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State Level Judicial Candidates Texas Court of Appeals District
Presiding Judge Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 1
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2
Okey Anyiam (Mr. IheanyiI Okechukwu Amyiam) for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3
Education
Profession Criminal Defense Law, 28 years, Dallas
Source: https://texasjudges.org/2026-races/court-of-criminal-appeals-place-3/
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3
Judge Audra Riley for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4
Education
Profession The Honorable Audra Riley is the Presiding Judge for Criminal District Court No. 3 in Dallas, Texas. I look forward to continuing to bring justice, integrity, and a strong work ethic to the bench!
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott 2021
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8
Holly Eileen Taylor for Judge Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9
Education
Profession She is a criminal defense attorney who spent over 17 years as a prosecutor.
is a lawyer in Austin, Texas licensed to practice in Texas by the State Bar of Texas. The license date is on November 3, 1995. The lawyer's employer is Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (Government Lawyer). The practice location is at Austin, Texas. The practice areas include Criminal, Appellate: Criminal. The lawyer was graduated from University of Texas. The current status of the lawyer is Eligible to Practice in Texas. She has no public disciplinary history.
She recently served as the Director of the Public Integrity and Complex Crimes Division of the Travis County District Attorney's Office, which included the Public Integrity Unit, White Collar Crime Unit, Appeals and Complex Litigation Support Team, Insurance Fraud Teams, Disclosures Unit, Open Records Unit, and Wage Theft Team. She served on the office’s Senior Leadership Team. She previously served as Assistant Director for Post-Conviction Matters and Complex Litigation Support in the Civil Rights Division. In this position, Holly worked in a supervisory capacity with the Office’s Appeals Team, the Civil Rights Unit, and the Conviction Integrity Unit, which seeks to remedy wrongful convictions. Holly also led the Office’s Appeals Team and served as an attorney in the Public Integrity Unit working to prosecute fraud and corruption impacting government agencies.Previously, Holly served as a staff attorney and as the Rules Attorney for the CCA and is a member of the Court’s Rules Committee. From 2018-2020, Holly taught an advanced legal writing class as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law. Holly received her BA from Rice University in Houston. She earned her two graduate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin: a law degree and a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Holly is Board Certified in Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She has been admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court. She co-chairs the Austin Bar Association’s CLE Committee which plans and presents free training events for the local bar, and serves on other bar committees. Holly has authored articles on diverse criminal justice topics including domestic violence and the juvenile justice system, jury unanimity, recent legislative changes to criminal laws, and the Rules of Appellate Procedure. She has been invited to present at several continuing legal education events, including the Robert O. Dawson Conference on Criminal Appeals, the Texas State Bar’s Advanced Criminal Law Course, the Center for American and International Law’s Criminal Writs & Habeas Training, and the Texas District and County Attorney Association’s Advanced Appellate Advocacy Course.
"I have seen how the criminal justice system can fail us. I will bring an independent voice to the Court of Criminal Appeals to ensure that cases receive a fair and thorough review. I am passionate about upholding the Constitution and the Rule of Law, and treating everyone with dignity and humanity."
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9
Court of Criminal Appeals
This is one court with nine justices. It is the final appellate jurisdiction in criminal cases. The court may choose whether or not to review a case. The only cases that the court must hear are those that involve sentencing decisions in capital punishment cases and other cases involving liberty issues, such capital punishment cases, cases where bail has been denied and habeas cases where a person being detained attempts to prove some constitutional right has been violated as a result of their detention. The court is based in the state capital, Austin. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals hears both mandatory and discretionary cases. "All cases that result in the death penalty are automatically directed to the Court of Criminal Appeals from the trial court level. A significant portion of the Court’s workload also involves the mandatory review of applications for post-conviction habeas corpus relief in felony cases without a death penalty, over which the Court has sole authority. In addition, decisions made by the intermediate courts of appeals in criminal cases may be appealed to the Court of Criminal Appeals by petition for discretionary review, which may be filed by the State, the defendant, or both. However, the Court may also review a decision on its own motion."Article V of the Texas Constitution vests the judicial power of the state in the court, describes the court's jurisdiction. It also details the rules for judicial eligibility, elections, and filling vacancies on the court between elections.
Judicial Selection
The court is composed of a presiding judge and eight judges. Each judge serves a six-year term. They are elected in staggered partisan elections. In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement who must be confirmed by the Texas Senate. The appointee serves until the next general election, in which he or she may compete to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to remain on the court until their terms expire.
Qualifications
To serve on any of the appellate courts, a judge must be:
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a U.S. citizen
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a resident of Texas
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licensed to practice law in the state
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between the ages of 35 and 75
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a practicing lawyer and/or judge for at least 10 years
Salary
$192,500
Jurisdiction:
Statewide
Source: https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Court_of_Criminal_Appeals
Court of Appeals Districts
The 14 courts of appeals have intermediate appellate jurisdiction in both civil and criminal cases appealed from district or county courts. Each court of appeals has jurisdiction in a specific geographical region of the state. Each court is presided over by a chief justice and has at least two other justices. The specific number of justices on each court is set by statute and ranges from three to 13. Presently there are 80 justices authorized for these courts. Appeals in the courts of appeals are usually heard by a panel of three justices, unless an en banc hearing is ordered in a particular case, in which instance all the justices of a court hear and consider the case.
Justices
of the Texas Court of Appeals are selected in district level partisan elections. The elected justices serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court.
Qualifications
To serve on the Texas Court of Appeals, a justice must be:
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a U.S. citizen;
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a resident of Texas;
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licensed to practice law in the state;
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between the ages of 35 and 75;
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a practicing lawyer and/or judge for at least 10 years.
Chief justice
The chief justice of each district court is selected by voters at large. He or she serves in that capacity for a full six-year term.
