Gov. Greg Abbott selects former appeals court judge Jane Bland for Texas Supreme Court
Bland lost her Houston appeals court seat in the November 2018 election. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/75711e21cfac095597b5c71462e58ac7/Justice%20Bland.jpg)
-
![Justice Jane Bland.]()
Credit: Image via The University of Texas at Austin School of Law -
With a new vacancy on the Texas Supreme Court, attention turns to diversity concerns
Gov. Greg Abbott has his third opportunity to appoint a judge to the state's highest civil court. His first two picks were white men. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/26c9f8fe06a378c9d61a16d90db20fe4/05_Supreme_Court_EW_TT.jpg)
![The Justices of the Texas Supreme Court hear the Texas Department of Criminal Justice v. Maurie Levin, et al. case on Jan. 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Senate confirms Texas Supreme Court Justice Jeff Brown to the federal bench
The nod creates a vacancy on the state's highest civil court, giving Gov. Greg Abbott his third opportunity to make an appointment. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1ae8a081303976ba57eacdce6dcf43e5/06_Supreme_Court_Jeff_Brown_EW_TT.jpg)
![Texas Supreme Court Justice Jeff Brown listens to Philip Durst during a hearing for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice v. Maurie Levin, et al. case on Jan. 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
State leaders again want to review how Texas elects judges. Will they end partisan judicial elections?
After an election that swept scores of Republican judges out of office, Gov. Greg Abbott is eyeing judicial selection reform. Advocates hope that the perennial issue may finally draw some attention. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/de6af144e80855b4ee55d24698810617/04_Supreme_Court_EW_TT.jpg)
![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
State Supreme Court rules Texas can hide the identity of execution drug supplier
Citing security concerns, the state has fought for years to keep the supplier's name secret. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/09/09/DeathChamber-Texas.jpg)
![Texas' execution chamber in Huntsville.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
A newly elected county judge resigned abruptly. Just one problem: It was an accident.
Judge William McLeod declared his run for the Texas Supreme Court. But as he later discovered, doing so invoked a provision in the state's constitution that may force him to leave his post. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/992fbb0f5ec0c0c548a37e62f13f95cd/06_Supreme_Court_EW_TT.jpg)
![The Justices of the Texas Supreme Court hear the Texas Department of Criminal Justice v. Maurie Levin, et al. case on Jan. 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate confirms Brett Busby for Supreme Court post
Busby, a Republican judge and former U.S. Supreme Court clerk, served on an appellate court in Houston until voters rejected him in November as part of a Democratic sweep. Full Story
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Houston judge tosses same-sex marriage benefits challenge, but plaintiffs pledge to appeal
A newly elected Democratic judge issued the decision in the latest turn of a 2013 legal challenge to Houston's policy extending benefits to municipal employees' same-sex spouses. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/07/05/TxTrib-GayWedding_018.JPG)
![Herbert Clayson Cloete and Mark Chavez smile as they watch Jodie Flint, who officiated the "Big Gay Wedding" ceremony, sign their marriage license on July 4, 2015 in Austin.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune -
With eager candidates waiting in the wings, Texas Supreme Court slot sits open
An appointment to the high court would require a two-thirds confirmation vote, potentially handing Texas Senate Democrats an important bargaining chip in the contentious legislative debates to come. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/243a982c9843802242fe118b9b54442c/10_Supreme_Court_EW_TT.jpg)
![Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hect speaks during the hearing of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice v. Maurie Levin, et al. case on Jan. 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht calls for nonpartisan judicial elections, bail reform
In the wake of a midterm election that saw four major state appeals courts flip on partisan lines, Hecht called on lawmakers to consider changing Texas to a system of merit selection and retention elections. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/edd28ffa6c3324cd0df9ec29dbb29442/01_State_of_the_Judiciary_Hecht_MG.jpg)
![Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht speaks at the State of the Judiciary at the Capitol. Feb. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court weighs whether state should reveal execution drug supplier
Justices questioned whether revealing the name would risk physical harm to the supplier — or only hurt its business. Full Story
![The Justices of the Texas Supreme Court hear the Texas Department of Criminal Justice v. Maurie Levin, et al. case on Jan. 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Texas has failed to close educational gaps for kids of color. In Edgewood ISD, the fallout has lasted generations.
