Retired Judges Report, December 2014

After serving the citizens of Travis County, Texas, for over sixteen years, Judge Samuel T. Biscoe retired from the Travis County Court bench on December 31, 2014.^[1]

In 1973, upon receiving his law degree from the University of Texas Law School, Biscoe went to work for the NAACP. His work on the desegregation of the Austin school district brought Biscoe to the attention of Agricultural Commissioner Jim Hightower, who then hired Biscoe to serve as his general counsel in 1983. One of Biscoe's notable achievements while in this office was helping to pass safety regulations in the use of pesticides for the protection of farmworkers. He then served as a commissioner for Travis County for nine years before his election to the Travis County in 1998.^[1]

Biscoe credits the many black men and women who came before him and faced challenges from segregation laws and discrimination, yet still achieved great accomplishments, in his desire to work in public service and effect a positive change for the people of Travis County. Biscoe led the push to remove the question about past criminal behavior off job applications in order to aid ex-offenders seeking jobs, and helped institute a jobs program that placed 800 youths in summer jobs around the county.^[2]

Biscoe plans on spending his well-earned retirement with family, reading books and playing golf.^[3]

The following judges retired from office in December 2014.
*Based on Judgepedia's records and recent news reports; municipal court judges not included