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement who must be confirmed by the Texas Senate. The appointee serves until the next general election, in which he or she may compete to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Salary
$205,975
Sources: https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1436367/1-counties-in-each-district-2005.pdf; https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Third_District_Court_of_Appeals
1st Court of Appeals - Houston
Jurisdiction: Austin, Colorado, Grimes, Washington, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris, Chambers, Galveston, and Waller
Place 3 Justice Veronica Rivas-Molloy (IN)
University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Spanish. J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. She served as an Articles Editor for the Houston Law Review and graduated with honors. Justice Rivas-Molloy was the first family member to get a college degree and first to become a lawyer. After law school, she worked as a law clerk for the Honorable Ewing Werlein, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, where I had the opportunity to work on a variety of civil and criminal matters, gaining invaluable experience as a young attorney. She was exposed to many areas of the law, and more importantly, to rigorous legal analysis, extensive brief writing, and the ability to understand the inner workings of a courtroom and the importance of the rule of law to our democracy. Following my clerkship, she worked at the law firm of Baker Botts, LLP, where she continued to work on various litigation matters helping further refine my analytical, oral, and written advocacy skills. The practice was varied giving her the opportunity to work with individuals, and domestic and international clients across different industries handling small to large-scale matters. During this time at Baker Botts, she also served as a volunteer prosecutor for the City of Houston, where she tried numerous administrative and criminal misdemeanor cases to the jury on a first-chair basis. For the last 10 years, she has worked at the law firm of Jones Walker, LLP advocating for clients and representing them in litigation and appellate matters across various industries. Her experience is extensive, and it has prepared her well for the judicial position.
Place 4 Justice Julie Countiss (IN)
was elected to the First Court of Appeals in 2018. She received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from University of Houston School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University. She has practiced law–primarily civil litigation–for seventeen years and served as an assistant county attorney in Harris County prior to assuming the bench. She taught public school in the South Bronx, NYC as a Teach for America Corps member and continued teaching for two more years in Alief ISD upon her return to Texas.On May 28, 2019, Justice Countiss was appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas to serve on the Children’s Commission–a judicial commission for children, youth and families in Texas. She also serves as a judicial liaison to the Houston Bar Association’s Appellate Section and is a member of the National Association of Women Judges and the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/1stcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-julie-countiss/
Place 4
Appointed by Governor Abbott 2024
Place 5 Justice Amparo "Amy" Guerra
graduated with distinction from St. George's School in Newport, Rhode Island. Justice Guerra graduated from Rice University, where she was on the President’s Honor Roll, with a double major in Latin American Studies and Sociology. She obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center, which awarded her a Dean’s Merit Scholarship, and two Public Interest Fellowships: one to work with Texas Rural Legal Aid, and the other with Farmworker Legal Services in Michigan. Justice Guerra interned with and clerked for United States District Judge Filemón Vela in the Southern District of Texas. Justice Guerra is multilingual. She received a Superior Certification in Commercial and Legal Spanish from the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, and she speaks Portuguese and Italian. Justice Amparo Monique Guerra was elected to the Texas First Court of Appeals in 2020, bringing her record of academic and professional excellence, as well as her diverse background, to the bench. She previously served as an Associate Municipal Judge for the City of Houston while practicing law full time. She was the youngest sitting judge on that court when she was originally appointed in 2005 at age 28. Justice Guerra was named a Texas Super Lawyer and has nearly 20 years’ experience handling complex civil cases, from start to finish, in state and federal, trial and appellate courts throughout Texas and other states. She represented all types of clients, from individuals and families, to businesses of all sizes: from sole proprietorships and small and mid-size companies, to some of the largest corporations in the world. She worked in law firms of various sizes, including small, mid-size, and large, ultimately becoming the first Hispanic partner at her national law firm.
Source: https://veronicaforjustice.com
2nd Court of Appeals - Fort Worth
Jurisdiction:
Archer, Denton, Montague, Wichita, Clay, Hood, Parker, Wise, Cooke, Jack, Tarrant, Young
Place 1 Chief Justice
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2015
Place 2
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2019.
Place 3
Place 4
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2010
Place 5
Place 6
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 7
3rd Court of Appeals - Austin
Jurisdiction:
Bastrop, Comal, Lee, San Saba, Bell, Concho, Llano, Schleicher, Blanco, Fayette, McCulloch, Sterling, Burnet, Hays, Milam, Tom Green, Caldwell, Irion, Mills, Travis, Coke, Lampasas, Runnels, and Williamson
Place 1 Chief Justice Darlene Byrne (I)
Her current term ends on December 31, 2026. Byrne received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center where she graduated magna cum laude and was a member of the law review’s editorial board and an Order of the Coif member.Justice Darlene Byrne served for 20 years as the presiding judge of the 126th Judicial District Court in Travis County. She was a general jurisdiction trial judge presiding over civil matters, but her passion was serving as the presiding judge over all the foster children in Travis County for 17 of her 20 years of service to the trial bench. In that role, she received not only local recognition for her work serving foster children and their families, but also statewide and national recognition for her court improvement work in this area. Justice Byrne is the founding judge of the Travis County Family Drug Treatment Court and the Travis County Model Court of Children, Youth and Families. She also pioneered the development of a Dual Status Youth docket, serving youth that were in the child welfare court and the juvenile justice court simultaneously. These programs have been serving and continues to serve children and families in the Travis County District Courts for over a decade resulting in better outcomes for these children and families. She was appointed by the Texas Supreme Court to serve as the first Vice Chair of the Texas Children’s Commission and continues to serve as a Commissioner. She is a past President of the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges and a past Judge of the Year of National CASA, Texas CASA and CASA of Travis County. She is a past recipient of the many local, statewide and national awards due to her work in the area of child welfare, such as awards from the State of Texas’ Child Protection Roundtable, Foster Angels, Seedling Foundation, Texas Appleseed, University of Houston Law Center, Any Baby Can, Travis County Women’s Lawyers Association, Austin Child Guidance Center and the YMCA of Greater Austin. Justice Byrne currently serves as co-chair of the Judicial Council for National CASA, is an Advisory Council member for TexProtects, Partnerships for Children, Carrying Hope and the Seedling Foundation. She is the Chair of the Texas Statewide Collaborative for Trauma Informed Care, on the Editorial Review Board for NCJFCJ’s Juvenile and Family Court Journal and on the Advisory Committee for the national #WeToo project for Courts. She speaks locally, statewide, and nationally on many legal issues, but primarily on the children and families whose lives are impacted by the court system. Prior to her election in 2000, she practiced for thirteen years in the areas of employment, commercial and governmental entity litigation.
Source:https://www.txcourts.gov/3rdcoa/about-the-court/justices/chief-justice-darlene-byrne/
Place 2 Justice Maggie Ellis
Maggie Ellis is running for Chief Justice Texas Supreme Court Place 1
Education Associate of Arts degree in Spanish from Austin Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Applied Learning and Development from the University of Texas at Austin (Hook 'em!), and a Juris Doctor from Baylor Law School. She spent sixteen years earning her first degree. After that, she spent time as a teacher at public school, became a foster mom, and helped families access justice long before she ever earned a law license.
