10/20/2026
My name is Steve Rogers, and I am your Judge of the 268th District Court.
I am a native Houstonian. I grew up in the shadow of the refineries in Pasadena and lived in neighborhoods across the west side of Houston, from the Galleria to the Beltway. As a kid, I remember driving to the beach in Corpus Christi, passing through the wide-open spaces that would one day become the thriving communities of Stafford, Sugar Land, Richmond, and Rosenberg.
Fort Bend County is my home. After a successful career in computers and insurance, I went to law school and spent the next twenty years practicing law, primarily in real estate and taxation. Along the way, I also practiced criminal law and eventually became a prosecutor. In fact, it was the judge in my courtroom, who first encouraged me to put my name on the ballot and make a difference. Until then, I was simply living my life. I worked long hours, shopped at H-E-B, attended and volunteered at church, and enjoyed time with my family and friends.
But over time, something began to change. I found myself increasingly uneasy about letting my children play outside. I started hearing about home invasions in my own neighborhood. Small business owners were being followed home and attacked because criminals assumed they were carrying large amounts of cash.
Crime was becoming a serious problem, and I was tired of watching it happen. I became active in local politics because I wanted a better Fort Bend County and a safer Texas for my children and yours. But I soon realized there was only so much I could accomplish as a private citizen.
So, despite being a painfully introverted person, I put my name on the ballot in 2022 and ran for Judge of the 268th District Court.
I ran on a simple promise: Follow the law. Follow the Constitution.
And with the support of Fort Bend County voters, I won.
My court handles some of the most serious crimes imaginable: murder, r**e, kidnapping, child sexual assault, and burglary. Since taking the bench, I have presided over 36 sexual assault cases, many involving very young girls, some as young as five years old.
What I discovered when I took office shocked me. Some of these cases had been sitting unresolved for years. Children who had suffered unimaginable crimes were growing into adulthood without receiving justice. Victims and their families were left waiting while their cases remained on the docket.
That was unacceptable to me. We got to work clearing the backlog and moving those cases toward resolution. These are difficult cases to hear, and they take an emotional and physical toll. But the victims deserve a court willing to do the hard work necessary to deliver justice.
Of course, my courtroom is not limited to criminal matters. I also preside over civil cases involving contracts, taxes, real estate, negligence, and other disputes that affect the everyday lives of Fort Bend County residents.
Over time, I began hearing that my reputation in the courtroom was becoming well known, and that criminal defendants were asking one another: "You're not in the 268th, are you? You don't have Judge Rogers, do you?" That told me something important. Criminal defendants knew what to expect in my courtroom: a judge who takes the law seriously and holds people accountable.
I am proud of the work we have accomplished, and I am proud that crime in Fort Bend County has declined since 2022. I believe a court that takes criminal cases seriously has an important role to play in keeping our communities safe.
But being tough on crime is only part of the job. Justice also requires efficiency, fairness, and a commitment to ensuring that cases do not languish in the system.
One of my most frequently used phrases in court is simple: "Let's Get to Work." And that is exactly what we have done.
Today, my court has achieved a 93% clearance rate, placing it among the top-performing courts. In 2022, before I took office, the 268th District Court resolved 984 civil cases. Since I took the bench in January 2023, my court has resolved 5,154 civil cases through August 31, 2026.
In 2025 alone, we resolved approximately 64% more civil cases than in 2022. And through the first eight months of 2026, we had already resolved another 1,420 civil cases.
Those numbers represent more than statistics. They represent real people, families, businesses, and neighbors who came to court seeking a resolution and deserved to have their cases heard.
We have made tremendous progress in clearing backlogs, managing a growing caseload, and making our court more efficient. But there is still work to be done.
In my first term, I have accomplished more than I expected in addressing some of the problems within our justice system. Yet I also know that meaningful improvements take time, persistence, and a willingness to challenge the way things have always been done.
And I am not finished.
I am running for reelection in 2026 because there are still victims waiting for justice, defendants entitled to fair and timely proceedings, and families and businesses who deserve a court that works for them.
My commitment to you remains the same: to operate a court that is efficient, fair, responsive, and accountable to the people it serves.
The goal is not simply to close more cases. It is to deliver fair, thoughtful, and timely justice while meeting the demands of a rapidly growing Fort Bend County.
I am asking for your support and your vote so we can continue the work we started.
Experience matters. Accountability matters. Results matter.
Steve Rogers
Judge, 268th District Court
https://steverogers.com
