Watkins Elevated to Child Protective Services Associate Judge in the Concho Valley

SAN ANGELO – The presiding judge for Child Protective Services cases in the Tom Green County courthouse is retiring and his replacement was announced Monday. 

According to information from 51st District Judge Carmen Dusek, Elizabeth Watkins has been appointed by the Honorable Dean Rucker, Presiding Judge of the 7th Administrative Judicial Region of Texas to replace the Honorable Gary Banks who is retiring. 

Judge Watkins will preside over Child Protective Services cases filed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in Tom Green and surrounding counties as well as Brown County. 

Watkins earned a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from the South Texas College of Law.  She served as an investigative specialist with the Texas Department of Family Protective Services, as an assistant District Attorney in Anderson County, and in various other legal roles.  Watkins was founder of the Family Recovery Court in Williamson County which is a unique trauma informed approach to Child Protective cases and she collaborated with county commissioners and community members on forward thinking courtroom practices.  

Judge Elizabeth Watkins begins work on March 1, 2022.