Travis County commissioners voted 4-0 to appoint Dimple Malhotra to preside over the county’s family violence court at an Oct. 8 meeting. Commissioner Jeffrey Travillion abstained.

Malhotra succeeds Judge Mike Denton, who retired Sept. 15 after serving in the position for 20 years. Currently, Malhotra serves as chief prosecutor of the family violence unit at the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. Commissioners considered 13 applicants for the role.

“Everyone impacted by domestic violence, including the accused, deserves a judge who has been in the trenches, who understands the complexity of these cases, who embraces that justice can take many forms, and who can balance passion with the necessary impartiality demanded by fairness,” Malhotra wrote in her application for the job.

Malhotra will serve until a successor is elected in the November 2020 cycle.