Judge Maria T. Jackson has been the presiding Judge of the 339th State District Court in Houston, Harris County, Texas since 2008. Judge Jackson presides over the trials of felony offenses which run the gamut from low-level drug offenses to capital murder. She has presided over 100 jury trials and several have been featured on The First 48 TV show.
- Judge Jackson was chosen as one of 24 judges from across the country to represent Texas at the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI). The NCFI is a partnership between the United States Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, the Alabama District Attorney’s Association and the National Judicial College.
- Served by appointment of the Chief Justice of The Supreme Court as the Presiding Judge in Cameron County, Texas
- Judge Jackson was named “Best Criminal Court Judge of 2011” by the Houston Press, making her the first African American in Harris County to be so honored.
- She has been voted Top Judge and won the People’s Choice Award in 2012 and 2013 by d-mars.com.
- Judge Jackson was also honored by the Houston Sun in 2013 as a “Woman of Power and Purpose.”
- Prior to winning the election to the district bench, Judge Jackson was appointed to the Municipal Courts of the City of Houston in 2003. She served as a trainer and instructor for the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center.
- Judge Jackson has also been recognized in the Mayor’s Spotlight, making her the first judge to be acknowledged in the City of Houston’s employee newspaper.
Professional Activities and Memberships
- Judge Jackson serves on the Board of District Judges,’ chairs the Security committee and serves on the Administration of Justice and the Legislative Committee.
- She serves on the Mental Health Task Force.
- She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas State Bar College and the Garland R. Walker American Inns of Court.
- She is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, Houston Bar Foundation, American Bar Association, Houston Lawyers Association, and the Houston Bar Association, where she serves on the Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards Committee.
- Judge Jackson served as past co-chair on the Speakers Bureau Committee.
- She currently serves as a volunteer, mentor and a role model for at-risk youth. She also serves as a mentor for law students and young lawyers.
- She has been a frequent speaker in the community, and she has appeared on several local television and radio shows, including the Red, White and Blue political show, Magic 102, KCOH and The Prison Show on 90.1.
- Judge Jackson served on the Board of Directors for Texas Wesleyan University School of Law.
- Her involvement in the community includes lifetime membership of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, where she serves on the Lamb & Goat Committee.
- She is also an active member of the Houston Chapter of Links Incorporated, where she served as Chairman on the Services to Youth program; a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; and a sustaining member of the Harris County Democratic Party.
- Judge Jackson is a member of Lakewood Church.
Education
Judge Jackson earned a B.A. in Political Science in 1987 from the University of Texas at Arlington (with honors) and a Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1998 from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. She is also a certified mediator.
Judge Maria T. Jackson
1201 Franklin St., 14th Floor,
Houston, TX 77002
