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Steve Burgess

Republican · TX · Judge, 158th Judicial District Court, Denton County

Steve Burgess is the judge of Denton County's 158th District Court, a seat he has held since he was first elected in 2010.

Where Steve Burgess stands, based on their records

Supports

Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties (3 records)

Track record

Track record — Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties · 3 support

  • Moved to adopt juvenile policies that prioritized alternatives to prosecution for children under 12 and children living in residential care. The policies limited detention to a last resort and required monitoring of their results. The Juvenile Board unanimously approved the changes to comply with state law.

    December 5, 2025Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

    Source: dentoncounty.gov

  • Voted for a juvenile defense plan that increased the fees paid to court-appointed lawyers handling appeals. The Juvenile Board approved the plan with 13 votes in favor and none opposed.

    August 1, 2025Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

    Source: dentoncounty.gov

  • Created and ran the First Offender Drug Program for low-risk, first-time drug offenders. It offered dismissal and removal of case records after six months without drugs and a day-long course. By September 2023, about 1,680 people had entered and roughly 65 percent had completed it. He also helped establish a program for higher-risk repeat offenders.

    September 18, 2023Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

    Source: interactives.dallasnews.com

Track record — General

General · 2 records

  • Joined other Denton County district judges in adopting rules for appointing private lawyers to felony defendants who could not afford counsel. The plan set lawyer experience requirements, appointment procedures, payment rules and a process for challenging denied fees.

    October 4, 2019

    Source: tidc.tamu.edu

  • Vacated Silvano Uriostegui's guilty plea and dismissed an aggravated-assault charge. He found that prosecutors withheld evidence that the victim could not identify her attacker by face. He also barred the two prosecutors from his courtroom.

    April 19, 2016

    Source: exonerationregistry.org

Track record — Legal Competence

Legal Competence · 1 favorable · 3 unfavorable

  • Ordered a parentage decision and ended temporary orders at a hearing without giving one party reasonable notice that those issues would be decided. The appeals court directed the trial court to cancel that order and hold a new hearing with proper notice. The court left the separate genetic-testing order in place.

    November 21, 2024Unfavorable on Legal Competence

    Source: law.justia.com

  • Ruled for Sally Beauty in its dispute with Visa over about $14 million in charges after a payment-system breach. The appeals court reversed his rulings on the contract claim and Visa's fraud claim, then returned the case for further proceedings.

    December 9, 2021Unfavorable on Legal Competence

    Source: law.justia.com

  • Suppressed evidence from a drunk-driving arrest after finding that the officer lacked specific facts justifying the stop. The appeals court upheld his ruling in State v. Stephanie Flemmons.

    December 21, 2017Favorable on Legal Competence

    Source: law.justia.com

  • Allowed Michael Quinn Sullivan's challenge to a state lobbying fine to remain in Denton County. The appeals court later reversed that ruling and ordered the case transferred to Travis County because Sullivan had not shown that he lived in Denton County when the claim arose. Burgess had also been removed from the case after the commission sought his recusal.

    February 18, 2015Unfavorable on Legal Competence

    Source: law.justia.com

Past race Steve Burgess ran in: