Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Court Information
Justices: 9
Founded: 1876
Location: Austin
Salary
Associates: $168,000[1]
Judicial Selection
Method: Partisan election
Term: 6 years
Active justices
Barbara Hervey, Mary Lou Keel, Sharon Keller, Jesse McClure, David Newell, Bert Richardson, Michelle Slaughter, Scott Walker, Kevin Patrick Yeary

Judges of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Founded in 1876, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the state's court of last resort for criminal matters and has nine judgeships. The current presiding judge of the court is Sharon Keller.

As of August 2021, all nine judges on the court identified with the Republican party.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals meets in Austin, Texas.

In Texas, state supreme court justices are elected in partisan elections. There are eight states that use this selection method. To read more about the partisan election of judges, click here.

## Jurisdiction[edit]

Courthouse of the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin

The Texas Supreme Court has jurisdiction over all civil cases, while the Court of Criminal Appeals exercises discretionary review over criminal cases. This means 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, and includes nine judges. 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.

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."[2]

The following text from Article V, Section 5 of the Texas Constitution covers the organization and jurisdiction of the court:

“  |

Jurisdiction of Court of Criminal Appeals; Terms of Court; Clerk

(a) The Court of Criminal Appeals shall have final appellate jurisdiction coextensive with the limits of the state, and its determinations shall be final, in all criminal cases of whatever grade, with such exceptions and under such regulations as may be provided in this Constitution or as prescribed by law.

(b) The appeal of all cases in which the death penalty has been assessed shall be to the Court of Criminal Appeals. The appeal of all other criminal cases shall be to the Courts of Appeal as prescribed by law. In addition, the Court of Criminal Appeals may, on its own motion, review a decision of a Court of Appeals in a criminal case as provided by law. Discretionary review by the Court of Criminal Appeals is not a matter of right, but of sound judicial discretion.

(c) Subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by law, the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Judges thereof shall have the power to issue the writ of habeas corpus, and, in criminal law matters, the writs of mandamus, procedendo, prohibition, and certiorari. The Court and the Judges thereof shall have the power to issue such other writs as may be necessary to protect its jurisdiction or enforce its judgments. The court shall have the power upon affidavit or otherwise to ascertain such matters of fact as may be necessary to the exercise of its jurisdiction.[3][4]

| ”

|
|

—Texas Constitution, Article V, Section 5

## Judges[edit]

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.

The table below lists the current justices of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, their political party, and when they assumed office.

Office | Name | Party | Date assumed office

|
|
|

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2 | Mary Lou Keel | Republican  | January 1, 2017
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 | Bert Richardson | Republican  | January 1, 2015
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 | Kevin Patrick Yeary | Republican  | January 1, 2015
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5 | Scott Walker | Republican  | January 1, 2017
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6 | Jesse McClure | Republican  | January 1, 2021
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 | Barbara Hervey | Republican  | January 1, 2001
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 | Michelle Slaughter | Republican  | January 1, 2019
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9 | David Newell | Republican  | January 1, 2015
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge | Sharon Keller | Republican  | January 1, 2001

## Judicial selection[edit]

See also: Judicial selection in Texas

The nine judges of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals are selected in statewide partisan elections. The elected justices and judges serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court.[5]

### Qualifications[edit]

To serve on any of the appellate courts, a judge must be:

* a U.S. citizen;
* a resident of Texas;
* licensed to practice law in the state;
* between the ages of 35 and 75;*[6][7] and
* a practicing lawyer and/or judge for at least 10 years.[5]

### Presiding judge[edit]

The presiding judge of the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals is selected by voters at large. He or she serves in that capacity for a full six-year term.[5]

### Vacancies[edit]

See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

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.[5]

The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.

## Elections[edit]

See also: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals elections

### 2024[edit]

See also: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2024

Texas is one of two states with two courts of last resort. The Texas Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort for civil matters. The terms of three Texas Supreme Court justices will expire on December 31, 2024. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the state's court of last resort for criminal matters. The terms of three court of criminal appeals justices will expire on December 31, 2024. All six seats were up for partisan election on November 5, 2024. The primary was March 5, 2024, and a primary runoff was May 28, 2024. The filing deadline was December 11, 2023.

#### Judges with expiring terms[edit]

#### Candidates and results[edit]

Texas Supreme Court

##### Place 2[edit]

##### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

Incumbent Jimmy Blacklock defeated DaSean Jones in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jimmy Blacklock (R) |

58.3

| 6,345,815

| DaSean Jones (D) |

41.7

| 4,536,697

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source

| Total votes: 10,882,512

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

DaSean Jones defeated Randy Sarosdy in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| DaSean Jones|

59.6

| 529,623

| Randy Sarosdy |

40.4

| 359,402

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 889,025

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

Incumbent Jimmy Blacklock advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jimmy Blacklock|

100.0

| 1,749,450

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,749,450

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 4[edit]

##### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Incumbent John Devine defeated Christine Weems in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| John Devine (R) |

57.4

| 6,231,147

| Christine Weems (D) |

42.6

| 4,621,352

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source

| Total votes: 10,852,499

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* Matthew Sercely (L)

##### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Christine Weems advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Christine Weems|

100.0

| 825,485

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 825,485

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Incumbent John Devine defeated Brian Walker in the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| John Devine|

50.4

| 921,556

| Brian Walker |

49.6

| 905,418

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,826,974

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Libertarian convention

#####  Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Matthew Sercely advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on April 14, 2024.

