Ebony Turner

Ebony Turner was born in Hope, Arkansas. She graduated from Pittsburg High School. Turner earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998 and a J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law in 2001. Her career experience includes working as a criminal defense attorney, owner of a private practice, legislative attorney, public defender, parole attorney, and adjunct professor.[1][2]

Turner has been affiliated with the following organizations:[2][1]

Black Women Lawyers Association-Tarrant County

L. Clifford Davis Legal Association

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Arlington Alumnae Chapter

Hispanic Women's Network of Texas-Arlington

Texas Democratic Women

Unbound

Historic West Mansfield Texas Community Development Corporation

Tarrant County Bar Association

Dallas Black Criminal Bar Association

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a wife of 24 years, mom of 3, current practicing criminal defense attorney and community servant-leader. I am owner of the Law Office of Ebony M. Turner, LLC; the Founder of the EMTLAW Future Lawyers Internship ("FLIP"); Founder of the Black Mansfield Moms Group; President of the Historic West Mansfield Texas Community Development Corporation; Volunteer at Unbound Now and member of the Arlington Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. I am a fierce advocate for special needs students and their parents, a champion for women's reproductive health rights, and proponent for health care for all.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I am anti-voucher and for full-funded public education. We need to give teachers and paraprofessionals pay raises and increase the per-student allotment.I am for women's reproductive health rights.I am for the expansion of Medicaid that will allow access to health care for a million more people and other additional resources for people with special needs and disabilities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Saying NO to Vouchers; ensuring women's reproductive health rights are restored and preserved; health care for all; decriminalizing mental health; overturning anti-DEI laws; and school safety, especially as it relates to strengthening gun safety laws.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my parents and my grandparents. They all instilled in me a very strong work ethic, the importance of integrity, and never giving up.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, authenticity, and transparency.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a problem solver by nature; I have a unique ability to get along well with people with opposing views; and I am great at connecting people. I am definitely a people-person!

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The most important responsibility is to do what is in the best interest of the citizens in the District.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave the legacy that I always strived to do what was right and to leave places and people better than I found them.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded. I was 10.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a cashier at a local grocery store called Oscar's. I worked there for 2 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Probably anything in James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series. My favorite genre is suspense-thriller books.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Annalise Keating or Olivia Pope

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Usher-You Got it Bad

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Saying no and realizing that I don't have to always be everywhere at all times.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

I think the ideal relationship would be that the governor trusts that the bills passed are the ones that the majority of Texans would want signed into law because they have been written with the best interests of the constituents at the forefront.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

I believe the State's greatest challenges are fully funded public education; infrastructure; housing affordability; and access to adequate health care for all Texans.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe it is beneficial but not necessary.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely. No one person has all of the answers or solutions to a given problem. I believe collaboration is key to any successful organization, including a legislative body.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Shirley Chisholm. She was a trailblazer in several respects.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I have no idea what the future holds for me politically. I am running for this position at this time because I believe it is the place where I can best address the challenges that are facing my district, and the issues about which I am most passionate.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

As a mom of a son with special needs and advocate for parents of children with special needs, I hear all kinds of stories that are touching. I am not sure I am at liberty to share any specifics publicly, but in general, I will say there is a lot of frustration with special education and the way services are delivered or administered.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Yes, definitely oversee the use of emergency powers. We still need to have checks and balances, even in an emergency situation.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

It would likely be a bill to increase teacher and paraprofessional pay that is not tied to vouchers.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Sierra Club

Tarrant County Central Labor Council AFL-CIO

Tarrant County Young Democrats

Texas Democrats with Disabilities

Mothers Against Greg Abbott

Wendy Davis

What committees interest you?

Criminal Jurisprudence, Public Education, Public Health, Juvenile Justice & Family Issues

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe there should be financial transparency and that the government is accountable to the people. It is our money and government officials work for the citizens.

Would a state ballot initiative process be good or bad for your state?

I think a state ballot initiative process could be good because it would allow the citizens a greater, more direct role in the legislative process.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am currently a practicing criminal defense attorney with 21 years of varied legal experiences, mainly in criminal law. I am a wife, mom of 3, and a community servant. I am a proud graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and St. Mary's University School of Law.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I am passionate about persons who suffer with mental health issues, drug and alcohol addictions, and persons with disabilities.The first tenet of my platform is Effective Judgments. Effective Judgments means not just locking people up, but coming up with creative solutions to prevent recidivism. I want to find out what the underlying issue causing a person to commit domestic violence offenses is, as the court I am running for is a Family Violence Court.The second tenet of my platform is Efficient Justice. This means I want to save taxpayer dollars by reducing the backlog of cases plaguing Tarrant County. As a former public defender, I handled thousands of cases successfully, so I am the perfect person to come up with creative ways to reduce the backlog while also ensuring justice is served and rights are preserved.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a judicial candidate, I am prohibited from answering certain questions regarding public policy issues. I will reiterate my platform of Effective Judgments and Efficient Justice and add that I want to ensure anyone who comes in my court is treated with dignity and respect no matter the reason he/she is there.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity comes to mind first. In the case of judges in particular: compassion, judicial temperament, and the ability to evaluate a case fairly and follow the law to ensure justice is served and constitutional rights are preserved.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave the legacy that I accomplished the goals I set out to achieve in the areas of reduced recidivism, actualized individual criminal justice reform, and better solutions for persons with mental health issues in the criminal justice system. I hope that I would have blazed a trail that young girls and women, people of color, and other historically marginalized groups can and will follow.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. I was 10 The first teacher was headed to outer space.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

We Don't Talk About Bruno from the movie Encanto! My 9-year-old son plays it over and over in multiple languages!

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Judges have the responsibility to approve plea deals made between the prosecution and the defense. If a judge disagrees with the plea bargain, the judge does not have to accept it and the parties can go back to negotiating.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

I certainly believe empathy is of utmost importance in the role of a judge. I believe this quality will help judges ensure a more effective judgment in each case, tailored to the specific needs of the individual defendant.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I chose a misdemeanor bench because I believe misdemeanor court is the gatekeeper for keeping first time offenders from becoming repeat offenders and for keeping repeat misdemeanor offenders from becoming felons. This is especially important in a Domestic Violence court because a 2nd offense for Domestic violence can, and will often, be a felony.