Edgewood ISD has faced consistent problems in preparing its students for college and the workforce. The district's struggles shine a light on Texas’ long record of neglecting schools that educate mostly students of color. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7c74168d34e94e1056587376e4ac6f5e/School_Segregation_Carlos_08_LS_TT.jpg)
![Carlos Lopez is a freshman at The University of Texas studying Biochemistry, while also holding down a part time job at HEB. He graduated high school from John F. Kennedy, a small school on the west side of San Antonio and feels unprepared for what he has experienced at UT. He studies at the Student Academic Center on campus, December 7, 2018. Although he feels his public education underprepared him for UT and an advisor suggested changing his major, he does not want to give up.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Why did the Texas AG get into — and then out of — a controversial lawsuit in his home county?
On Nov. 19, the Texas Attorney General's Office backed Plano in a heated lawsuit over the city's development plan. On Nov. 20, the agency said it had made a mistake. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/717c93f0bf877ebac64eee7063f56b75/Plano_Municipal_Center_TT.jpg)
![The Municipal Center in Plano on Oct. 10, 2015.]()
Credit: Michael Barera/Creative Commons -
In campaigns for Texas’ top courts, judicial candidates must rely on party ID
In these down-ballot, low-information races, judges' success often depends on the party leaders at the top of the ballot. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/48dbd1e6b010e449b7bf379c21fc55c1/RK_Sandill_AM_TT.jpg)
![Judge Ravi K. Sandill smiles after he is introduced during a Meet & Greet at the Sweetwater Country Club in Sugar Land on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court reverses course, will hear case over whether state can keep execution drug supplier secret
The court will hold oral arguments on whether to name a past supplier of the execution drug in January. Full Story
![Texas' execution chamber in Huntsville.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Federal judge upholds Texas' partisan statewide judicial elections system
A federal judge has ruled for Texas in a long-running challenge to the state's system of electing judges to its two highest courts. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Report: Austin to end its bag ban after Texas Supreme Court ruling
The city of Austin announced Tuesday it will no longer enforce its ban on plastic bags after the Texas Supreme Court ruled that a similar ban in Laredo violated state law, KUT reported. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2018/01/11/bag-pollution-SK_TT.jpg)
![Single-use bag ban advocates hold a press conference before the Texas Supreme Court prior to oral arguments on the legality of Laredo’s ban on Jan. 11, 2018.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court decision could help uninsured patients negotiate excessive hospital bills
The state's highest civil court said uninsured patients suing hospitals can access records detailing how much insurance companies paid for similar procedures. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/03/01/TexasSupremeCourtBuildingTT.jpg)
![Texas Supreme Court Building]()
-
A teacher says a coworker grabbed her “behind.” The Texas Supreme Court tossed her lawsuit.
The court found that the woman who sued didn't prove that the female coworker who harassed her was gay, so it's not clear that the incident constituted "sexually motivated touching." Full Story
![Texas Supreme Court Building]()
-
Sarah Davis' re-election bid, Ross Ramsey's hot list
On this week's TribCast, Emily, Ross, Patrick and Emma talk to state Rep. Sarah Davis about Gov. Greg Abbott's efforts to unseat her, Ross' primary hot list and a state Supreme Court justice's quick-turn candidacy. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/11/22/TTE-tribcast_leadart.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Emily Albracht / Todd Wiseman
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0426d743e1ebe1e94ef8b4fddac04074/01_Brett_Busby_Oath_MG_TT)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/343f21af0311ab39edd8769132cea9e5/BD%20INC%20Justice%20Criminal%20Court%20of%20Appeals%202011)