April Membership Meeting
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Texas Court System
by
Judge Chris Morales
County Court at Law No. 1
Chris Morales was elected as Judge of County Court at Law No. 1 in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and 2022. As Judge, he manages a multitude of cases that impacts the daily life of every citizen in Fort Bend County.
Judge Morales oversees cases involving probate & guardianship, juvenile, civil litigation, eminent domain, misdemeanor and civil mental health commitments. Most importantly, Judge Morales also oversees Fort Bend County’s only Misdemeanor Mental Health Court, a program designed to reduce recidivism rates among criminal defendants with mental illness.
Since taking office, Judge Morales has been instrumental in implementing new technologies in the courtroom that reduce taxpayer costs and ensure the courts evolve with the community’s changing needs. In fact, when the COVID-19 Pandemic closed the courts, Judge Morales’ previous planning and knowledge of virtual conferencing platforms allowed his Court to quickly adopt such technology to conduct remote hearings, reducing the impact on Court operations. Since the pandemic, Judge Morales has prevented County Court at Law No. 1 from experiencing a case backlog by implementing innovative procedures, which are being adopted by Courts’ across the State. Furthermore, Judge Morales has worked with the local bar association to introduce multiple continuing education events for lawyers and has worked closely with the Juvenile Probation Department for the youth of our County.
Judge Morales is a lifelong resident of Fort Bend County, graduating from B.F. Terry High School in Rosenberg and Texas A&M University in College Station. He is married to his high school sweetheart and fellow Texas A&M graduate, Vanessa Morales. Judge Morales and Vanessa have been members at River Pointe Church in Richmond for over 14 years, and have two children, Madelyn and William.
Los Gallitos - Sugar Land
3385 Highway 6 Sugar Land, TX 77478
11:15 a.m. Registration
11:45 a.m. Lunch
12:00 Noon Program