Over 35 years, Hecht modernized the court, increased access to justice for the poor and saw his conservative views come to dominate the bench.
Nathan L. Hecht
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Courts
Texas Supreme Court chief justice calls for higher judicial salaries, business courts
In his biennial state of the judiciary, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht also warned against politicsโ encroachment into the third branch of government.
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Texas 2020 Elections
Analysis: Texans in many border counties voted for Donald Trump โ and then for Democrats
Trump flipped a couple of historically Democratic counties on the Texas border this year. But in many cases, his showing didn’t benefit the other Republicans on the ticket.
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Politics
Pointing to pandemic and election controversies, Democrats make their case for Texas Supreme Court
Democrats argue the high court’s pandemic-related decisions show GOP incumbents should be unseated in November. Republicans say the virus is another argument for sticking with the status quo.
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State Government
Gov. Greg Abbott picks Rebeca Huddle for Texas Supreme Court vacancy
Abbott, a former Texas Supreme Court justice himself, picked Huddle to serve on the all-Republican high court.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Coronavirus throws Texas Supreme Court justices into the spotlight โ and into Democrats’ crosshairs
In a year when four justices face reelection, the all-Republican high court has made a slate of controversy-generating decisions, including lifting a moratorium on evictions and โ for now โ limiting voting by mail in this yearโs elections.
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Politics
Optimistic Democrats are lining up to run for Texasโ high courts in 2020
The depth of the bench for non-marquee statewide races, like the stateโs two high courts and the Railroad Commission, is a measure of how high Democratic hopes have soared ahead of the 2020 election.
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Politics
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.
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Texas Legislature 2019
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.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
House votes to end jail time for being too poor to pay fines
Senate Bill 1913, by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, would allow courts to ask defendants if they are too poor to pay for traffic tickets, fines for other low-level and fine-only offenses or court costs.