Honorable Toria J. Finch
BIOGRAPHY
Judge Toria J. Finch was elected to the bench of Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 9 on November 6, 2018. Judge Finch's platform is focused on restoring Truth, Justice, and Fairness to the Criminal Justice System.
Judge Finch is the youngest child of three siblings, and the proud daughter of the late Pastor Harold W. Finch, Sr. and Dr. Janet M. Finch. She is a first-generation attorney from Nashville, Tennessee. Judge Finch has devoted her life and career to seeking out effective ways to inspire positive change in the lives of individuals and the community. The tenets of Judge Finch's foundation are centered on Faith, Family, and Community. As Judge Finch is blessed to ascend to greater heights in her career and personal pursuits, she never forgets those who have paved the way for her and is purposeful in doing the same for others.
Judge Finch is an Adjunct Professor of Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas; Adjunct Professor in the Paralegal Studies Program at Alvin Community College in Alvin, Texas and a former Adjunct Professor in the Juvenile Law Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas; and current Chairwoman of the Advisory Committee for the Paralegal Studies Program at Alvin Community College in Alvin, Texas.
Judge Finch earned a B.S. in business marketing at Alabama A&M University and became a proud member of the Gamma Mu Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; earned a Paralegal Certificate from the Southeastern Paralegal Institute in Nashville, TN, and earned a J.D. from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.
During Judge Finch's many years of practice, she has accumulated a significant amount of relevant legal experiences in the areas of civil litigation, criminal law, family law, and juvenile law. Judge Finch's work experience in the legal field includes but is not limited to being a former Assistant Juvenile Public Defender with the Travis County Juvenile Public Defender’s Office located in Austin, Texas, where she acquired Board Certification in Juvenile Law awarded by the Texas Board of Legal Specializations; an Assistant District Attorney for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Houston, Texas; and founder of The Finch Law Firm, PLLC in Houston, Texas. While an Assistant District Attorney, she tried various misdemeanor and felony level bench trials and jury trials, and achieved the level of Felony Prosecutor, Juvenile Detention Court Chief and Misdemeanor Court Chief.
Since Judge Finch's successful election, she has been elected by her colleagues to hold several leadership positions within the administrative operations of the Harris County Criminal Courts at Law. Judge Finch has held leadership positions to include but not limited Presiding Judge and Co-Presiding Judge of the Harris County Criminal Courts at Law. On July 1st, 2021, Judge Finch was elected to be the first ever African American female Presiding Judge in the history of the sixteen (16) Harris County Criminal Courts at Law. In addition to her administrative duties as the Presiding Judge, she has been steadfast in ensuring that Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 9 is a "No First Time Conviction Court," unless otherwise required by law. Judge Finch is intentional about seeking opportunities for reform, rehabilitation, and redemption for the people that enter the court to include both defendants and victims of violence. At the forefront of everything that Judge Finch seeks to accomplish, it is always tempered with compassion, integrity, and patience. "Treating people the way that you would want to be treated," is more than cliché, rather a way of life for Judge Finch. Judge Finch’s commitment to the community, compassion for people, her moral and spiritual integrity, her belief in the Constitution and that justice should truly be for all, in conjunction with her legal and analytical abilities make her a true champion for the people. Judge Finch continues to be the right choice for Presiding Judge of Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 9. When you vote for Judge Finch, you vote for Truth, Justice, and Fairness for ALL!