Candidate

|

| Matthew Sercely (L)

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 6[edit]

##### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jane Bland defeated Bonnie Lee Goldstein and David Roberson in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jane Bland (R) |

56.4

| 6,120,459

| Bonnie Lee Goldstein (D) |

40.4

| 4,385,939

| David Roberson (L) |

3.3

| 353,966

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source

| Total votes: 10,860,364

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Bonnie Lee Goldstein defeated Joe Pool Jr. in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Bonnie Lee Goldstein|

73.1

| 646,690

| Joe Pool Jr. |

26.9

| 237,465

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 884,155

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jane Bland advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jane Bland|

100.0

| 1,690,507

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,690,507

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Libertarian convention

#####  Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

David Roberson advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on April 14, 2024.

Candidate

|

| David Roberson (L)

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

##### Presiding judge[edit]

##### General election

##### General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

David Schenck defeated Holly Taylor in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on November 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| David Schenck (R) |

58.3

| 6,304,009

| Holly Taylor (D) |

41.7

| 4,506,015

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. Source

| Total votes: 10,810,024

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

Holly Taylor advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Holly Taylor |

100.0

| 829,500

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 829,500

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

David Schenck defeated incumbent Sharon Keller in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| David Schenck |

62.6

| 1,174,795

| Sharon Keller|

37.4

| 702,464

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,877,259

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 7[edit]

##### General election

##### General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Gina Parker defeated Nancy Mulder in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Gina Parker (R) |

58.4

| 6,315,067

| Nancy Mulder (D) |

41.6

| 4,492,592

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. Source

| Total votes: 10,807,659

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* Mark Ash (L)

##### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Nancy Mulder advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Nancy Mulder|

100.0

| 819,154

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 819,154

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Gina Parker defeated incumbent Barbara Hervey in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Gina Parker |

66.1

| 1,210,956

| Barbara Hervey|

33.9

| 621,660

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,832,616

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Libertarian convention

#####  Libertarian convention for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Mark Ash advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on April 14, 2024.

Candidate

|

| Mark Ash (L)

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 8[edit]

##### General election

##### General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Lee Finley defeated Chika Anyiam in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Lee Finley (R) |

59.0

| 6,359,010

| Chika Anyiam (D) |

41.0

| 4,427,470

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. Source

| Total votes: 10,786,480

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* Stephan Kinsella (L)

##### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Chika Anyiam advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Chika Anyiam |

100.0

| 804,891

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 804,891

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Lee Finley defeated incumbent Michelle Slaughter in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Lee Finley |

53.9

| 988,824

| Michelle Slaughter|

46.1

| 846,549

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,835,373

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Libertarian convention

#####  Libertarian convention for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Stephan Kinsella advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on April 14, 2024.

Candidate

|

| Stephan Kinsella (L)

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

### 2022[edit]

See also: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2022

#### Candidates and election results[edit]

Texas Supreme Court

##### Place 3[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Incumbent Debra Lehrmann defeated Erin Nowell and Tom Oxford in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Debra Lehrmann (R) |

56.2

| 4,475,136

| Erin Nowell (D) |

41.8

| 3,330,529

| Tom Oxford (L) |

2.0

| 162,036

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 7,967,701

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Erin Nowell advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Erin Nowell|

100.0

| 914,184

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 914,184

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Incumbent Debra Lehrmann advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Debra Lehrmann|

100.0

| 1,535,581

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,535,581

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Libertarian convention

#####  Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Tom Oxford advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on April 10, 2022.

Candidate

|

| Tom Oxford (L)

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 5[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 5

Incumbent Rebeca Huddle defeated Amanda Reichek in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 5 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Rebeca Huddle (R) |

57.1

| 4,530,668

| Amanda Reichek (D) |

42.9

| 3,406,054

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 7,936,722

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5

Amanda Reichek advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Amanda Reichek|

100.0

| 913,836

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 913,836

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5

Incumbent Rebeca Huddle advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Rebeca Huddle|

100.0

| 1,519,069

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,519,069

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 9[edit]

#### General election

##### Special general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 9

Incumbent Evan Young defeated Julia Maldonado in the special general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 9 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Evan Young (R) |

56.4

| 4,474,900

| Julia Maldonado (D) |

43.6

| 3,458,103

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 7,933,003

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

##### Special Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9

Julia Maldonado advanced from the special Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Julia Maldonado|

100.0

| 922,595

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 922,595

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

##### Special Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9

Incumbent Evan Young defeated David Schenck in the special Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Evan Young|

54.9

| 860,852

| David Schenck |

45.1

| 708,359

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,569,211

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

##### Place 2[edit]

#### General election

The general election was canceled. Incumbent Mary Lou Keel won election in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2

Incumbent Mary Lou Keel advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Mary Lou Keel|

100.0

| 1,485,583

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,485,583

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 5[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5

Incumbent Scott Walker defeated Dana Huffman in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Scott Walker (R) |

56.9

| 4,513,500

| Dana Huffman (D) |

43.1

| 3,413,071

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 7,926,571

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5

Dana Huffman advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Dana Huffman|

100.0

| 911,472

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 911,472

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5

Incumbent Scott Walker defeated Clint Morgan in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Scott Walker|

56.6

| 884,160

| Clint Morgan|

43.4

| 677,504

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,561,664

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 6[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6

Incumbent Jesse McClure defeated Robert Johnson in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jesse McClure (R) |

57.2

| 4,526,307

| Robert Johnson (D) |

42.8

| 3,383,705

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 7,910,012

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6

Robert Johnson advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Robert Johnson|

100.0

| 906,119

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 906,119

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6

Incumbent Jesse McClure advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jesse McClure|

100.0

| 1,474,886

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,474,886

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

### 2020[edit]

See also: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2020

#### Candidates and election results[edit]

Texas Supreme Court

##### Chief justice[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice

Incumbent Nathan Hecht defeated Amy Clark Meachum and Mark Ash in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice on November 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Nathan Hecht (R) |

53.0

| 5,827,085

| Amy Clark Meachum (D) |

44.5

| 4,893,402

| Mark Ash (L) |

2.5

| 277,491

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 10,997,978

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* Charles E. Waterbury (G)

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice

Amy Clark Meachum defeated Jerry Zimmerer in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Amy Clark Meachum|

80.5

| 1,434,175

| Jerry Zimmerer|

19.5

| 347,186

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,781,361

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* William McLeod (D)

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice

Incumbent Nathan Hecht advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Nathan Hecht|

100.0

| 1,718,096

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,718,096

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Green convention

#####  Green convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice

Charles E. Waterbury advanced from the Green convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice on April 18, 2020.

Candidate

|

| Charles E. Waterbury (G)

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Libertarian convention

#####  Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice

Mark Ash advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice on August 3, 2020.

Candidate

|

| Mark Ash (L)

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 6[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jane Bland defeated Kathy Cheng in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jane Bland (R) |

55.2

| 6,050,534

| Kathy Cheng (D) |

44.8

| 4,903,527

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 10,954,061

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Kathy Cheng defeated Larry Praeger in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Kathy Cheng|

74.5

| 1,310,598

| Larry Praeger|

25.5

| 448,114

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,758,712

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jane Bland advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jane Bland|

100.0

| 1,699,236

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,699,236

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 7[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 7

Incumbent Jeffrey S. Boyd defeated Staci Williams and William Bryan Strange in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 7 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jeffrey S. Boyd (R) |

53.3

| 5,843,420

| Staci Williams (D) |

44.4

| 4,861,649

| William Bryan Strange (L) |

2.3

| 256,742

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 10,961,811

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 7

Staci Williams defeated Brandy Voss in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 7 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Staci Williams|

65.1

| 1,134,105

| Brandy Voss |

34.9

| 608,288

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,742,393

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 7

Incumbent Jeffrey S. Boyd advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 7 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jeffrey S. Boyd|

100.0

| 1,702,071

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,702,071

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Libertarian convention

#####  Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 7

William Bryan Strange advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 7 on August 3, 2020.

Candidate

|

| William Bryan Strange (L)

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 8[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 8

Incumbent Brett Busby defeated Gisela Triana and Tom Oxford in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 8 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Brett Busby (R) |

53.4

| 5,847,135

| Gisela Triana (D) |

44.1

| 4,826,674

| Tom Oxford (L) |

2.5

| 274,959

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 10,948,768

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 8

Gisela Triana defeated Peter M. Kelly in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 8 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Gisela Triana|

72.0

| 1,251,611

| Peter M. Kelly |

28.0

| 485,697

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,737,308

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 8

Incumbent Brett Busby advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 8 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Brett Busby|

100.0

| 1,692,583

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,692,583

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Libertarian convention

#####  Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 8

Tom Oxford advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 8 on August 3, 2020.