Profession is a judge for Place 2 of the Texas Third District Court of Appeals. She assumed office on January 1, 2025. Her current term ends on December 31, 2030. Elect Justice Maggie Ellis to be first Female Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Over more than fifteen years, Maggie has served as an administrative law judge, a prosecutor, and a trial attorney representing families, children, business owners, and individuals facing civil, family, juvenile, and criminal court matters.Her legal work isn’t abstract. It’s real. She knows that behind every case file is a life, a family, someone trying to hold on. Maggie brings fairness, seriousness, and humanity to every courtroom she enters. Board Certified in Juvenile Law and a Certified Specialist in Child Welfare Law through the National Association of Counsel for Children. Maggie has volunteered with Meals on Wheels, Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Helping Hand Home, and she worked in public education through Leander ISD. She’s also mentored youth, taught English and Spanish, supported families, and volunteered her legal skills through pro-bono clinics and child-welfare advocacy. Maggie has been recognized and awarded for her work providing pro bono and volunteer legal services, including receiving the Hays County Bar Association's Pro Bono Hero award. She has provided legal assistance and volunteered through Volunteer Legal Services, Hays County Pro Bono Clinic, Raices, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, Travis County Child Welfare Board, the Supreme Court Children's Commission Child Welfare and Juvenile Law work groups, and she currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the State Bar Juvenile Law Section Board.
Sources: https://www.maggieforjustice.com/about;
https://www.txcourts.gov/3rdcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-maggie-ellis/
Place 3 Justice Chari Kelly
Justice Chari Kelly is running for Texas Supreme Court Place 2
Education B.A. in political science and criminology from the University of Florida in 1999 and a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2002.
Profession is a judge for Place 3 of the Texas Third District Court of Appeals. She assumed office on January 1, 2019. Her current term ends on December 31, 2030. Kelly served in the United States Army from 2003 to 2007. She reached the rank of captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps at Fort Hood. Career experience includes working as an assistant district attorney for both Comal and Travis Counties, an adjunct professor with the University of Texas School of Law, and a research attorney and law clerk at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. In 2018, Kelly was named the prosecutor of the year in Travis County by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Justice Kelly has been a committed defender of the Constitution—ensuring fair trials and upholding justice. She has ruled on a diverse range of cases, including those related to COVID-19, environmental concerns, and criminal justice reform, among others. Justice Kelly has earned a reputation for her impartial and just rulings and for fearlessly applying the rule of law. She serves as a driving force for positive change and has paved the way for more Democratic women to rise to positions of leadership, both in the judiciary and in the communities served by the 3rd Court. Chari is a former president of the Austin Bar Association and of the Austin Young Lawyers Association. She was named the 2023 Mentor of the Year at both the local and state level for her mentorship of young lawyers trying to find their way in the legal profession. And she was named a 2022 Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association Trailblazer for the work she has done throughout her career to advance opportunities for women in the legal profession. She created and supported fundraisers for unhoused and low-income women in need of legal, social, and medical services. Chari is a longtime member of the Robert W. Calvert American Inn of Court, which provides training and mentoring to attorneys of all ages. She has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law for nearly 20 years.
Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Judicial Administration and Criminal Law.
Sources: https://charikelly.com/meet-chari/
Place 4 Justice Rosa Theofanis (IN)
Justice Theofanis received her bachelor's degree with a concentration in Comparative Literature from Brown University, where she was a Rose Writing Fellow and spent her junior year studying at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain. Justice Theofanis attended the University of Texas School of Law, where she was awarded an Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law and interned in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Working with lawyers from legal systems around the globe gave Justice Theofanis a grounding in fundamental precepts of law that continues to inform her career. Prior to being elected to Texas’ Third Court of Appeals in 2022, Rosa Theofanis served as an Assistant District Attorney for Travis County, including ten years in the appellate division. There, she represented the State of Texas in appeals of convictions for felony and juvenile offenses committed in Travis County, as well as in appeals of civil suits affecting parental rights, original proceedings, and post-conviction matters. Justice Theofanis began her career in public service as an Assistant County Attorney for Travis County, and subsequently worked for a non-profit agency in Washington, D.C. providing civil legal services to survivors of domestic violence. Justice Theofanis has prosecuted more than twenty jury trials with successful verdicts in both criminal and civil cases. She has handled appeals before nine of Texas' intermediate courts of appeals and has presented oral argument in the courts of appeals, the Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Justice Theofanis is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and in the United States Supreme Court. Justice Theofanis attended the University of Texas School of Law, where she was awarded an Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law and interned in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Working with lawyers from legal systems around the globe gave Justice Theofanis a grounding in fundamental precepts of law that continues to inform her career. Justice Theofanis has served as an adjunct professor, teaching a course on legal writing at the University of Texas School of Law for three years. She has presented at professional conferences, including the Dawson Conference on Criminal Appeals.
Source: https://rosaforjustice.com
Place 5 Judge Karin Crump
is a judge of the Texas 250th District Court. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas, and her J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law. Crump was an attorney focused on dispute resolution prior to becoming a judge. A recognized leader, Judge Karin Crump has been honored by the State Bar of Texas for fostering collaboration within the legal community, appointed to the Editorial Board of the State Bar Litigation Section’s official publication, and is dedicated to diversifying the legal profession as a mentor and the judicial liaison for the Youth Justice Alliance. Her call to service has been just as broad: President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, Board of Directors for the Texas Bar Foundation, Chair of a Texas Supreme Court Task Force to expand the delivery of legal services, and co-founder of the Austin Bar/AYLA Leadership Academy, which now has hundreds of graduates. Judge Crump is currently President of the Texas Association of District Judges. Judge Crump’s legal career has spanned the gamut: criminal law, complex civil litigation, family law, and dispute resolution, all while being recognized for her commitment to pro bono services. In 2014, she was elected to the bench, where she has since presided over the 250th District Court in Travis County.
