About Eric

Eric Starnes is a conservative Republican, former law enforcement officer, and experienced prosecutor running. He is now the elected Judge of  Tarrant County Criminal Court No. 7.

 

A lifelong Texan, Starnes earned his Masters of Public Administration from the University of North Texas and his Juris Doctorate at Texas Wesleyan University. His roots in Tarrant County run deep, having served to keep his community safe for nearly three decades within the criminal justice system—both on the street and in the courts.

 

Spending time on both sides of law enforcement has afforded Starnes a valuable perspective on justice… one that isn’t learned in law school alone. During his more than 23 years of service with the Euless Police Department, he worked his way up from a patrol officer to Lieutenant of Investigations. In that capacity he oversaw the coordination of all criminal investigations, while managing a $1.6 million budget and a staff of eighteen.

 

While in this position he testified in criminal trials on multiple occasions—providing him an experience that a vast majority of criminal lawyers do not have. This insight has served Starnes well in both his current role as a Tarrant County Assistant Criminal District Attorney, where he has worked exclusively for the last four years within the Criminal Division on both felony and misdemeanor cases.

 

In addition to his years in private law practice, his dedication to jurisprudence has further led to his becoming both a published writer and a professor, educating students on the laws that surround the basis of the Fourth Amendment’s search and seizure clause—a subject vital to the criminal court system.

 

Experienced, Knowledgeable, Fair-minded… Eric Starnes understands the difference between being an “active” judge and an “activist” judge. He seeks to efficiently move cases through the court system—protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring the professional and just treatment of all who enter his courtroom.

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