Candidate

|

| Tom Oxford (L)

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

##### Place 3[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3

Incumbent Bert Richardson defeated Elizabeth Davis Frizell in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Bert Richardson (R) |

54.5

| 5,953,924

| Elizabeth Davis Frizell (D) |

45.5

| 4,964,460

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 10,918,384

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3

Elizabeth Davis Frizell defeated Dan Wood and William Demond in the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Elizabeth Davis Frizell|

68.7

| 1,184,280

| Dan Wood|

19.2

| 331,715

| William Demond|

12.0

| 207,651

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,723,646

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3

Incumbent Bert Richardson defeated Gina Parker in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Bert Richardson|

51.8

| 897,496

| Gina Parker |

48.2

| 833,893

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,731,389

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 4[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4

Incumbent Kevin Patrick Yeary defeated Tina Yoo Clinton in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Kevin Patrick Yeary (R) |

54.8

| 5,974,016

| Tina Yoo Clinton (D) |

45.2

| 4,924,207

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 10,898,223

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4

Tina Yoo Clinton defeated Steven Miears in the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Tina Yoo Clinton |

80.5

| 1,380,356

| Steven Miears |

19.5

| 334,474

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,714,830

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4

Incumbent Kevin Patrick Yeary advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Kevin Patrick Yeary|

100.0

| 1,679,193

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,679,193

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 6[edit]

See also: Texas Supreme Court justice vacancy (December 2020)

Justice Michael Keasler's term expired on December 31, 2020. Keasler was required to leave office by a mandatory-retirement provision in the Texas Constitution.

Mike Snipes (D) had declared his candidacy for the seat prior to Texas' statewide filing deadline. However, Keasler's seat was ultimately not up for election in 2020. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) chose Keasler's replacement.[8]

##### Place 9[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9

Incumbent David Newell defeated Brandon Birmingham in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| David Newell (R) |

55.3

| 6,015,909

| Brandon Birmingham (D) |

44.7

| 4,863,142

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 10,879,051

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9

Brandon Birmingham advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Brandon Birmingham|

100.0

| 1,570,444

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,570,444

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9

Incumbent David Newell advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| David Newell|

100.0

| 1,676,841

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,676,841

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

### 2018[edit]

See also: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2018

#### Candidates and results[edit]

Texas Supreme Court

##### Place 2[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

Incumbent Jimmy Blacklock defeated Steven Kirkland in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jimmy Blacklock (R) |

53.2

| 4,358,756

| Steven Kirkland (D) |

46.8

| 3,838,411

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 8,197,167

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

Steven Kirkland advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

|

| Steven Kirkland

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

Incumbent Jimmy Blacklock advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

|

| Jimmy Blacklock

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 4[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Incumbent John Devine defeated R.K. Sandill in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| John Devine (R) |

53.7

| 4,399,890

| R.K. Sandill (D) |

46.3

| 3,792,144

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 8,192,034

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

R.K. Sandill advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

|

| R.K. Sandill

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Incumbent John Devine advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

|

| John Devine

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 6[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jeff Brown defeated Kathy Cheng in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jeff Brown (R) |

53.7

| 4,404,602

| Kathy Cheng (D) |

46.3

| 3,796,001

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 8,200,603

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Kathy Cheng advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

|

| Kathy Cheng

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jeff Brown advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

|

| Jeff Brown

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

##### Presiding judge[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

Incumbent Sharon Keller defeated Maria T. Jackson and William Bryan Strange in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Sharon Keller (R) |

52.2

| 4,288,913

| Maria T. Jackson (D) |

45.5

| 3,734,179

| William Bryan Strange (L) |

2.3

| 187,384

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 8,210,476

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

Maria T. Jackson advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

|

| Maria T. Jackson

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

Incumbent Sharon Keller defeated David Bridges in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Sharon Keller|

52.1

| 671,361

| David Bridges|

47.9

| 616,096

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

| Total votes: 1,287,457

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 7[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Incumbent Barbara Hervey defeated Ramona Franklin in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Barbara Hervey (R) |

54.2

| 4,429,113

| Ramona Franklin (D) |

45.8

| 3,750,114

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 8,179,227

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Ramona Franklin advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

|

| Ramona Franklin

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Incumbent Barbara Hervey advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

|

| Barbara Hervey

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

##### Place 8[edit]

#### General election

##### General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Michelle Slaughter defeated Mark Ash in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Michelle Slaughter (R) |

74.7

| 4,760,576

| Mark Ash (L) |

25.3

| 1,614,119

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 6,374,695

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Michelle Slaughter defeated Jay Brandon and Dib Waldrip in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Michelle Slaughter|

52.8

| 666,763

| Jay Brandon|

30.7

| 387,751

| Dib Waldrip|

16.4

| 207,209

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

| Total votes: 1,261,723

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

### 2016[edit]

Main article: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals elections, 2016

Three seats on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals were on the general election ballot on November 8, 2016. These seats were held by Lawrence Meyers (D), Cheryl Johnson (R), and Michael Keasler (R) heading into the election. Each justice elected to the court serves a six-year term. The court had an 8-1 Republican majority heading into the election.

