Texas Municipal Courts Association
Texas Municipal Courts Education Center

NOTICES

2011 - 2012 TMCA Judge and Clerk of the Year

The Texas Municipal Courts Association presented the 2011-2012 Outstanding Jurist and Court Support Personnel Awards at its Annual Conference in July. The Outstanding Jurist award was bestowed to the Honorable Presiding Judge Randy Stump of Georgetown, Texas, and the Outstanding Court Support Personnel Award was presented to Ms. Luane Petrash, Court Administrator for the City of Webster Municipal Court in Texas. The Honorees were recognized for their outstanding contribution to the fair and impartial administration of justice. The Honorable Judge Donna Starkey, TMCA President, presented the Awards during the TMCA Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet in Fredericksburg,

The Texas Municipal Courts Association recognizes there are more than 1400 Municipal Judges in Texas and is proud to be the presenter of the Outstanding Jurist award to a judge who demonstrates excellence in the administration of justice in particular his work with Teen Court and young offenders. Judge Stump has served as the Presiding Municipal Court Judge for the City of Georgetown for more than 10 years. After graduating from Baylor Law School, he returned to Georgetown to practice law with his family's firm, where he has worked in municipal law, real estate and estate planning for more than 25 years. During that time, he served as the City Attorney for the City of Georgetown, and has represented multiple general law cities for many years. Judge Stump has also worked with the award-winning Georgetown Teen Court Program for over a decade. In the last two years, Judge Stump has served on the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center faculty and worked with TMCEC staff to host two teen court planning sessions in his court with funding from TxDOT. Judge Stump is recognized not only as a role model for youth before his court, but also to judges and court support personnel observing his work. He is a reminder of the value of firm, yet enthusiastic, leadership from the bench. He and his teen court coordinator, Tina Heine, have worked to ensure that Teen Court related forms and handouts are made available for other courts to use.

The Outstanding Court Support Personnel award is given each year to a court support person who has demonstrated excellence in the administration of justice in support of municipal courts. Court Administrator Luane Petrash began her career in 1989 as a Court Clerk in Webster; a city of over 10,000 population in south Harris County, Texas adjacent to the Johnson Space Center. In 1994, she became the Court Administrator, a position she still holds. She has served on multiple boards including the Board of Directors of the Texas Municipal Education Center for three years and the Texas Court Clerks Association for three years. She is being recognized as instrumental in assisting the City of Nassau Bay with administrative court support since 2009. In addition, Ms. Petrash has more than 20 years of service with Municipal Courts. "It is clear, based on the amount of attention and interest received by each of the nominees; both Judge Stump and Ms. Petrash are well respected by their peers, colleagues, coworkers and in their respective communities." Hon. Donna Starkey, TMCA President.