Awards
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Outstanding Young Lawyer of Dallas
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Best Lawyers in Dallas Under 40, D Magazine
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Texas Super Lawyer - Rising Star in Litigation and Alternate Dispute Resolution, Texas Monthly Magazine (7 times)
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Outstanding Mentor of the Year, Austin Young Lawyers Association
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Pathfinder, Travis County Women Lawyers Association
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Pro Bono Award
Associations
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Past president, Texas Young Lawyers Association
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Past member, State Bar of Texas Board of Directors Executive Committee
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Past member, Texas Bar Journal Board of Editors
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Past chair, Supreme Court’s Task Force to Expand Legal Service Delivery
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Past president, Grandview Hills PTA
Sources: https://ballotpedia.org/Karin_Crump, https://www.judgekarincrump.com/?fbclid=IwAR0MQUjtHXdxlA2TcHtOLMwFxZu3D-ZfAfG1o5S_HLyZNUyYDZCBwAVi8tU
Place 6
Justice Gisela D. Triana for Texas Supreme Court Place 8
Education Triana earned a B.A. from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1985 and a J.D. from the University of Texas Law School in 1988. Triana’s career experience includes working as Trial Division director with the Travis County Attorney’s Office and as staff attorney with the Texas Secretary of State’s Election Division.
Profession is a Judge for Place 6 of the Texas Third District Court of Appeals. She assumed office on January 1, 2019. Her current term ends on December 31, 2030.
Prior to being elected to the Texas Third Court of Appeals in 2018, Justice Gisela D. Triana had served on every level of Texas trial courts. She comes to the Third Court with over 23 years of experience on a trial bench, in both criminal and civil courts. Most recently, Justice Triana served for 14 years as the 200th District Court Judge, presiding over hundreds of cases involving complex civil cases. Before that, Justice Triana served as a Travis County Court at Law Judge. In that Court of criminal jurisdiction, she is recognized for stabilizing the Court’s docket and disposing of a massive backlog. Justice Triana has also served as a City of Austin Municipal Court Judge and as a Travis County Justice of the Peace. Justice Triana began her legal career as a prosecutor in the Travis County Attorney’s Office, where her work included representing victims of domestic violence and later served as the Director of the Trial Division in that office. Justice Triana also served as a Staff Attorney in the Texas Secretary of State’s Election Division and ran her own private law firm, Hanko & Triana, focusing on criminal and family law. Justice Triana’s service to our community also extends beyond her years of work on the bench. She has participated in Austin Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts, Volunteer Legal Services, Legal Line, the Pro-Bono College, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, the Children’s Justice Act Task Force, Travis County Juvenile Board, Travis County Child Protective Services Board, Austin Recovery, and Chaired Middle Earth (helping homeless youth in Travis County). In 1985, Justice Triana graduated magna cum laude from The University of Texas at San Antonio. She graduated in 1988 from The University of Texas School of Law and has conducted training sessions for judges all over Texas on legal matters such as emergency protective orders, arraignment, magistration, and legal procedures. She has been a faculty member of The University of Texas International Office’s U.S. Law Program, which instructs foreign judges and lawyers on United States Law.
Sources: https://www.txcourts.gov/3rdcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-gisela-d-triana/
4th Court of Appeals - San Antonio
Jurisdiction:
Atascosa, Gillespie, Kinney, Starr, Bandera, Guadalupe, La Salle Sutton, Bexar, Jim Hogg, McMullen, Uvalde, Brooks, Jim Wells, Mason, Val Verde, Dimmit, Karnes, Maverick, Webb, Duval, Kendall, Medina, Wilson, Edwards, Kerr, Menard, Zapata, Frio, Kimble, Real, and Zavala
Chief Justice 4th Court of Appeals District
Judge Antonia "Yoni" Arteaga
Education:
Professon:
Judge Antonia “Toni” Arteaga is a lifelong public servant with nearly two decades of judicial experience. In 2008, she made history as the first woman elected to the 57th District Court in Bexar County – a court established more than a century ago.
Now in her fifth term, Judge Arteaga has presided over hundreds of complex civil cases, earning a reputation for fairness, preparedness, and respect for the law. Her experience extends far beyond the bench. She has served in leadership roles throughout the legal community, including:
Past President of the Texas Association of District Judges
President and Founding Member of Texas Latinx Judges
Bexar County Chair, National Association of Women Judges
Judge Arteaga is a frequent speaker, educator, and mentor. Her commitment to fairness and equity has earned her numerous recognitions, including being named a “Texas Gold Medal Judge” and receiving Mentor of the Year honors from St. Mary’s University School of Law Hispanic Law Alumni Association.
Place 2 Court of Appeals Justice Velia Meza (IN)
Education: degree in Economics from Columbia University in New York City and returned to Texas to earn her Juris Doctor from St. Mary's University School of Law.
Profession: Justice Velia J. Meza serves on the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals and took office on January 1, 2025. Following law school, Justice Meza practiced throughout South Texas for 17 years, handling criminal, family, and other civil matters. She was subsequently elected Judge of the 226th Criminal District Court of Bexar County, where she served for six years.
In 2025, Justice Meza was one of only 19 inaugural judges in Texas to earn Board Certification in Judicial Administration, a distinction recognizing expertise in judicial leadership, court administration, and the effective management of the judicial system. The certification also requires extensive knowledge of substantive law and procedure in both civil and criminal matters.
In addition to her judicial service, Justice Meza contributes to legal education as an adjunct professor at St. Mary's University School of Law and the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has served on the Texas Center for the Judiciary Board and currently serves on several State Bar of Texas committees dedicated to improving and supporting the Texas judiciary.
Place 6 Irene Alarcon Rios
received her undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University and her J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law. In 1999, she was appointed by the Bexar County Commissioners Court as Judge of Bexar County, County Court at Law No. 10, where she served for 14 years. As a trial judge, Justice Rios presided over civil cases involving multiple areas of law, including consumer, contract, employment, tort, and landlord-tenant law. She also assisted with Drug Court and in cases involving the neglect and abuse of children, reviewed appeals of Administrative Law and Municipal Court judicial decisions, and presided over appeals from Justice of the Peace Courts. During her tenure at County Court at Law No. 10, Justice Rios additionally served as the 2007 Administrative Judge for the twelve county courts at law. Justice Rios has served on the Board of Trustees of St. Mary’s University and is a past President of St. Mary’s Law Alumni Association and Hispanic Law Alumni Association. She is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and has served as a Special Master of Major Litigation.
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Justice (2017-2022) Fourth Court of Appeals
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Judge (1999-2013), Bexar County Court at Law No. 10
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Administrative Judge (2007), Elected by Bexar County court at law judges to handle administrative matters and represent 12 courts
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Licensed (1990) by the Supreme Court of Texas
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Board Member (2018-2020), Texas Center for the Judiciary
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Trustee (2015-2016), St. Mary’s University
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Special Master of Major Litigation (2016)
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President (2014), Law Alumni Association, St. Mary’s University School of Law
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Member (2014), Law School Dean Search Committee, St. Mary’s University School of Law
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Vice-Chair (2007-2013), San Antonio Municipal Court Advisory Committee
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President (1996), Hispanic Law Alumni Association, St. Mary’s University School of Law
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Fellow, Texas and San Antonio Bar Foundations
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Graduate (1990), St. Mary’s University School of Law
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/4thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-irene-rios/
Place 7
Appointed by Greg Abbott 2021
5th Court of Appeals - Dallas
Jurisdiction:
Collin, Grayson, Kaufman, Dallas, Hunt, and Rockwall
Place 3 Justice Bonnie Lee Goldstein
Justice Goldstein did not win the Primaries and will not be up for Re-election. She will step down Dec. 31, 2026.
Education: B.A. from Hood College in 1984, with a double major in Law and Society (pre-law) and Spanish, and a J.D. from The George Washington University, The National Law Center in 1990, and licensed in Texas the same year.
Profession: Justice Bonnie Lee Goldstein was elected to the 5th District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020. Prior to her election to the 5th Court, she served as the Presiding Judge of the 44th Judicial District Court in Dallas County.
She commenced her legal career in Dallas with the law firm of Vial, Hamilton, Koch and Knox practicing in a variety of areas including complex commercial litigation, construction, surety, fidelity and state and local government law. For the eleven years prior to her election to the 44th Judicial District Court, Justice Goldstein was a solo practitioner, representing cities as a City Attorney and municipal court prosecutor. In addition, she has served as a Municipal Court Judge for the cities of Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Royse City and the Town of New Hope. In June of 2014, Justice Goldstein was the recipient of the Judge Michael L. O’Neal Outstanding Jurist Award from the Municipal Judges Section of the State Bar of Texas.
Justice Goldstein served as the Judicial Director for the Dallas Bar Association. She has worked with the Dallas Bar Association and Dallas Association of Young Lawyers establish professional development programs for young lawyers such as the Lawyers on Loan Program (prosecutors for local city and county governments) and Civil Second Chair (second chair criminal defense lawyers), as well as volunteered as a mentor in a combined program with the DAYL and Dallas Association of Women Lawyers. In addition, Justice Goldstein has been working with DBA committees, local law schools and members of the judiciary to provide services to self-represented litigants to navigate within the civil legal system. Justice Goldstein is fluent in Spanish, having been an exchange student with the American Field Service (AFS) to Costa Rica, and studied a semester abroad in Cadiz, Spain. She was appointed Legal Counselor to the Mexican Consulate in Houston in March of 1998, for her work representing a Mexican National on Death Row.
Place 3 Justice Amanda Reichek (IN)
Education: earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and political science from Texas Tech University, a Master’s degree in sociology from North Carolina State University, and her Juris Doctor from Texas Tech University, where she graduated with honors.
Profession: Justice Reichek worked for several prominent plaintiff-side employment law firms before starting her own practice where she continued to represent employees in employment disputes and unions in labor disputes. While in private practice, Justice Reichek held numerous leadership positions within the labor and employment law field, including Immediate Past Chair (2018), Chair (2017), Vice-Chair (2016), Treasurer (2015), and At-Large Councilmember (2010-2014) of the Labor and Employment Law Council of the Dallas Bar Association; Board Member of the Texas Employment Lawyers Association (2012-2014); and President of the Dallas-Fort Worth Employment Lawyers Association (2014). She was also a frequent speaker on labor and employment law matters. She is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-amanda-l-reichek/
Place 4 Justice Maricela Moore (IN)
Education: up for re-election in 2028. Justice Moore received her Bachelors of Science from Boston College and her law degree from the George Washington University National Law Center in Washington, D.C.
Profession: She previously served as the Presiding Judge of the 162nd Civil District Court and the Local Administrative District Judge. As the Local Administrative District Judge, she oversaw thirty-nine district court judges in Dallas County, Texas. She also previously served as the Presiding Judge of the Central Jury Room. In 2019, she was named the Dallas Judge of the Year by the American Board of Trial Advocates, a nonpartisan national association of trial lawyers dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial. Prior to her judicial service, Justice Breedlove practiced commercial litigation with an emphasis on trade secret, breach of contract, and employment litigation. She is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in labor and employment law. Justice Moore is a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas and a Master of the Bench in the Mac Taylor Inn of Court. She has served in leadership roles in many organizations, including, President of the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association, President of the Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation, and President of MABA-Texas. She also served as a Director on the Dallas Bar Association Board of Directors.
Sources: https://ballotpedia.org/Maricela_Moore;
https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-maricela-moore-breedlove/
Place 5 Justice Erin A. Nowell (IN)
Education: Justice Nowell is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Texas School of Law. Her bar admissions include: State Bar of Texas (2003); USDC, Northern District of Texas (2009); USDC, Eastern District of Texas (2009); United States Supreme Court (2016).
Profession: She began her career at a nationally recognized plaintiffs’ firm specializing in toxic-tort litigation where she developed the skills to manage and litigate large-scale mass torts. In 2007, Justice Nowell joined an international firm to explore other avenues of litigation and quickly developed an interest in class action litigation. She cultivated significant experience by participating in the defense of several class action cases in federal courts throughout the country. In early 2010, Justice Nowell returned to a plaintiffs’ practice, again specializing in mass torts and catastrophic injury cases. While in private practice, Justice Nowell was actively involved in the Dallas legal community, serving on various committees and boards. She is a member of the Dallas Bar Association and previously served on its Board of Directors. She has also served as chair of the Public Forum Committee, vice-chair and chair of the Minority Participation committee, vice-chair and chair of the Admissions and Membership committee, and co-chair of the Equal Access to Justice Campaign. She is also a past president of the J.L. Turner Legal Association. Justice Nowell was selected as a Texas Monthly Magazine Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2015, 2016 and 2017. She was also named one of the National Bar’s Association Top 40 Advocates under 40 in 2016, and received the Texas Women Lawyers’ Rising Star Award in 2018.
Source: https://justicenowell.com
Place 5
Place 6 Justice Monica Purdy (IN)
Education: Undergraduate degree from Spelman College in May 1989 and a law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in May 1992.