### General election candidates[edit]

#### Place 2[edit]

■ Lawrence Meyers (D) (Incumbent)
■ Mary Lou Keel (R)
■ Mark Ash (Lib.)
■ Adam Reposa (Green)

#### Place 5[edit]

■ Betsy Johnson (D)
■ Scott Walker (R)
■ William Bryan Strange (Lib.)
■ Judith Sanders-Castro (Green)

#### Place 6[edit]

■ Robert D. Burns III (D)
■ Michael Keasler (R)  (Incumbent)
■ Mark Bennett (Lib.)

|
|

### Election results[edit]

#### November 8 general election[edit]

Mary Lou Keel (R) defeated incumbent Lawrence Meyers (D), Mark Ash (L), and Adam Reposa (G) in the general election for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Mary Lou Keel | 54.88% | 4,790,800
| Democratic  | Lawrence Meyers Incumbent | 40.05% | 3,496,205
| Libertarian  | Mark Ash | 3.68% | 321,568
| Green  | Adam Reposa | 1.39% | 121,467
Total Votes (100% reporting) | 8,730,040
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

Scott Walker (Texas) defeated Betsy Johnson (Texas), William Bryan Strange and Judith Sanders-Castro in the general election for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 5.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 5, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Scott Walker (Texas) | 54.75% | 4,782,144
| Democratic  | Betsy Johnson (Texas) | 40.20% | 3,511,950
| Libertarian  | William Bryan Strange | 2.84% | 248,109
| Green  | Judith Sanders-Castro | 2.21% | 192,913
Total Votes (100% reporting) | 8,735,116
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

Incumbent Michael Keasler defeated Robert D. Burns III and Mark Bennett (Texas) in the general election for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 6.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 6, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Michael Keasler Incumbent | 54.97% | 4,785,012
| Democratic  | Robert D. Burns III | 40.89% | 3,558,844
| Libertarian  | Mark Bennett (Texas) | 4.14% | 360,167
Total Votes (100% reporting) | 8,704,023
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

#### May 24 primary runoff[edit]

##### Place 2[edit]

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Republican Runoff, Place 2, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Mary Lou Keel | 50.87% | 184,405
| Republican  | Ray Wheless | 49.13% | 178,114
Total Votes (100% Reporting) | 362,519
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

##### Place 5[edit]

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Republican Runoff, Place 5, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Scott Walker (Texas) | 58.02% | 206,922
| Republican  | Brent Webster | 41.98% | 149,714
Total Votes (100% Reporting) | 356,636
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

#### March 1 primary election[edit]

##### Place 2[edit]

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2, Republican Primary, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Mary Lou Keel | 39.42% | 785,448
| Republican  |  Ray Wheless | 35.43% | 705,909
| Republican  | Chris Oldner | 25.15% | 501,063
Total Votes (100% Reporting) | 1,992,420
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2, Democratic Primary, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Lawrence Meyers Incumbent (unopposed) | 100.00% | 971,670
Total Votes (100% Reporting) | 971,670
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

##### Place 5[edit]

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 5, Republican Primary, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Scott Walker | 41.48% | 833,757
| Republican  |  Brent Webster | 20.45% | 411,119
| Republican  | Steve Smith | 19.60% | 393,992
| Republican  | Sid Harle | 18.47% | 371,303
Total Votes (100% Reporting) | 2,010,171
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 5, Democratic Primary, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Betsy Johnson (unopposed) | 100.00% | 985,406
Total Votes (100% Reporting) | 985,406
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

##### Place 6[edit]

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 6, Republican Primary, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Michael Keasler Incumbent | 56.87% | 1,102,194
| Republican  | Richard Dean Davis | 43.13% | 835,758
Total Votes (100% Reporting) | 1,937,952
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 6, Democratic Primary, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Robert D. Burns III (unopposed) | 100.00% | 958,408
Total Votes (100% Reporting) | 958,408
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

* Election history until 2012 (click to expand)

### 2014[edit]

See also Texas judicial elections, 2014
Place 3Candidate| Incumbency| Party| Primary Vote| Election Vote

|
|
|
|

WaltherBarbara Walther | No| Republican| 39.6%|
BennettMark Bennett (Texas) | No| Libertarian| | 3.6% D
GranbergJohn Granberg | No| Democratic| 100%A| 36.5% D
RichardsonBert RichardsonA| No| Republican| 60.4%A| 59.8% A
Place 4Candidate| Incumbency| Party| Primary Vote| Election Vote

|
|
|
|

YearyKevin Patrick YearyA| No| Republican| 54.7%A| 76.2% A
DavisRichard Dean Davis | No| Republican| 28.0%|
Sanders-CastroJudith Sanders-Castro | No| Green| | 10.4% D
ParkerQuanah Parker | No| Libertarian| | 13.3% D
WoodJani Jo Wood | No| Republican| 17.4%|
Place 9Candidate| Incumbency| Party| Primary Vote| Election Vote

|
|
|
|

KirkendallWilliam Kirkendall | No| Republican| 47.7%|
StrangeWilliam Bryan Strange | No| Libertarian| | 13.1% D
NewellDavid NewellA| No| Republican| 52.3%A| 78.3% A

