Susan Criss is an attorney and former Texas state district judge.
She lives on Galveston Island with her three dachshunds, Brooke, Brutus and Abner. (Brutus is only part dachshund. He does not know that and we are not telling him.) All three were rescue dogs. And she is a rescued mom. She rescued them and they rescued her.
Judge Criss served on a trial court bench for fifteen years. Prior to being a judge Susan Criss worked as a prosecutor in the Galveston County Criminal District Attorney’s Office for almost a decade. Before and after serving as a judge she worked as a criminal defense attorney.
Judge Criss had tried hundreds of cases over more than thirty years. She spent over half of that time sitting on a Texas district court bench in Galveston, Texas. As a judge she presided over some of the biggest, most complex and high profile litigation in the state. Judge Criss tried the cases arising from the BP March 23, 2005 explosion cases in Texas City, the Hurricane Ike insurance litigation, Paxil settlement conferences and the Robert Durst murder trial.
A sign on the door of her courtroom said, “This court belongs to the people.” Judge Criss earned a reputation for making certain everyone in her court was treated fairly.
Judge Criss was one of the first judicial bloggers in the country. That blog was the original As The Island Floats. She stopped blogging when a state wide run for office left little time to write. She also wrote a column with two other lawyers for the Galveston County Daily News called Nothing Left Unsaid.
Susan Criss ran for public office seven times. Four times she was elected to the212th District Court in Galveston, Texas beginning in 1998. She ran statewide for Texas Supreme Court in the Texas Democratic Primary in 2008 garnering 49% of the vote. In 2014 she ran unsuccessfully for her father’s former state representative seat. And in 2020 Criss ran for Texas State Senate but did not win.
Susan’s father was the Democratic County Party Chair when she was four years old. She has participated in Democratic campaigns her entire life. As a child she worked on campaigns on an involuntary basis. As an adult she volunteered to work on campaigns from local races to Presidential ones.
Since 2018 Susan has served as the Senate District 11 State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) committeewoman. In 2020 she was appointed as Chair of the SDEC Finance Committee.
Now she is back to doing what she loves most and does best—fighting for people in court. She and her partner Col. (Ret.) Rick Rousseau formed Criss & Rousseau Law Firm L.L. P. in 2015. They have offices in Galveston and Harker Heights, Texas.
BOARD CERTIFICATIONS
Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- In aftermath of September 13, 2008 Hurricane Ike participated in re-establishing justice system in Galveston County. Within three days of hurricane set up system to handle emergency orders and to magistrate inmates. By the end of September the courthouse opened for hearings. By November Judge Criss was qualifying jurors for trials.
- Presided over more than 5000 Hurricane Ike insurance claims.
- Conducted over 1200 minor settlement hearings in pharmaceutical Paxil claims.
- Presided over 4,164 claims arising from British Petroleum plant explosion that occurred March 2005 in Texas City, Texas in Cause No. 05CV0337, Miguel Arenzas vs. BP Amoco Chemical Company, Et Al. All claims were disposed of in three years and five months with only two cases appealing the final outcome.
- Launched the Color of Justice Video Project in Texas. This video features minority judges, lawyers and law students encouraging minority school children to pursue careers in the law and the judiciary
- Created the first court website in Galveston County. The website informs attorneys, law enforcement, witnesses, jurors, the media and the public about court schedules, policies, rules and necessary juror information
- Created a “Court Class for Children” section of the website. This class teaches children about what happens in court and what to do if they become witnesses in a trial
- Launched a program that provides Spanish speaking probationers with written Spanish translations of forms containing probation conditions, rules, terms and other necessary information.
- Founder of the Galveston County Child Advocacy Center, Galveston County Child Abuse and Neglect Task Force and the Galveston County Child Fatality Review Task Force
EMPLOYMENT
- 2015-present Criss & Rousseau, L.L.P.
