There is a clear choice in the Democratic primary for the 194th District Court in Dallas County.
Peggy Hoffman, 58, has presided with distinction over County Criminal Court No. 9, a misdemeanor court, since 2007. She has the experience, compassion and temperament to assume the felony bench being vacated by state District Judge Ernest White. Voters should choose her over criminal defense lawyer Desmond Cooks, 46, and former family court judge Kim Cooks, 53.
Even before being elected in Dallas County, Hoffman had a strong background as a criminal lawyer. She was a Dallas County prosecutor for nearly three years and a prosecutor in Kings County, N.Y., which includes Brooklyn, for seven years. She also worked as a defense lawyer in Dallas for four years, and is certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Hoffman has routinely earned high marks in the Dallas Bar Association’s evaluations of judicial performance. In our interview with all three candidates, she said she specifically ran for the misdemeanor bench because she wanted to work with first-time offenders to help them “hopefully leave the criminal justice system.” In 2008, she helped secure a $350,000 federal grant to launch a specialty diversion court offering drug rehabilitation, temporary housing and job training to some defendants charged with prostitution.
Opinion
Kim Cooks has served as a visiting district judge in North Texas counties since losing her re-election bid for the 255th District Court in the 2022 Democratic primary. This editorial board did not recommend her in an appellate court race in 2024, citing low approval ratings in the bar poll and a 2018 public warning by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. We reiterate our concerns.
U.S. Navy veteran and criminal defense attorney Desmond Cooks has a laudable record of public service. He is a former Dallas assistant city attorney and serves as associate municipal judge, a part-time post. But his experience does not approach Hoffman’s.
This editorial is part of the Dallas Morning News Editorial Board’s slate of recommendations for the 2026 primary. Find the full project here.
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