As one approaches the Frank Crowley Courts Building, it is impossible not to be struck by the distance, symbolic or otherwise, to be traveled to obtain justice in the criminal system. Step by step, as one climbs the 40 steps to the front doors, you begin to notice more and more people as a mass of humanity, their lawyers, court personnel, and the judges enter the structure, all seeking a just and fair resolution of their problems. Riding the escalators from the lobby to the fifth floor slowly takes us closer to Criminal District Court where Judge Manny Alvarez dispenses justice on a daily basis. Let’s take a peek at the proceedings on this particular morning.

A young 22-year old prisoner having just returned from the penitentiary pursuant to the "shock probation" program is receiving a stern but compassionate lecture from Judge Alvarez:

"The penitentiary was no fun, was it young man?"

"No, sir. There was no sleep, no peace, and I was continually having to watch my back."

"Well, you’re about to go on probation, but I am going to hammer you if you do drugs while on probation. I won’t take any excuses. Do you have any questions?"

"No, sir."

"You need to get a job as quickly as possible. I want you reporting here every Friday until you have found work. Do you understand? In addition, you need to get your G.E.D. I want you to report when you have obtained your G.E.D. Any questions?"

The young prisoner leaves, hopefully never to return for probation violation, for although Judge Alvarez’s judicial philosophy includes providing a second chance whenever possible, he will not hesitate to imprison those who refuse to take advantage of the opportunity.

Moving into Judge Alvarez’s office for the interview, we catch a glimpse of other sides of the judge’s personality. There we find an office with a few of the antique watches he collects and restores, a replica of the 1963 Thunderbird which he and a friend have restored to mint condition, several glass encased baseballs and boxing photographs demonstrating his interest in those sports, and a bright turquoise Elvis lamp. (Unfortunately he didn’t turn his back or your mild mannered reporter who would have been tempted to escape with the lamp.) Also scattered throughout the office are several family photographs of his wife, Betty, and their 3-year old son, Nicholas "Nino" Alvarez. Judge Alvarez is fond of saying, "the apple does not fall far from the tree," which probably explains the work ethic that has served him well from his days growing up in Florida to the present where he not only serves as a Judge, but teaches evening classes on criminal justice at El Centro Community College. Judge Alvarez’s father was a career employee for the Department of Revenue with the State of Florida, but was also a CPA who did tax work at night. His mother was a homemaker charged with raising him and his sister. At age 13, he had to obtain a special work permit to begin his first job as a stocker in a local shoe store. He rose from that position to manager of the shoe store. Then he entered the University of Florida and continued his work as a store manager while he obtained his education. He moved to Houston to attend South Texas College of Law, while at the same time teaching math in the Houston Independent School District. Following his graduation from law school, he entered the practice of law, specializing in real estate and oil and gas.

The corporate practice of law was not what Judge Alvarez envisioned for his career as a lawyer. Having been inspired by his father to be a lawyer by spending his summers in a Florida courthouse watching criminal trials, he approached Henry Wade in 1985 and told him he wanted out of the corporate legal business to become a trial lawyer. Taking a substantial reduction in pay, he worked his way through the District Attorney’s office, prosecuting every type of case imaginable. In 1989, he entered private practice as a criminal defense attorney where he remained until his appointment to the bench in 1995. By becoming a judge, he was not only fulfilling a dream of his, but a dream of his father’s.

The measure of this Criminal District Judge is best shown as he reflects on some of his experiences since taking the bench. His funniest case involved a man who violated probation by leaving Texas to gamble on a Mississippi riverboat. The probationer turned $15 into $175,000 in less than 30 minutes, becoming an instant celebrity and having himself photographed for posterity with all of his winnings! Unfortunately, the probationer fell in love with a less than honorable waitress on the riverboat who promised to hold his money for him if he would take $1,000 and return to Texas to clear his criminal record. Well, you can imagine what happened. The probationer returned to Dallas on a bus with his $1,000, the waitress filed criminal charges against him for harassment and he returned to Judge Alvarez’s court to be returned to the penitentiary with less than a $1,000 to his name.

The toughest cases for Judge Alvarez to preside over and manage were the infamous Michael Irvin cases and the American Airlines ticket scam case, along with the recent Dorsey trial regarding the famed Blockbuster murders, which resulted in a hung jury. The Dorsey case was particularly tough for Judge Alvarez as the murders were captured on videotape and the families of the two young men killed will be forced to watch the videotapes again when the case is retried.

Judge Alvarez’s hardest decision involved the sentencing of a 17-year old girl to the penitentiary for 10 years because of repeated drug use probation violations. This young lady was the daughter of two good parents who were professionals, yet she had fallen into a lifestyle of gangs and drugs and was unable to turn her life around in spite of having been given a second chance. As Judge Alvarez stated, his judicial philosophy is to make every attempt to be consistent and fair, to find people who deserve a second chance and give it to them, but to never hesitate to severely punish when warranted.

In addition to his work as a Judge, teaching at El Centro, being a dedicated husband to his wife Betty, and father to his son, Nino, Judge Alvarez has found time to involve himself in the community, especially in activities involving young people where he works trying to prevent them from ever entering the criminal justice system. Specifically, he is an active member of the Board of Directors of the Curtis Cokes Foundation, which provides young kids the opportunity to discipline themselves through amateur boxing and the Golden Gloves program. Judge Alvarez is not merely a board member in name, but actually works out in the Curtis Cokes gym and helps with training the participants.

In summary, perhaps the true profile of this energetic, dedicated judge is best revealed by those who he would invite to his fantasy dinner: his father, Abraham Lincoln, Francis Ford Coppola, Dizzy Dean, and his grandmother Rose.