--- title: "Tonya Parker | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/tonya-parker" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-02" --- # Tonya Parker Texas 116th District Court · District Judge, Dallas County 116th Civil District Court ## Profile - Court: Texas 116th District Court - State: Texas - Role: District Judge, Dallas County 116th Civil District Court - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-28 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Tonya Parker is the Presiding Judge of the 116th Civil District Court in Dallas County, Texas, elected in 2010 and re‐elected in 2014 and 2018, with her current term ending in 2026 - As of 2026, Judge Parker is running for re‐election in the November 3, 2026 general election for the 116th District Court - Presiding Judge, Texas 116th Judicial District Court, Dallas, TX, 2019-2022 - Presiding Judge, Texas 116th Judicial District Court, Dallas, TX, 2015-2018 - Presiding Judge, Texas 116th Judicial District Court, Dallas, TX, 2011-2014 - Partner, Gruber Hurst Johansen Hail, LLP, 2007-2009 - Partner, Adorno Yoss White & Wiggins, LLP, 2004-2007 - Presiding Judge of the 116th Civil District Court, located at the George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building, 600 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX - Began her legal career at Adorno Yoss White & Wiggins, LLP, later becoming a partner, and then at Gruber Hurst Johansen Hail, LLP ### Education - Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law — J.D. (1998) - University of North Texas — B.A. (1994) ### Additional information - She has been on the bench since 2010 and is recognized for her leadership in civil cases, including complex commercial and tort litigation. - She advanced from the Democratic primary in March 2026. - Martin Luther King Jr. Justice Award (Dallas Bar Association, 2021) - Distinguished Jurist Award (State Bar of Texas African‐American Lawyers’ Section, 2019) - President’s Award for Legal Excellence (Dallas NAACP, 2018) - Stonewall Award (ABA Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Commission, 2017) - Trailblazer Award (IGNITE, 2017) - In 2012, she drew national attention for refusing to perform marriage ceremonies in her courtroom under Texas law at the time. - Practitioner, Adorno Yoss White & Wiggins, LLP, 1998-2004 - Committed to civility, mentorship, and diversity in the legal profession. - Before joining the judiciary, Parker was a trial attorney and litigator for over a decade - handling high‐stakes commercial and tort cases for both individuals and corporations. - Parker has held the role of Presiding Judge for Dallas County Civil District Courts, president of the Texas Association of District Judges, and adviser to the American Law Institute’s Restatement of the Law Third: Torts project. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### courtroom technology and trial materials Scope: courtroom specific Courtroom presentation equipment is available, but counsel should arrange advance familiarization through the coordinator and request permission or assistance before using it during proceedings. Evidence excerpt: Counsel may coordinate a time to become familiar with the equipment through the Court Coordinator. During any proceedings, counsel should request assistance and/or permission before attempting to use the equipment. [116th Civil District Court Policies and Procedures](https://www.dallascounty.org/Assets/uploads/docs/courts/civil-district/116/Policies-Procedures-DEC-2025.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-28 ### courtroom technology Scope: courtwide Dallas County's civil district court directory provides an official AV equipment training video for courtroom preparation. Evidence excerpt: AV Equipment Training Video [Dallas County Civil District Courts](https://www.dallascounty.org/government/courts/civil_district/) Source checked: 2026-07-28 ### civil remote appearances Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### civil recording and broadcasting Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.dallascounty.org/government/courts/civil_district/116th/) - [Official roster](https://www.dallascounty.org/government/courts/civil_district/116th/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/15942/tonya-parker/) - [Dallas County 116th Civil District Court official judicial roster](https://www.dallascounty.org/government/courts/civil_district/116th/) - [Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf) - [Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf) - [Dallas County Civil District Courts](https://www.dallascounty.org/government/courts/civil_district/) - [116th Civil District Court Policies and Procedures](https://www.dallascounty.org/Assets/uploads/docs/courts/civil-district/116/Policies-Procedures-DEC-2025.pdf) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/15942/tonya-parker/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/tonya-parker", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/tonya-parker", "name": "Tonya Parker | KnowJudges", "description": "Tonya Parker, Texas 116th District Court. 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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](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26. - [Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-a5f587f769df9f3231ef4f9a) — 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](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26.