Judge Cathy Penn
Judge Cathy Penn is the Presiding Judge for the City of Rockwall and an Associate Judge for the City of Seagoville municipal courts. As a municipal judge, Judge Penn presides over Class C misdemeanor violations under state law and cases arising under the municipal charter and city ordinances, including presiding over bench trials, jury trials, juvenile matters, and stolen property hearings. The municipal judge also reviews and, where appropriate, issues warrants and summons, and handles magistrate duties at the jail. Previously, Judge Penn was an Assistant Criminal District Attorney in Rockwall County for over 11 years. Judge Penn maintains a private law practice in Rockwall dedicated to adoptions, name changes, and representation of children, youth and parents in child abuse and neglect cases.
Judge Penn holds a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law, where she was a member of the Order of the Lytae honor society, Managing Editor of the Corporate Counsel Review, and recipient of the American Jurisprudence award for Legal Research and Writing. Penn graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance, earning membership in the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society. Currently on the board of the Rockwall County Bar Association, and a former board member and officer for Helping Hands, Penn performs pro bono legal services through Legal Aid of Northwest Texas legal clinics. Judge Penn is a member of the Municipal Judge and Justice of the Peace sections of the Texas State Bar, the Rockwall County Men’s and Women’s Republican Clubs, and the National Association of Counsel for Children. Submitted April, 2011.