### 2012[edit]

Candidate| Incumbency| Party| Place| Primary Vote| Election Vote

|
|
|
|
|

HerveyBarbara Hervey A| Yes| Republican| Place 7| 100%A| 77.9% A
AlcalaElsa Alcala A| Yes| Republican| Place 8| 100%A| 78.1% A
HamptonKeith Hampton | No| Democratic| Presiding Judge| 100%A| 41.2% A
StottLance Stott | No| Libertarian| Presiding Judge| | 3.3% A
BennettMark Bennett (Texas) | No| Libertarian| Place 6| | 22.1% A
KellerSharon Keller A| Yes| Republican| | 100%A| 55.5% A
StrangeWilliam Bryan Strange | No| Libertarian| Place 5| | 21.9% A

## Caseloads[edit]

The table below details the number of cases filed with the court and the number of dispositions (decisions) the court reached in each year.[9]

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals caseload data

Year  | Filings  | Dispositions
2022 | 4,027 | 4,203
2021 | 4,975 | 5,412
2020 | 5,120 | 4,578
2019 | 5,414 | 5,411
2018 | 5,957 | 6,231
2017 | 6,380 | 6,375
2016 | 6,838 | 6,849
2015 | 6,908 | 6,876
2014 | 7,246 | 7,299
2013 | 7,661 | 7,855
2012 | 7,762 | 7,502
2011 | 7,169 | 7,147
2010 | 6,903 | 6,823
2009 | 7,644 | 7,914
2008 | 8,189 | 8,416
2007 | 9,047 | 9,222

## Analysis[edit]

### Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters (2021)[edit]

See also: Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters

In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters, a study on how state supreme court justices decided the cases that came before them. Our goal was to determine which justices ruled together most often, which frequently dissented, and which courts featured the most unanimous or contentious decisions.

The study tracked the position taken by each state supreme court justice in every case they decided in 2020, then tallied the number of times the justices on the court ruled together. We identified the following types of justices:

* We considered two justices opinion partners if they frequently concurred or dissented together throughout the year.
* We considered justices a dissenting minority if they frequently opposed decisions together as a -1 minority.
* We considered a group of justices a determining majority if they frequently determined cases by a +1 majority throughout the year.
* We considered a justice a lone dissenter if he or she frequently dissented alone in cases throughout the year.

#### Summary of cases decided in 2020[edit]

* Number of justices: 9
* Number of cases: 159
* Percentage of cases with a unanimous ruling: 81.1% (129)
* Justice most often writing the majority opinion: Justice Keller (9)
* Per curiam decisions: 116
* Concurring opinions: 22
* Justice with most concurring opinions: Justice Keasler (6)
* Dissenting opinions: 21
* Justice with most dissenting opinions: Justice Yeary (7)

For the study's full set of findings in Texas, click here.

### Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship (2020)[edit]

See also: Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship

Last updated: June 15, 2020

In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship, a study examining the partisan affiliation of all state supreme court justices in the country as of June 15, 2020.

The study presented Confidence Scores that represented our confidence in each justice's degree of partisan affiliation, based on a variety of factors. This was not a measure of where a justice fell on the political or ideological spectrum, but rather a measure of how much confidence we had that a justice was or had been affiliated with a political party. To arrive at confidence scores we analyzed each justice's past partisan activity by collecting data on campaign finance, past political positions, party registration history, as well as other factors. The five categories of Confidence Scores were:

* Strong Democrat
* Mild Democrat
* Indeterminate[10]
* Mild Republican
* Strong Republican

We used the Confidence Scores of each justice to develop a Court Balance Score, which attempted to show the balance among justices with Democratic, Republican, and Indeterminate Confidence Scores on a court. Courts with higher positive Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Republican Confidence Scores, while courts with lower negative Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Democratic Confidence Scores. Courts closest to zero either had justices with conflicting partisanship or justices with Indeterminate Confidence Scores.[11]

Texas had a Court Balance Score of 10.4, indicating Republican control of the court. In total, the study found that there were 15 states with Democrat-controlled courts, 27 states with Republican-controlled courts, and eight states with Split courts. The map below shows the court balance score of each state.

## Noteworthy cases[edit]

The following are noteworthy cases heard before the Texas Supreme Court. For a full list of opinions published by the court, click here. Know of a case we should cover here? Let us know by emailing us.

