On Thursday, February 12, 2026, the Hill Country Community Journal reported that Deborah Perry, a candidate for County Court at Law Judge, faced a resurfaced public reprimand from the State Bar of Texas. The reprimand, initially issued in November 2017 by the Commission for Lawyer Discipline, has emerged as a point of contention in the lead-up to the March 3 Republican Party primary.
The reprimand stems from an agreed judgment in a case heard in the 285th District Court in Bexar County (Cause #2016CI18432). In this case, Perry admitted to failing to properly transfer documents related to a case she was defending. The complaint against Perry was filed by Karen Bunch and her attorney, Randal Nelson, who alleged professional misconduct. The judge in the case affirmed the allegation.
As a result of the judgment, Perry was ordered to pay $3,883.87 to the State Bar of Texas to cover attorney fees and direct expenses. Judge Robb Catalano, who was assigned as the presiding judge, heard the case on November 16, 2017, and found Perry in violation of Texas Rule of Professional Conduct 1.15(b).
According to Perry, the situation arose from a criminal case where she represented a client who became drug-dependent and frequently contacted her at night. Perry stated that she informed the client she could no longer represent her, and the client subsequently hired another attorney. Perry explained that she transferred the case documents to the new attorney, but they were lost after he was evicted from his office.
Perry stated that the former client filed a grievance. Her attorney advised her to settle the grievance when a final trial setting was scheduled, as she had not sent the documents to the new attorney via certified mail. Perry admitted that she wanted to resolve the matter quickly.
Perry also stated that she disclosed the reprimand to the local Republican Candidate Committee during their vetting process. Despite the reprimand, she is listed as their second choice on their voter guide. When questioned about whether she had fully disclosed the details of the reprimand to the committee, Perry stated that she did not remember.
Perry expressed hope that the reprimand would not become an issue, stating that she was not trying to hide it. She emphasized her extensive history in legal practice and noted that this was her only admonishment. Perry welcomed discussion about the case. Perry also confirmed that she remains on the list of local court-appointed attorneys, although she receives fewer appointments due to the establishment of a public defender’s office.
Source: Hill Country Community Journal
