Issues took a back seat to vitriolic mudslinging as David Glickler and Chris Johnson traded verbal haymakers during a heated debate.
At the center of the fray was Glickler’s May 26, 2015 DWI arrest. He was later convicted of the charge.
Glickler said he aims to show how he overcame his “personal failing” in 2015 and how he plans to “prove his worth” to the justice system.
“I am a symbol of retribution and rehabilitation,” Glickler said.
However, Johnson said the court is lacking a judge who is unable to be a “symbol of justice and obedience on the law,” and that the biggest issue in the race is Glickler’s DWI arrest. Johnson said he plans to “restore honor and dignity to the court.”
On a question of the biggest obstacle in the court system, Johnson cited credibility, primarily within the County Court at Law No. 2.
Johnson alleged district attorneys ask for the “Glickler Special,” which amounts to a lesser fine, court costs and three days in jail.
“Until that fundamental problem gets fixed, nothing else matters,” Johnson said.
Glickler said that was a “gross exaggeration” and he isn’t involved in the plea bargaining system. Glickler said one of the biggest obstacles in the justice system is that not everyone is fair and honest in their dealings.
Glickler said he has been complimented on how he has “handled business in court.”
Glickler also took issue with a flyer Johnson mailed to Hays County residents that he claims had false information. One item involved the date of his arrest; the flyer claims the arrest occurred on the day of the 2015 Memorial Day Flood.
“He is defaming me and is falsely tying me to the worst night in Hays County history just to win an election,” Glickler said.
Both candidates were on the same page when it came to a question of alleviating overcrowding in jails, with both citing the need to set appropriate bonds and take all factors into consideration for misdemeanor crimes.