- 2013-2015 Criss Law Office
- 1999-2013 212th District Court Galveston, Texas District Judge
- 1996-1998 Law Offices of Susan Criss Galveston, Texas
- 1987-1996 Galveston County Criminal District Attorney’s Office
- 1993-1996 Special Prosecutor for Child & Elder Abuse
- 1983-1984 The Office of the Attorney General of Texas Environmental Protection Division
- 1981-1982 University of Texas Assistant Ombudsman Austin, Texas
EDUCATION
- 1986 South Texas College of Law Houston, Texas Doctor of Jurisprudence
- 1983-1984 University of Texas School of Law Austin, Texas
- 1982 University of Texas Austin, Texas Bachelor of Arts in Government
- 1979-1980 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, Texas
- 1979 La Marque High School La Marque, Texas
AWARDS
- 26TH Annual Telly Award winner 2005, along with Stonefilms of Texas, Inc. for “The Color of Justice” video, Executive Producer
- Fred C. Johnson Foundation “People Who Make A Difference” Honoree 2005Gulf Coast National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Honoree for 2003
- State Bar of Texas Honorary Resolution September 2004 for producing The Color of Justice Video
- Outstanding Young Lawyer of Galveston County 1994
- Texas Democratic Women Officeholder of the Year
- Gulf Coast National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Honoree
PROFESIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- Texas Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, 2014 to present
- Harris County Criminal Attorneys Association, 2014 to present
- Galveston County Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, 1998, 2014 to present
- The National Association of Women Judges, Member; 2001 to present
- Galveston County Bar Association, past President; 1996-1997, Member; 1986 to present
- Bell County Bar Association, 2015 to present
- Bell County Women’s Bar Association, 2015 to present
PAST PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- NAWJ Board of Directors, District 11 Director (Texas, Oklahoma & Arkansas) 2010 to2011, 2004 to 2005, Chairperson of Finance Committee, 2011, 2013
- The Gulf Coast Center MHMR Jail Diversion Task Force, Chairperson, 2002 to 2004
- Judicial Section of the Texas State Bar, 1999 to 2103
- Galveston County Community Supervision & Corrections Board, 1999 to 2013
- Galveston County Juvenile Probation Board, 1999 to 2013
- Galveston County Pre-Trial Release Board, 2002 to 2013
- Galveston County Criminal Courts Board, 2002 to 2013
- Galveston County Purchasing Board, 2002 to 2013
- Galveston County Local Law Enforcement Block Grant Advisory Board, 1999
- Galveston County Young Lawyers Association, 1987 to 1997; Secretary, 1992 to 1993
- Galveston County Bar Association Pro Bono Committee, 1995 to 1997
- Texas District and County Attorneys Association, 1987 to 1996
- Galveston County Child Abuse & Neglect Task Force, Founding Member
- Galveston County Child Death Review Task Force, Founding Member, 2004
- NAWJ Board of Directors, District 11 Director (Texas, Oklahoma & Arkansas) 2004 to 2005
- NAWJ Executive Board, Chair of Finance Committee 2011 to 2013
- Trial Judges Legislative Committee, Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas, October 12, 2004, 200
POLITICAL MEMBERSHIPS
- TDP SDEC 11, 2018 to present
- TDP SDEC Finance Committee Chair, 2020 to present
- TDP SDEC Legislative Committee & Campaign Committee
- TDW Parliamentarian
- TDW, as member at large
- Bell County TDW
- Galveston County TDW
- Harris County TDW
- Texas State Tejano Democrats Executive Board
- Harris County Tejano Democrats
- Bay Area New Democrats a.k.a. BAND
- Bay Area Democratic Movement
- Bay Area Democratic Women
- Galveston County Democrats (now Island Democrats)
- Island Democrats
- West Galveston County Democrats (dissolved)
- North Galveston County Democrats (dissolved)
- Neighborhood Democrats (dissolved)
- Galveston County Young Democrats
- North Brazoria County Democrats
- Southern Brazoria County Democrats
- Area 5 Democrats
- Mainland Coalition of Black Democrats
- Coalition of Black Democrats
- University of Texas Young Democrats (name changed since then)
- NAACP Mainland Branch
- League of Women Voters of Galveston County, Historian, 2005, (dissolved)