and now.

So set up your laptop with care and with grace,
In a dignified, quiet, appropriate place.
Show the same respect you would if you came
To the courthouse itself—the rules are the same!

For justice is justice, whether near or afar,
And the court remains the court, wherever you are.