Joel Perez at a glance
- Current role
- District Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Texas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Joel Perez
District Judge · Texas 437th District Court
Biography
Professional career
- Democratic judge of the 437th Criminal District Court in Bexar County, Texas, elected in 2022 and currently serving a term through 2026
- He also held the role of a special prosecutor for Bexar County
Education
- in, University of Texas School of Law — J.D. (1988)
Additional information
- Perez’s term runs through December 31, 2026.
- Running for re‐election in the November 3, 2026 general election, advancing from the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.
- Elected to the bench on November 8, 2022.
- Before joining the court, he had a 30+ year legal career in private practice and as an assistant district attorney with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
- Unopposed in his bid for a second term.
- Judge Perez has presided over numerous criminal cases in Bexar County, including high‐profile matters such as the Brad Simpson murder case, where he recently directed prosecutors and defense to prepare for trial and discussed evidence review by an outside judge.
- Licensing: Licensed to appear before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Sixth Circuits.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
In civil district and county court proceedings, the court may permit or require electronic participation after appropriate notice; compelled electronic participation for oral-testimony proceedings requires good cause or party agreement, and a jury trial requires party agreement.
Upon appropriate notice by a party or the court, a court may allow or require a participant to appear at a court proceeding by videoconference, teleconference, or other available electronic means, except as otherwise provided in (2).Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings ↗
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Civil district and county trial courts may permit courtroom recording or broadcasting only under Supreme Court guidelines, with the required party and witness consent, or for ceremonial proceedings.
A trial court may permit broadcasting, televising, recording, or photographing of proceedings in the courtroom only in the following circumstances:Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
Texas 437th District Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
Texas 437th District Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 25, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 10, 2026.
Texas Office of Court Administration official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 25, 2026
View Texas Office of Court Administration official judicial roster ↗Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings ↗Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings ↗Texas 437th District Court official directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked October 11, 2026
View Texas 437th District Court official directory ↗