I legally emigrated from Mexico to the United States with my parents when I was 9 years old. I grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from high school in 1980, and worked at a local fast food restaurant.

I met and married my husband, Jaime, in 1981 while he was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in California. We soon welcomed two daughters, Monica and Jessica.

As the wife of a Marine, I had the constant fear that my husband might not come home one day and that it would be up to me to provide for our young daughters so I decided to go to college. I received an Associate’s Degree with Academic Distinction from Arizona Western College and a Bachelor’s of Science with Academic Excellence from Northern Arizona University—all while raising our 2 daughters and supporting my husband’s numerous military deployments.

In 1994, I was accepted to Thurgood Marshall School of Law. With much support from my husband and 2 daughters I moved to Houston and in 1997 I graduated and became licensed in Texas that same year. My first professional job was as an Assistant County Attorney, Starr County, Texas.

In 1998, Jaime, a native Texan, received military orders to Houston and we chose to live in Fort Bend County and call it home. We bought a home in Sugar Land and became parishioners at Saint Laurence Parish.

I started my own office and was a successful attorney for 17 years. In my law practice I handled family matters, felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile cases, probate and civil matters. I also taught part time as an Adjunct Professor at Thurgood Marshall School of Law for 3 years. In 2009 I was the President of the Fort Bend County Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association.

Governor Rick Perry appointed me as Judge of the 400th District Count in 2014, and I won election to that court in 2016, serving until 2020. I then served as Associate Judge of the 268th District Court until Governor Greg Abbott appointed me as Judge of the 458th District Court in 2025.

Jaime retired from the Marines in 2001 and then served with the Houston Police Department in 2019. Jaime is currently working full-time in law enforcement.

Both our daughters graduated from Clements High School and Stephen F. Austin State University. Monica is a Principal at Wessendorff Middle School and is married with 1 son. Jessica is a private attorney here in Fort Bend County and City Council Member at City of Rosenberg Planning Commission. She is married and has 2 children.