Employee Spotlight- Deniece Asberry-Hughes
Posted By: Marsha Bills
Criminal Court Clerks’ Excellence Reflects
Dedication, Knowledge of Deniece Asberry-Hughes
For almost two decades, Deniece Asberry-Hughes has been teaching clerks in the District Criminal Courts how to do their jobs. But she passes along more than technical knowledge: She shares wisdom about life and the people the courts serve after observing hundreds of families whose lives have been torn apart by tragic circumstances. During her 19 years in the District Clerk’s office, she has risen from a court clerk to chief clerk and then to the position of Criminal Court Trainer, which she holds today. Prior to joining the District Clerk’s office, Deniece served in the Dallas County Sheriff’s office for five years.
“One of the greatest rewards of my job is becoming knowledgeable about the law in general and criminal law specifically,” says Deniece. “I take great pleasure in being at the center of where the criminal justice system is at work every day. I love meeting new people and it is very gratifying to me to know that I can help people by just being kind to them as they approach the counter for service or simply by speaking to customers and colleagues as we meet.”
“Every workplace involves certain challenges that come with each job,” adds Deniece. “In addition to those challenges, it is difficult sometimes to see first-hand how crimes such as theft and drugs affect the persons involved, including their families. I find myself privately sympathizing with them in their pain, especially those who lose loved ones, realizing that no sentence rendered from either judge or jury will take away their pain or bring back their loved one,” comments Deniece. “I also have learned that in the completion of the criminal law process, there are no winners: criminals, even though they may be guilty, lose their freedom and victims lose their most prized possession, their sense of well-being.”
But Deniece says there are positive effects of her job because it makes her enjoy her own happiness and treasure all the good times in her life. Born and raised in Dallas, Deniece graduated from DISD’s Business and Management Center High School. For her, two of the most important events in her life have been her marriage in 2000, in which she gained a step son, and witnessing the election of the nation’s first African-American President. With a healthy perspective on her own blessings, she is surrounded by many beloved children in her extended family and two special Labrador Retrievers, Lady and Rusty.