• A third-party informant is enough to obtain a warrant, Texas high court rules (2013)| Click for summary→

|

Police officers in Texas may now acquire search warrants "based on predictions of the commission of future crimes," wrote a dissenting judge in an opinion from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.[12]

The court's December 11, 2013 ruling closed a case that began in the summer of 2010, when Parker County police walked into the home of Mark Wehrenberg without a warrant and arrested him and his associates. The police, having received a confidential tip that Wehrenberg planned to cook methamphetamine, had staked out the home for a month prior to making the arrests.[12]

The police sought a warrant after arresting Wehrenberg to confiscate the meth-making supplies, which included ammonia, rock salt, stripped lithium batteries, clear tubing, funnels, and boxes of pseudoephedrine. On the warrant application, the police neglected to mention that they had entered Wehrenberg's home before receiving authorization to do so, noting only the testimony of the confidential informant.[12]

During Wehrenberg's trial, his lawyer asserted that the material evidence was invalid because it was found during an illegal search. The trial court judge overruled this claim, citing a federal independent source doctrine that validates such evidence when a third party has informed police about it beforehand. Wehrenberg was sentenced to five years in prison, pleading guilty to possession and intent to manufacture.[12]

Upon appeal, the Second District Court of Appeals overturned the ruling, but the December 2013 decision by the high court allowed the original ruling to stand. Republican Judge Elsa Alcala penned the majority opinion, which cited federal precedent. The opinion explained that the illegally obtained evidence, normally not admissible in court, may be admitted through the independent source doctrine because it was later obtained lawfully.[12]

To read the full opinion click here.

Judge Lawrence Meyers, the only dissenter, reasoned that the police only applied for the warrant because they had previously entered the house and seen the evidence, writing that the third-party tip was functionally a prediction and not a confirmation.[12]

To read the full dissent click here.

## Ethics[edit]

The Texas Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Texas. It consists of eight overarching canons:

* Canon 1: Upholding the Integrity and Independence of the Judiciary
* Canon 2: Avoiding Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety in All of the Judge’s Activities
* Canon 3: Performing the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially and Diligently
* Canon 4: Conducting the Judge's Extra-Judicial Activities to Minimize the Risk of Conflict with Judicial Obligations
* Canon 5: Refraining from Inappropriate Political Activity
* Canon 6: Compliance with the Code of Judicial Conduct
* Canon 7: Effective Date of Compliance
* Canon 8: Construction and Terminology of the Code[13]

The full text of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

### Removal of judges[edit]

Court of Appeals judges in Texas may be removed in one of three ways:

* Removal or retirement by a review tribunal upon a Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct recommendation to the Supreme Court. The Commission investigates and, if warranted, prosecutes allegations of judicial misconduct. After a Commission recommendation, the Supreme Court selects a review tribunal made up of Court of Appeals judges to verify the Commission's findings and enter a judgment. Decisions are subject to appeal to the Supreme Court.
* By the governor on the address of two thirds of the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives.
* By a two-thirds vote of the Senate, upon impeachment by a majority vote of the House.

## History of the court[edit]

The Texas Constitution of 1876 alleviated the heavy civil caseload of the Supreme Court of Texas. Article V of the constitution established a three judge court of appeals to hear all appellate criminal cases. In 1891, Texas voters approved an amendment to keep the Supreme Court and established the Court of Civil Appeals. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals was the state's highest criminal court, and its three judges were elected to six-year terms. In 1978, a constitutional amendment increased the size of the Court of Criminal Appeals to nine judges.[14]

### Former justices[edit]

All former justices of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals:[15]| click for list →

|

Name:| Dates served:
Michael Keasler|  1999-2020
Tom Price| 1996-2014
Michael Jerry McCormick| 1981-2000
Bill Marvin White| 1985-1997
Samuel Houston Clinton, Jr.| 1979-1996
Charles Frankin ("Chuck") Campbell| 1983-1994
Charles Edward ("Chuck") Miller| 1983-1994
Marvin Odell Teague| 1981-1991
W. C. ("Bill") Davis| 1978-1990
John Frank ("Jack") Onion, Jr.| 1967-1988
Thomas Gilmer Davis| 1977-1987
Wendell Albert Odom| 1971-1984
Carl E. F. Dally| 1978-1983
Truman Ernest Roberts| 1971-1982
William T. Phillips| 1976-1980
Leon Burr Douglas| 1969-1980
Jim D. Vollers| 1978
Thurman Morris Gupton| 1976
William Arthur Morrison| 1951-1976
Ernest Walter Belcher| 1967-1970
Kenneth Koch Woodley| 1953-1970
Meade Felix Griffin| 1949-1969
James Wesley Dice, Jr.| 1967-1968
William Thomas McDonald, Sr.| 1960-1966
Lloyd Witten Davidson| 1955-1961
Harry Newton Graves| 1937-1955
Tom L. Beauchamp| 1939-1953
Frank Lee Hawkins| 1921-1951
Wright Chalfant Morrow| 1917-1939
Offa Shivers Lattimore| 1919-1937
William Lewis Davidson| 1891-1921
Albert Collins Prendergast|  1911-1918
Alfred John Harper| 1911-1917
William Franklin Ramsey| 1907-1912
Felix Johnson McCord| 1910-1911
MiCahah Madison Brooks| 1899-1910
John Nathaniel Henderson| 1894-1907
James Mann Hurt| 1880-1898
John Preston White| 1876-1892
Samuel A. Willson| 1882-1891
Clinton McKamy Winkler| 1876-1882
George W. Clark| 1879-1880
Mathew Duncan Ector| 1876-1879

## Courts in Texas[edit]

See also: Courts in Texas

In Texas, there are four federal district courts, a state supreme court, a state court of appeals, and trial courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.