Profession: Her professional experience includes working as a magistrate judge in Dallas County..She was first elected to the bench in November 2020, garnering an impressive 64% of the vote. In 2013, Judge Purdy was unanimously appointed by a merit panel of thirteen elected State Civil Court Judges, representing the highest trial court in Texas, to serve as an Associate Judge of the Civil District Courts in Dallas. Judge Purdy has consistently achieved some of the highest ratings among her judicial colleagues and is ranked as one of the top three civil judges in Dallas County.
Place 7 Justice Nancy Kennedy (IN)
Education: graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. She received her Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. During law school, she received the Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility fellowship along with the Martin Samuelsohn fellowship. She is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has been re-certified.
Profession: She was the presiding judge of Criminal District Court #2. Justice Kennedy created the felony outpatient competency restoration specialty court and also presided over the STAR court specialty program. Before serving as a Justice Kennedy practiced exclusively in criminal law for 15 years, initially as a prosecutor and then as a criminal defense attorney throughout Texas with over 100 trials as the lead attorney. She handled appeals in the 5th and 6th Courts of Appeal. As a criminal defense attorney, Justice Kennedy practiced in both state and federal courts and was licensed in the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Districts of Texas. She was recognized as a Rising Star by Texas Monthly magazine in criminal defense. Justice Kennedy taught trial advocacy at the law school as an adjunct professor in both 2007 and 2008. She has been privileged to also serve on the faculty at the Center for American and International Law in their trial skills course. While in private practice, Justice Kennedy spent countless pro bono hours representing clients in post-conviction matters and volunteering for several non-profit organizations.
Sources: https://ballotpedia.org/Nancy_Kennedy_(Texas); https://www.txcourts.gov/5thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-nancy-kennedy/
Place 8 Justice Dennise Garcia
Justice Dennise Garcia was on the Primary ballot for Chief Justice of the 5th Court of Appeals. She did not win so is no longer going to be a Justice of the Appeals Court. She will step down Dec 31, 2026.
Education:SMU, and SMU Dedman School of Law.
Profession: Justice Dennise Garcia has been a Texas judge for over 16 years. She was elected to the 5th District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020. At the time of her election to the Court, Justice Garcia had presided over thousands of trials as Judge of the 303rd District Court. Over her judicial career, she was selected by her colleagues to be Presiding Judge of all Dallas County Family District Courts for two terms. She is double board certified in Family law and Child Welfare law.
Justice Garcia is active in the legal community. She currently serves on the Texas Supreme Court Family Law Advisory group for pandemic issues, the State Bar Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda, and the State Bar Pattern Jury Charge Family/Probate committee. She participates as member in several legal organizations such as the Annette Stewart Inn of Court, the Texas Bar College, and the Dallas Bar Association. She has a long history contributing to legal education. She previously served on the Bench Book Committee for the Texas Center for the Judiciary, and the Texas Advanced Family Law Course planning committee for the State Bar. Justice Garcia has also taught Family Law and Texas Matrimonial Property at SMU’s Dedman School of Law as visiting faculty. She is active on the Texas legal speaking circuit for organizations such as the State Bar, the Texas Center for the Judiciary, and the Texas Bar College. Over the years she has written and taught on topics such as family law, child welfare, legal ethics, litigation strategy, discovery, evidence, judgments, mental health in the legal profession, and docket management.
Justice Garcia is respected by her peers and colleagues. During her time on the bench, she was recognized as an Outstanding Jurist by the Texas Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and was previously named Best Judge by Dallas Observer. She has twice been awarded the Merrill Hartman Judicial Pro Bono Service Award.
Prior to taking the bench, Justice Garcia worked in private practice for 10 years and during that time was recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer, was selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America by Woodward/White Inc., and held an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell. In 2003 and 2004, she co- authored and updated an article that received the Best CLE article award from the College of the State Bar of Texas.
Place 8 Andrea D. Plumlee
Andrea Plumlee is an experienced and knowledgeable family law judge whose expertise and fairness is widely praised. Some of Andrea's career highlights include:
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Appointed Special Master Family District Court
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Visiting Associate Judge Family District Court
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Former District 6A Grievance Committee Vice Chair
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Mediated Over 1000 Cases to Resolution
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Appointed Special Ad Litem in Difficult Family Cases
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Frequent Guest Speaker in Child Welfare CLE
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Guest Lecturer W.W. Caruth, Jr. Child Advocacy Clinic, SMU
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Served as Mentor Attorney for Child Advocacy Clinic
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Juris Doctorate, Southern Methodist University (1993)
"I have ably served the 330th District Court for 15 years, handling thousands of cases and seeing firsthand the impact of family court proceedings on parents, children and families. I am passionate about the work I do right now, but I have for a long time wanted to have a larger impact serving at the appellate level.
This is not a decision I made lightly. I carefully considered how I can best serve our community with the skills and knowledge I have accumulated, and also how I can add value to the appellate court. As it happens, the 5th District Court of Appeals needs family law expertise, and if successful in this campaign, I will be the only justice on this court who has focused primarily on family law. As you may know, this appellate court handles civil, criminal and family appeals from six counties in North Texas, so it is important that this court have a justice who can provide the expertise and experience I can offer.
I will continue presiding over the 330th Family District Court through the end of 2026, and hope to assume the appellate bench in January, 2027. As I follow this path, I ask for your moral support, your financial support for those who are able, and most importantly, your vote in the March 2026 Democratic Primary and November 2026 General Election.
The 5th District Court of Appeals is the largest appellate court in Texas. The work done by this court has a direct impact on people, businesses and our community at large, as well as how the law is interpreted and shaped over the longer term. I am ready to take on this important role, and I want you by my side as I campaign this year."
Source: https://plumleeforjudge.com/
Place 9 Judge Tina Clinton (IN)
Currently Presiding Judge of the Criminal District Court 1 She earned her Bachelor's degree in philosophy From University of Texas at Austin. He J.D. is from Southern Methodist University Deadmen's School of Law. Judge Clinton has more than 15 years of judicial experience in North Texas. She currently presides over Texas Criminal District Court 1, a felony district court. Prior to this, she served as Judge of Dallas County Criminal Court 8, a misdemeanor court. She has also served as a municipal judge for area cities. Judge Clinton is one of Dallas County’s longest-tenured criminal court judges. She has earned a reputation for hard work and efficiency, and she has handled hundreds of criminal trials of all kinds. Her judicial peers honored her by electing her to the Board of the Texas Center for the Judiciary. Judge Clinton has a nationwide reputation in criminal law and a track record of serving her profession. She has taught criminal law throughout the United States. She has testified before the Texas Senate Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and the Texas House Committee on Probation and Parole. Her memberships have included: Dallas Bar Association, The DFW Asian American Citizens Council, The Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, the National While Collar Crime Center, and the 24 Hour Club. She has been involved with the Texas Center for Judiciary, the Good Street Legal Clinic, the Greater Dallas Crime Commission, and the United Methodist Council on Korean-American Ministries.
