Governor Abbott Appoints Three To The Specialty Courts Advisory Council

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Carlos Y. Benavides, IV and reappointed Keta Dickerson and Amy Granberry to the Specialty Courts Advisory Council for terms set to expire on February 1, 2025. The council evaluates applications for grant funding for specialty courts from the Governor’s Office and makes funding recommendations to the criminal justice division regarding best practices.

Carlos Y. Benavides, IV of Edinburg is an assistant district attorney for Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office, and serves as the felony prosecutor for the 389th District Court and is concurrently the prosecutor of the Domestic Violence Specialty Court for the County Court at Law 1. He is a member of the Prosecutors’ Leadership Core Committee for the Texas Council on Family Violence and a member of the State Bar of Texas. Benavides received a Bachelor of Arts in English and philosophy from Marymount University and a Juris Doctor degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Keta Dickerson of Richardson is the problem solving courts manager for Dallas County, and previously served as is a juvenile probation officer, pretrial officer, and court coordinator. She is a member of the Texas Association of Specialty Courts and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. Dickerson received a Bachelor of Arts in public administration and affairs from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Dallas.

Amy Granberry of Portland is vice president of Cenikor Foundation. She is the legislative chair of the Association of Substance Abuse Programs and the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce. Granberry received a Bachelor of Science in business and human relations and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree in strategic leadership at Amberton University.