About Brian

Brian Warren was elected by the citizens of Harris County in 2018 to be Judge of the 209th Criminal District Court.  He has the distinct honor of being only the third presiding Judge of the 209^th District Court in its 50 years of existence.

New Yorker by birth, he chose to make his home in Houston, Texas, where he has lived for the last 20 years, married his Texan wife, and is raising their 3 Texan little boys, ranging in age from 10 to 2 years old.  Judge Warren graduated from James Madison University in Virginia with a Bachelors of Business Administration in 1997 and received his Juris Doctorate from St. Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio in 2001.  Prior to being elected judge, he previously served Harris County as an Assistant District Attorney for 5 years, prosecuting cases on behalf of the citizens of Harris County.  In 2006, he started his own criminal defense practice and has handled thousands of cases including those involving murder, bank robbery, complex white-collar fraud, and every level of drug offense. He has appeared before each of the 22 felony district courts, the 16 county courts at law at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center, and numerous federal courts in Texas and Louisiana, where he has tried over 100 jury trials.  His entire legal career has been dedicated to the practice of criminal law.

Judge Warren has spent his legal career dedicated to the pursuit of justice, first as an assistant district attorney and more recently as a criminal defense attorney.  Thus, he has stood on both sides of the aisle to represent the victims of serious crimes, as well as to prosecute those accused of crimes.  Judge Warren has commiserated with the parents of lost loved ones as a prosecutor seeking justice for them and stood in defense of those accused of serious crimes.  Having seen both sides of the criminal justice system has shaped his sense of fairness and sense of justice.

I treat everyone who appears before me with grace and dignity. I strive to recognize the soul within every individual—to see the complete person, not just their worst moment.

I seek empathy in every case, because justice means more than wearing a black robe. It requires compassion alongside accountability, understanding alongside fairness.

As Ted Lasso said: we should be judged “not by the actions of our weakest moments but rather by the strength we show when we are given a second chance.”

Sending someone to prison should always be difficult and heavy. My wife reminds me defendants’ actions justify outcomes—she’s right. But understanding the life-altering effects should make it hard. That weight keeps me thoughtful, careful, and human.

This doesn’t mean being soft. I preside over capital murders and violent crimes. When someone poses genuine danger, I impose necessary sentences. But many defendants aren’t predators—they’re people struggling with addiction, mental health, or poverty who need treatment, not just punishment.

I am running for Judge to assure everyone their day in court – to allow the state of Texas and the victims of crime as well as those who stand accused of crimes the opportunity to be heard.  I believe in the fair and efficient administration of justice.  I believe in courts that are open five days a week.  I believe that judges should be assessed by their work ethic, their temperament, and their compassion towards those who appear before them.

I have spent my legal career dedicated to the pursuit of justice, first as an assistant district attorney and more recently as a criminal defense attorney.  Thus, I have stood on both sides of the aisle to represent the victims of serious crimes as well as to prosecute those accused of crimes.  I have commiserated with the parents of lost love ones as a prosecutor seeking justice for them, and stood in defense of those accused of serious crimes.  Having seen both sides of the criminal justice system has shaped who I am today and determines how I will be able to dispense justice in a fair and equitable manner.

The passion and energy which I devoted previously to these endeavors I will now bring in full force to the bench.

“In our society, liberty is the norm, and detention prior to trial or without trial is the carefully limited exception.” United States v. Salerno (1987).  As the Presiding Judge of the 209th District Court, Judge Warren has continually looked for improvements to the criminal justice system, including the need for intelligent bond reform.  He has worked to change the way bonds are set in Harris County. Along with the other newly elected Harris County District Court Judges, he is proud to have been at the forefront of passing the largest general order bond in our county’s history. This has enabled the felony district courts to release many non-violent offenders on a personal bond who would otherwise be awaiting trial in custody for upwards of a year or longer.

Judge Warren has voluntarily appeared in Federal Court before the Honorable Judge Lee Rosenthal, the Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. He has appeared as a witness to offer details regarding the efforts judges were making in order to reduce the number of pre-trial detainees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge Warren has supported and implemented many of her proposals in an effort to improve the current system.  The Federal Judge remarked in a May 24^th hearing that Judge Warren “sets the standard for all of the felony judges to emulate” when it comes to bail reform.

Judge Warren understands that a defendant has a constitutionally protected right to zealous and effective representation.  He believes that this representation is essential to the administration of criminal justice.  Judge Warren inherited a court in which six contract attorneys handled all of the Indigent criminal defense.  This practice caused all six of those lawyers to handle cases way in excess of the American Bar Association caseload limits.  Often these lawyers were stretched so thin by the former policies of the court that they would have, in some cases, nearly 10 times as many cases pending than was recommended.  Additionally, the former judge refused to utilize the Public Defender’s Office (PDO) as mandated by Texas law.  Since taking the bench, Judge Warren has had the third highest utilization of the PDO.  He also eliminated the practice of having contract lawyers whom only work for the judge and expanded indigent defense in the 209^th District Court to include all of the defense bar approved and vetted to handle indigent defense.

When Judge Warren was elected to the bench in 2019, the 209^th District Court was still reliant on paper files and paper filings.  In the past year, as we have all become accustomed to using Zoom and other video conferencing, it’s hard to picture a court which did not even have computers. Immediately after being elected, Judge Warren mandated electronic filing in all cases.  Electronic filing increases transparency by having documents available on-line and greatly improved the efficiency of the court by allowing attorneys and parties to view digital copies of the court documents.  In the past year, where many have chosen or been forced to work remotely, this change has allowed remote proceedings to take place efficiently and safely.

Judge Warren was selected by the United States Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, and the National Judicial College, selected as one of 24 judges from across the country to receive training at the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI).

Judge Warren took over the largest criminal docket in Harris County.  Through hard work and innovation, the 209^th now has the 6^th lowest docket.  Judge Warren tried more cases to jury trial before the Covid-19 pandemic than any other criminal district court.  The dedication to being available and willing to go to trial ensures that cases are not reset needlessly.  A jury trial is the constitutional guarantee to fundamental fairness.  However, only a trial court calling a jury ensures that both defendants and victims get their day in court.

Judge Warren also eliminated duplicate and redundant court settings. Defendants often were required to appear in court every 30 days regardless of whether or not it was necessary for them to appear for their cases.  Often, defendants would come to court to reset their cases while evidence was being tested and discovery was produced.   This causes overcrowding at the courthouse and countless wasted resources.  Judge Warren continues to look for new and innovative ways for the courthouse to be more efficient and ensure justice for all.