Source: https://judgeclintoncampaign.com/; https://trellis.law/judge/tina.yoo.clinton; https://www.dallascounty.org/government/courts/criminal_district/court1/
Place 6 Justice Craig Smith (IN)
Education: Justice Smith received his B.B.A. from the University of Texas Austin in 1973 and his J D from Texas Tech University in 1976.
Profession: Justice Craig Smith was elected to the 5th District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020. Prior to his election to the 5th Court, he was the Presiding Judge of the 192nd Civil District Court in Dallas County. Before taking the trial court bench in 2007, Justice Smith spent over 26 years as a civil trial lawyer. He is “Board Certified’ by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in both Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Law. He has served on various State Bar Committees and currently serves on the State Bar Court Administration Task Force Committee and the Pattern Jury Charge Committee.
He is an “Advocate” member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He served on the ABOTA National Board of Directors (2002 - 2006). He is a Life Fellow at the Texas Bar Foundation. He was named as “Texas Super Lawyer” in 2003 - 2007, by Texas Monthly. He was awarded the ABOTA “Judge of the Year” for 2008 and the Dallas Bar Association “Pro Bono Services Judge of the Year” for 2008. As a practicing attorney, he was a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education events on various trial topics including Direct Examination, Cross Examination, Evidence and Discovery. As a Judge, he was a frequent lecturer on a variety of civil trial and procedure matters including Legal Ethics as well as the “Vanishing Jury”.
Place 13
Appointed by Governor Greg Abbott in 2022
6th Court of Appeals - Texarkana
Jurisdiction:
Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River Rusk,Titus, Upshur, and Wood
Place 1 Chief Justice
Place 2
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 3
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
7th Court of Appeals - Amarillo
Jurisdiction:
Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith,
Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hockley, Hardeman, Hartley, Hemphill, Hutchinson,
Kent, King, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Lynn, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts,
Sherman, Swisher, Terry, Wheeler, Wilbarger, and Yoakum
Place 1 Chief Justice
Appointed by Gov. Abbott
Place 2
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 3
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Place 4
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott
8th Court of Appeals - El Paso
Jurisdiction:
Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves,Terrell, Upton, Ward, and Winkler
Place 1 Chief Justice Maria Salas-Mendoza (IN)
is currently a judge of the Texas 120th District Court with a term ending 2026. She has a A.B. from Harvard University in History and Literature and a J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. She served as the President of the El Paso Bar Association and is the recipient of the Texas Women Lawyers Pathfinder Award. She was named a Border Hero by the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center. She personally supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation, mentors young women at Job Corps, and volunteers with the Lions Club.
Source: https://trellis.law/judge/maria.a.salas.mendoza
Place 2 Justice Lisa Soto (IN)
She attended Stanford University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in public policy with honors in education. She moved on to the University of Texas School of Law, from which she earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence and during which time she interned at the Texas Supreme Court. She has 25 years of civil law experience from practicing in Texas and California. In Texas, she worked for an Austin-based firm where she represented employees, small businesses, and organizations primarily in contracts and labor and employment cases in various forums and venues. In California, she represented school districts, colleges, and governmental entities in administrative processes, litigation and appeals, and contract negotiations. Immediately preceding her election to the bench, Lisa Soto was a contract attorney at the Eighth Court of Appeals. While practicing law, she also served as Professor of Practice at the UTEP Patti and Paul Yetter Center for Law for many years, where she taught legal writing, legal analysis, and advocacy and created hands-on innovative clinical programs that brought students into the courtroom to learn advocacy through helping vulnerable populations in El Paso County. She is a former chair of the State Bar of Texas Diversity in the Profession Committee, an alumna of the American Inns of Court, and a current member of local bar and civic groups. She is also presently a Texas Bar Foundation Sustaining Life Fellow and a long-time Siguiendo los Pasos de Jesús board member. In 2016, the State Bar of Texas passed a resolution honoring Lisa Soto for her service to the community and to the legal profession.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/8thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-lisa-soto/
Place 3 Justice Gina Palafox (IN)
received her doctor of jurisprudence from Pepperdine University School of Law, her master of public administration from the University of Texas at El Paso, and her bachelor of science in accounting from Sever College of Pepperdine University. Before her judicial service, Justice Palafox engaged in the private practice of law, worked in health care management, and taught at the university level, among other professional activities. As a solo practitioner, she primarily represented clients in civil and business matters, family law, and civil rights cases. In healthcare, she worked for the University Medical Center of El Paso, a public safety-net institution, and for a private physician practice. As an adjunct lecturer, she taught business law and ethics to undergraduate and MBA students of the University of Texas at El Paso. She also served a term as a commissioner and later as a reviewing attorney for the El Paso County Ethics Commission.
Source:https://www.txcourts.gov/8thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-gina-m-palafox/
9th Court of Appeals - Beaumont
Jurisdiction: Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Tyler
Place 1 Chief Justice
Place 2
Place 3
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry 2013
Place 4
10th Court of Appeals - Waco
Jurisdiction: Bosque, Brazos, Burleson, Coryell, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Hamilton, Hill, Johnson, Leon, Limestone, Madison,
McLennan, Navarro, Robertson, Somervell, Walker
Place 1 Chief Justice
Place 2
Appointed by Gov. Abbott 2025
Place 3
Appointed by Gov. Abbott 2021
11th Court of Appeals - Eastland
Jurisdiction:
Baylor, Borden, Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Dawson, Eastland, Ector, Erath, Fisher, Gaines, Glasscock, Haskell, Howard, Jones, Knox, Martin, Midland, Mitchell, Nolan, Palo Pinto, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor, and Throckmorton
Place 1 Chief Justice
Appointed by Gov. Abbott 2018
Place 2
Place 3
12th Court of Appeals - Tyler
Jurisdiction: Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Gregg , Henderson, Houston, Nacogdoches, Rains, Rusk, San Augustine, Sabine Shelby, Smith, Trinity, Upshur, Van Zand, and Wood
Place 1 Chief Justice
Place 2
Appointed by Gov. Perry 2006
Place 3
Appointed by Gov. Abbott 2025
13th Court of Appeals - Corpus Christi
Jurisdiction: Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, Cameron, De Witt, Goliad, Gonzales, Hidalgo, Jackson, Kleberg, Refugio, Kenedy, Lavaca, Live Oak, Matagorda, Nueces, San Patricio, Victoria, Wharton, and Willacy
Place 1 Chief Justice
Place 2
Place 3
Switched parties from Democrat to Republican
Place 4
Place 5
Place 6 John Ball
Education Texas A&M University, Juris Doctorate from St. Mary’s University School of Law with a concentration in criminal law.
