Phil Grant, the First Assistant with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office has won the seat of the 9th Judicial Court. He will replace Judge Kelly Case who did niot seek re-election. He was forced into a run-off with Kate Shipman Bihm. Then last night as over 100 friends and family waited at Ransom’s Steak House in Montgomery the results started to come in. First the early votes in which Grant was ahead by 602 votes. Then very slowly through the night as results came in he remained ahead. Just after 9pm the last box reported and the decision was made that Grant won by 561 votes, with a total of 6,653 votes county wide. District Attorney Bret Ligon who worked with Grant in Harris County under District Attorney Johnny Holmes said he told Grant over 20-years ago that Ligon would be the District Attorney of Montgomery County. H e also said that back then Grant just shook it off as Ligon told him that he would be his First Assistant. Grant believes once in office he will be able to get the 9th District Court back on track. With all the judges working together the delays which have caused a backlog in the court system can fixed which will also help with the over crowding of the Montgomery County Jail. Grant said this will save the tax payers of Montgomery County millions. Currently there is one inmate in the Montgomery County Jail which have been there since August of 2013 and six inmates who were arrested in 2014 that remain in jail awaiting their cases settled in the 9th District Court. Two others await a court date, one in the 410th District Court and another in the 359th District Court.
Grant assumes the bench on January 1, 2017.