Juris Doctor St. Mary’s University School of Law, 1996.
Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, University of Delaware including a semester in Spanish at the Universidad de Madrid a Complutense, 1989.

Daphne Previti Austin | 2026 candidate for Bexar County Court at Law No. 9 - San Antonio Report

Daphne Previti Austin earned a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from the University of Delaware, studied Spanish for a semester at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and earned a law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Meet the judicial candidates in Bexar County's March primary

I cut my teeth in the District Attorney’s Office serving for more than ten years before embarking in private practice. While there, I became board certified in juvenile law in 2002 by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, which involves letters of recommendation and sitting for another bar exam.

Daphne Previti Austin worked in the District Attorney’s Office for more than ten years before entering private practice.

Appointed a Juvenile Law Referee in the 436^{th} District Court in 2010 and elected to the 289^{th} District Court in the 2014 election. Appointed to the Collaborative Council for the Judicial Commission for Mental Health in 2018 serving through 2025.

Daphne was elected to the 289th District Court in 2014.

Daphne serves as a judge on the 289th District Court and was first elected in 2014.

2026 Texas General Election

Worked in the District Attorney’s Office for more than ten years before entering private practice.

Was appointed Juvenile Law Referee in the 436th District Court in 2010.

Was elected to the 289th District Court in the 2014 election.

As a state district court judge, oversees all felony, probate, and civil cases, authorizes naturalization and divorce proceedings, and exercises authority to review and correct the rulings of lower courts.

- As a state district court judge, oversees all felony, probate, and civil cases, authorizes naturalization and divorce proceedings, and exercises authority to review and correct the rulings of lower courts.

Legal Experience

Daphne Previti Austin (R)
I have been practicing criminal law since joining the Center for Legal and Social Justice as a student attorney in 1995 in any and all matters from traffic tickets to capital murder. I’ve worked in the federal and state courts since being licensed in 1997, serving on the Criminal Justice Act panel in federal court, as a prosecutor for Bexar County. I’ve tried more than a hundred of cases as lead counsel. I’ve served as a District Court Judge presiding over a mental health treatment program.
Bail is the incentive for someone to show up to court on their designated day. It should be sufficient to encourage that attendance, but not butdensome.
As in all areas of life, there are a lot of individual outlooks among the people that work in a collective environment. I do not pretend to know all that happens in everyone’s interaction. I believe that there are a lot of fair-minded people working in Bexar County, trying to do their best work. I do believe that those with more financial resources have more favorable options when it comes to the outcome of their case.

2022 Voters Guide (League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area) — 2022 Primary Elections Edition

Credentials

Daphne knows the law. She has practiced law in Texas since the 1990s as a criminal and juvenile defense attorney in state and federal court, prosecutor, Juvenile Law Referee and District Court Judge. None of her rulings have ever been reversed by a higher court. She will listen to the cases before her, apply the facts, follow the law and make appropriate rulings. She earned Board Certification in Juvenile Law in 2002.

elect Daphne Previti austin

I’ve served as a Judge. I tried more than 100 cases to jury verdict in my first few years of practice. I’ve also worked many years as a defense attorney in state and federal court. The judge’s role is to referee ruling on the offerings of the offense and defense.

Said bail should encourage defendants to attend court without being burdensome.

Claims bail should encourage defendants to attend court without being burdensome.

Said she will hear cases, apply the facts, follow the law, and make appropriate rulings.

- Claims bail should encourage defendants to attend court without being burdensome.
- Said she will hear cases, apply the facts, follow the law, and make appropriate rulings.

Judicial Philosophy

When I previously served as an elected Judge, I experimented with restorative justice principles. I requested the Assistant District Attorneys assigned to my court inquire of the victims if they would be interested in having their perpetrator work to make them whole. For example, if a youth spray-painted a fence, would they like to have the youth be the one to restore the fence. In a few cases, they did. Overall, it was not very popular.