Click a link for information about that court type.

* Federal courts
* State supreme court
* State court of appeals
* Trial courts

The image below depicts the flow of cases through Texas' state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.

The structure of Texas' state court system.

## Partisan control of Texas state government[edit]

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. A state supreme court plays a role in the checks and balances system of a state government.

Texas has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

## See also[edit]

Texas | Judicial Selection | More Courts

|
|

Courts in Texas Texas Courts of Appeals Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Texas Supreme Court |  Elections: 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Texas |  Federal courts State courts Local courts

## External links[edit]

* Texas Judicial Branch, "Texas Court of Criminal Appeals"

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ This is the base salary, which may increase with years of service or if you hold the position of chief judge.
2. ↑ Texas Judicial Branch, "About the Court," accessed September 25, 2019
3. ↑ Texas Constitution and Statutes, "Texas Constitution," accessed March 30, 2014
4. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `TXgeneral`
6. ↑ Texas State Historical Association, "Judiciary," accessed September 12, 2014
7. ↑ 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.
8. ↑ Off the Kuff, "You really have to plan for every election," November 10, 2019
9. ↑ Texas Courts Online, "Annual Reports," accessed September 27, 2024
10. ↑ An Indeterminate score indicates that there is either not enough information about the justice’s partisan affiliations or that our research found conflicting partisan affiliations.
11. ↑ The Court Balance Score is calculated by finding the average partisan Confidence Score of all justices on a state supreme court. For example, if a state has justices on the state supreme court with Confidence Scores of 4, -2, 2, 14, -2, 3, and 4, the Court Balance is the average of those scores: 3.3. Therefore, the Confidence Score on the court is Mild Republican. The use of positive and negative numbers in presenting both Confidence Scores and Court Balance Scores should not be understood to that either a Republican or Democratic score is positive or negative. The numerical values represent their distance from zero, not whether one score is better or worse than another.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 Dallas Observer, "Judge: In Texas, Search Warrants Can Now Be Based on a 'Prediction of a Future Crime'," archived December 20, 2013
13. ↑ Texas Judicial Branch, "Texas Code of Judicial Conduct," amended August 22, 2002
14. ↑ Texas State Historical Association, "Texas Court of Criminal Appeals," accessed October 22, 2014
15. ↑ Tarlton Law Library, "Justices of Texas 1836-1986," archived March 10, 2015

Texas courts

* * *

Federal courts:

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas

State courts:

Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts

State resources:

Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas

v • e

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Judicial selection in Texas • 2024 elections • Texas Supreme Court • Courts in Texas

|

Current|

Former|

Lawrence Meyers • Tom Price (Texas) • Paul Womack • Cheryl Johnson • Michael Keasler • Charles Holcomb (Texas judge) • Cathy Cochran • Thomas Reavley • Fortunato Benavides • Elsa Alcala • Tom L. Beauchamp • Ernest Walter Belcher • MiCahah Madison Brooks • Charles Frankin ("Chuck") Campbell • George W. Clark • Samuel Houston Clinton, Jr. • Carl E. F. Dally • William Lewis Davidson • Lloyd Witten Davidson • Thomas Gilmer Davis • W. C. ("Bill") Davis • James Wesley Dice, Jr. • Leon Burr Douglas • Harry Newton Graves • Meade Felix Griffin • Thurman Morris Gupton • Alfred John Harper • Frank Lee Hawkins • John Nathaniel Henderson • James Mann Hurt • Offa Shivers Lattimore • Felix Johnson McCord • Michael Jerry McCormick • William Thomas McDonald, Sr. • Charles Edward ("Chuck") Miller • William Arthur Morrison • Wright Chalfant Morrow • Wendell Albert Odom • John Frank ("Jack") Onion, Jr. • William T. Phillips • Albert Collins Prendergast • William Franklin Ramsey • Truman Ernest Roberts • Eldred James Simkins • Marvin Odell Teague • Jim D. Vollers • Bill Marvin White • John Preston White • Samuel A. Willson • Clinton McKamy Winkler • Kenneth Koch Woodley •

v • e

Supreme Courts

Federal|

Supreme Court of the United States

State|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • D.C. • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oklahoma Criminal • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Texas Criminal • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming