BEAUMONT – Area trial lawyers dumped tens of thousands of dollars into the campaign coffers of two district judges who will reclaim their benches this November without a fight.
In 2016, both Justin Sanderson and Baylor Wortham followed in the footsteps of their fathers and became district judges in Jefferson County.
As previously reported, trial lawyers heavily bankrolled their campaigns – a trend that continues to this day.
Judge Wortham presides over the 136th District Court. He was uncontested in the primary and no Republican stepped up to face him in the general election.
From Jan. 1 to June 30, Wortham raised more than $56,000 in political contributions. Attorneys Cody Dishon and Mark Sparks, both partners at The Ferguson Law Firm, accounted for $5,000 of that total.
Campaign finance records show Dishon donated $2,500 to Wortham’s campaign on June 12. Sparks also gave $2,500 on that date.
The day before, the Malley Law Firm gave $2,500.
Beaumont attorney Gilbert Adams III donated $2,500, as did Dewayne Layfield, an attorney at the Reaud Law Firm.
The Beaumont law firm of Lindsay Lindsay and Parsons contributed $2,500. Attorney Mitchell Toups of Weller Green Toups & Terrell also gave $2,500, records show.
Other notable donations Wortham received from area trial lawyers include:
- Gilbert “Buddy” Low $1,500;
- Daws Law Firm $1,000;
- Willard Hall Jr. $1,000; and
- Tommy Yeates (Moore Landry) $1,000.
Also noteworthy, Wortham received a $1,000 donation from the Kinsel Family Partnership and a $15,000 donation from Bob Wortham, Baylor Wortham’s father and current district attorney for Jefferson County.
As he did in 2016, Judge Justin Sanderson, 60th District Court, is running unopposed.
In the months leading up to 2020, Sanderson hauled in $43,800 in political contributions, a sizeable chunk of which was supplied by attorneys for The Provost Umphrey Law Firm.
In all, five PU attorneys accounted for $12,500 of the aforementioned total. Bryan Blevins, Darren Brown, Joe Fisher, James Payne and David Wilson each gave Sanderson $2,500, records show.
As they did with Wortham, Dewayne Layfield and Lindsay Lindsay Parsons each gave $2,500 to Sanderson, so did the Malley Law Firm.
Adam Terrell, Steven Toups and Mitchell Toups of Weller Green Toups and Terrell also chipped in $2,500 each.
Jon Burmeister, a Moore Landry attorney, donated $1,000 to Sanderson, as did Thomas Roebuck Jr. of Roebuck Thomas and Adams.
Attorney Ryan Schaper donated $1,000, so did The Ammons Law Firm and The Daws Law Firm.
As of June 30, Sanderson has a cash on hand balance of $137,383.11.