Profession My career has included work in private practice, where I have focused on criminal and family law, as well as serving in the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office in the Border Prosecution Unit. I am double board certified in Criminal Law and Family Law, a distinction held by less than half a percent of Texas attorneys. Prior to running for the 13th Court of Appeals I was elected to the Board of Trustees for the McAllen Independent School District. With experience ranging from trial work to appellate advocacy, I am prepared to bring this extensive legal background to the Thirteenth Court of Appeals.
14th Court of Appeals - Houston
Jurisdiction: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Grimes, Fort Bend, Harris, Galveston, Washington, and Waller
Chief Justice Sarah Beth Landau (IN)
She earned a B.S. in economics and a B.A. in political science from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities in 1993 and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 1998. Landau’s career experience includes working as an adjunct professor of law with Texas Southern University and an associate with Vinson & Elkins, LLP. Justice Sarah Beth Landau was elected to the First Court of Appeals in 2018. Before taking the bench, Justice Landau worked in the appeals division of the Harris County Public Defender’s Office and for 10 years as an Assistant Federal Public Defender, doing trial and appellate work. Justice Landau has over 20 years of legal experience and has handled over 600 appeals as an advocate in state and federal courts. She is the first public defender to be elected to the court. A frequent presenter on criminal law issues and appellate advocacy, Justice Landau taught Appellate Litigation for six years at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Justice Landau worked for several years in complex commercial litigation at Vinson & Elkins LLP in Houston and at Coudert Brothers LLP in New York. She clerked for the Honorable Vanessa D. Gilmore in the Southern District of Texas after graduating from Columbia University School of Law. Justice Landau studied political science and quantitative economics at the University of Minnesota, graduating cum laude and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Source: https://www.txcourts.gov/1stcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-sarah-beth-landau/
Place 1 Chief Justice
Place 2
Place 3
Place 4
Place 5
Place 6
Place 7 Justice William Demond
For more than ten years, I practiced constitutional rights law in Houston, Texas, handling complex, high-impact cases involving civil liberties, government accountability, and due process. My work has contributed to the development of clearly established constitutional rights and has been recognized at the highest levels of the legal profession. In 2023, my career transitioned into public service and serving the People of Texas as a staff attorney for the Fifth District Court of Appeals. Now I’m running for a seat on Houston’s Fourteenth Court of Appeals to protect the rights of the People and zealously guard the rule of law and the Constitution.
Constitutional Rights Attorney, 1 of 2 Texas Super Lawyers in constitutional law, and inducted into Texas Lawyer's "Verdicts Hall of Fame". MA in Diplomacy and International Relations; JD with Concentration in International and Comparative Law; BA in Asian Studies. Conversant in Mandarin Chinese.
Place 7
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry 2013
Place 8
Place 9
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott 2021
15th Court of Appeals - Austin
Jurisdiction: Statewide
Types of Jurisdiction
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Statewide Jurisdiction: The court can hear appeals from across Texas, unlike other appellate courts that are limited to specific districts.
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Exclusive Jurisdiction: It has exclusive authority over appeals involving the state government and cases from the newly created Texas Business Court, particularly those exceeding $10 million
Jerry Zimmerman for Chief Justice,15th Court of Appeals District
Education: He earned a B.A. in theology and business management from Houston Baptist University in 1978, a J.D. from South Texas College of Law in 1984, and an L.L.M. in health law and international law from the University of Houston Law Center in 2015.
Profession: Zimmerer’s career experience includes working as a managing member with Zimmerer & Associates, PLLC and as a senior project manager of network technology engineering with AT&T Mobility.
Justice Jerry Zimmerer is a seasoned legal professional with over five years of experience as a Justice of the 14th Court of Appeals, serving a district that covers roughly 24% of the population of Texas. He holds two Masters of Law degrees in Health Law and International Law from the University of Houston Law School, as well as a Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law. He is also a certified Project Management Professional and has multiple Cisco and Microsoft certifications. Prior to taking the bench, Justice Zimmerer worked as a managing attorney, litigator, board member, and business owner in various fields, including cyber security, health, and commercial arbitration. He has published and lectured on topics such as medical futility, ethics, and end-of-life decisions. He is passionate about applying his multifaceted education and life experience to serve the people of the State of Texas with fairness, integrity, and competence.
Source: https://ballotpedia.org/Jerry_Zimmerer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldzimmerer/
Place 1 Chief Justice
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott 2024
Tom Baker for Justice, 15th Court Appeals District Place 2
Education: University of Texas at Austin-Bachelor of Journalism, Journalism; University of Housto, J.D., Law
Profession:
Associate Attorney
The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard · Full-time
Jan 2025 - Present
Killeen-Temple Area · Hybrid
Trial Attorney
Justice, Third Court of Appeals, Place 5, Austin, Texas
Attorney at Law
Thomas J. Baker, Attorney at Law
Family Law, Criminal Law Board Certified in Family Law by State Bar of Texas (2011)
Bee County Attorney
Beeville, Texas
Represented Texas Department of Family & Protective Services in termination suits, filed family violence protective orders, did appellate work for criminal cases
Judge Advocate General's Corps
United States Navy
Defense Counsel, Trial Counsel, Legal Assistance Attorney
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-thomas-john-baker-7a22203a/
Place 2
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott 2024
Marc M. Meyer for Justice, 15th Court of Appeals District Place 3
Education: JD, South Texas College of Law; Master's, Texas A&M University, Biochemistry; Bachelor's, Cornell University, Biology; Associate's, Regents College, Nursing
Profession: Attorney; Retired Captain/Paramedic; St. Luke's Espiscopal Hospital, Nurse
Place 3
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott 2024