I also created and presided over a boys’ mental health court and supervised a girls’ mental health court and a co-ed drug court. There is a lot of room for making positive change in lives for those who’ve made a poor choice.

My top issues

 To protect the safety of our community in which we all live while working through the backlog of cases due to the pandemic. Our citizens deserve to have timely resolution of their legal issues. Crime victims are re-victimized by long waits for justice. Conversely, accused persons are affected by delays to clear their names. Our courts are in a state of disarray. Having already sat on a bench, I have the experience to move the docket without learning on the job.

Experimented with restorative-justice practices by asking prosecutors to determine whether victims wanted offenders to help make them whole.

Created and presided over a boys’ mental health court and supervised girls’ mental health and co-ed drug courts.

Prioritizes timely resolution of legal issues while working through the pandemic-related case backlog.

- Experimented with restorative-justice practices by asking prosecutors to determine whether victims wanted offenders to help make them whole.
- Created and presided over a boys’ mental health court and supervised girls’ mental health and co-ed drug courts.
- Prioritizes timely resolution of legal issues while working through the pandemic-related case backlog.

Judicial Administration

As of July 22, 2026, Daphne Previti Austin’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Ethics & Conduct

She has served as a Deputy Voter Registrar, on her church’s Finance Council, on the Equine Advisory Council for Bexar County Partners for Youth’s CHAPS program, as the President of the AHISD Friends of Strings, on the Stakeholder Leadership Team for UT Teen Health, her children’s sports team parent plus others of which I am unable to elaborate due to limited space.

Participated as a parent in her children’s sports activities.

Served on the Equine Advisory Council for Bexar County Partners for Youth’s CHAPS program.

Served as president of AHISD Friends of Strings.

Served on her church’s Finance Council.

Served on the Stakeholder Leadership Team for UT Teen Health.

- Served on the Equine Advisory Council for Bexar County Partners for Youth’s CHAPS program.
- Served as president of AHISD Friends of Strings.
- Served as a Deputy Voter Registrar.
- Served on her church’s Finance Council.
- Served on the Stakeholder Leadership Team for UT Teen Health.

Community Involvement

Daphne Previti Austin

- Said she will hear cases, apply the facts, follow the law, and make appropriate rulings.

- Prioritizes timely resolution of legal issues while working through the pandemic-related case backlog.

Daphne is an attorney. She has practiced law in Texas since the 1990s as a criminal and juvenile defense attorney, prosecutor, juvenile law referee, and district court judge. She earned board certification in juvenile law in 2002. 

Daphne previously served as a district court judge.

Has experience as a criminal and juvenile defense attorney, prosecutor, juvenile law referee, and district court judge.

Believes in addressing the backlog of cases to ensure timely resolution of legal issues, saying, "Our courts are in a state of disarray."

Served on the Alamo Youth Center Advisory Board and the Advisory Board to Rise Recovery.

Buket Urgen

Isaac Brickman

- Worked in the District Attorney’s Office for more than ten years before entering private practice.
- As a state district court judge, oversees all felony, probate, and civil cases, authorizes naturalization and divorce proceedings, and exercises authority to review and correct the rulings of lower courts.

Jessica A. Gonzalez

- A County Court-At-Law judge handles misdemeanors, such as assault of a family member, property theft between $750 and $2,500, and using force against a law enforcement officer. They also handle civil cases where the amount in question does not exceed $200,000. 
- County Court-At-Law judges conduct arraignments, pre-trial hearings, and jury trials, as well as accept guilty pleas. 
- They are elected in a partisan, county-wide election to a four-year term. 
- Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, at least 25 years old, have been a Texas and county resident for at least 24 consecutive months, a practicing lawyer and/or judge in Texas for at least four years, and registered to vote in that county.
- The annual salary for County Court-At-Law Judges ranges from $174,000 to $244,500, depending on years of service and how much they receive as a county supplement.

Handles civil and criminal cases from District Courts.