The Collin County Observer™

This is part of a series of interviews of those candidates who are running for elected office in Collin County, Texas. The information in this article is based on materials and interviews provided by the candidate. If you would like to be interviewed by the Collin County Observer, please email your request to bill@baumbach.org.

Sharon Ramage, 51, met with me so that I could learn about her and her candidacy. She has been married to her husband, Todd for over twelve years and together they have twin daughters, Sarah and Rachel, who are ten years of age. A resident of Frisco, Texas, she and her family are parishioners at St. Jude’s Catholic Church where she is a Sunday School teacher.

Ramage graduated in 1988, from the University of Texas – Arlington with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She earned her law degree from Baylor School of Law, was on the Law Review Editorial Board, and graduated with high honors in 1992. She has been a licensed attorney in the State of Texas for almost 20 years.

Ramage launched her legal career as a Tarrant County Prosecutor for 5 years where she prosecuted and tried thousands of criminal cases including misdemeanor and felony crimes. For two of those years, Sharon worked in the Crimes Against Children Division where she prosecuted child homicides and sex crimes against minors.

She has been in private practice for 15 years where she practiced in the areas of criminal defense, civil law, and family law. Currently, she provides representation in criminal appellate matters and family law.

Sharon has served as lead counsel in over 100 jury trials and in countless bench trials, contested hearings, and appeals. Most importantly, states Ramage, is her position, which she has held since 2003, as a Special Education Hearing Officer for the State of Texas, presiding as a judge over complex, contested hearings involving public schools and the education of children with disabilities. She is a frequently requested speaker and author at the National Administrative Law Judge conferences on hearing management and evidence.

She has served as a mediator, and this, Ramage believes, is another qualification that contributed to her ability to be a good listener and permits her to be objective when rendering decisions as a judge.

As the owner of an office building, Ramage stated that she also has experience in running a business. She owns an office building and is the president of the association of owners of the office park where her building is located. She understands the day to day needs of effectively and efficiently maintaining the operation of a business. Sharon believes she can apply this experience in managing the day to day operations of the court.

She will follow the law as written and as set forth by the Texas Legislature and the Constitution. Ramage believes it is not the job of a judge to legislate from the bench. She wants each and every citizen to have the opportunity to be heard with respect and objectivity.

Ramage is proud of her endorsements from a range of supporters, including the Texas Home School Association PAC, local attorneys from the civil, family and criminal bar associations, and local business and community leaders.

When asked why she believes she is the best qualified among all the candidates for County Court at Law #2, Sharon finds that although all of the candidates bring some qualifications to the table, she is the best candidate because she:

- has the most experience practicing law as a licensed attorney than all of the other candidates combined;

- is an experienced judicial officer hearing and deciding cases with her 9 years of experience as an Administrative Law Judge;

- has experience in criminal and civil litigation;

- has practiced criminal law for 20 years, prosecuting and defending cases in trial, and prosecuting and defending criminal matters on appeal;

- has the greatest diversity of experience in all areas of the law that are within the jurisdiction of CCL#2; and

- has the ability to be a civil and objective listener to all sides of a controversy.

For more information about Sharon Ramage and her candidacy for CCL#2, please see her website at http://sharonramageforjudge.com/.