Three new faces will join the bench, but the political balance of power will remain the same on the Court of Criminal Appeals.
Sharon Keller
Posted in
2024 Texas Elections
Three court of criminal appeal judges up for reelection targeted by Ken Paxton’s political revenge machine
Paxton promised to go after the Republican judges over their 2021 ruling that struck down the attorney general’s ability to unilaterally prosecute voter fraud.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas’ highest criminal court strikes down provision of Open Meetings Act as “unconstitutionally vague”
The ruling only pertains to a slice of the law, but open government advocates say the decision “removes a powerful disincentive” put in place to keep public officials from hiding public business.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
In race against Texas judge Sharon Keller, Republican highlighting infamous death row call
Sharon Keller, the longtime presiding judge of Texas’ Court of Criminal Appeals, has tried to move on from several past ethical controversies — including blocking the last-minute appeal of a 2007 execution. A primary challenger hopes voters will reconsider them.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Dem Judge Candidate Seeking GOP Votes
Democrat Keith Hampton is focusing his campaign to lead the state’s top criminal court on winning over Republicans. That is the key, he says, to defeating controversial long-time Judge Sharon Keller.
Posted inState Government
Campaign Roundup: The Week’s Political News
Cain quits, James files, the Williamses go for it, and other state campaign news, candidate announcements, retirements and rumors from the past week.
Posted inState Government
Updated: The 2012 Holdouts List
Some are waiting to see what the courts will do. Others want to see if any opponents surface. Regardless, with six days to go until the filing deadline, how many incumbents haven’t filed yet? A whole bunch.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribBlog: Keller Case Not Over Yet
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct isn’t giving up on its attempt to reprimand Sharon Keller — in an unexpected move today, it appealed a court’s dismissal of its sanction against Keller, the presiding judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Sharon Keller: The TT Interview
The soft-spoken and — until now — media-shy presiding judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals sat down with The Texas Tribune last week to talk about capital punishment in Texas, what she was doing on the afternoon she closed her office at 5 p.m. to a last-minute death row appeal, the flaws in the way the state sanctions judges, what it’s like to be known as Sharon “Killer” Keller and the “ridiculous” idea that she doesn’t care about defendants or indigent defense.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
An Interview with Sharon Keller
The soft-spoken and — until now — media-shy presiding judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals sat down with The Texas Tribune last week to talk about capital punishment in Texas, what she was doing on the afternoon she closed her office at 5 p.m. to a last-minute death row appeal, the flaws in the way the state sanctions judges, what it’s like to be known as Sharon “Killer” Keller and the “ridiculous” idea that she doesn’t care about defendants or indigent defense.