Democrats say the the decision by Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Lawrence Meyers to leave the Republican Party gives them something to build on for the 2014 elections. But GOP officials see no evidence of a sea change.
Texas Supreme Court
Posted inState Government
Texas Among States Getting F in Judicial Disclosures Report
Texas doesn’t require enough disclosure from its judges to fully inform the public about conflicts of interest, according to a report from the Center for Public Integrity.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Perry Taps Appeals Court Justice for Texas Supreme Court
Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday said he had appointed Houston’s Jeff Brown to an open spot on the Texas Supreme Court. Brown, a former state district judge, is currently a justice on Houston’s 14th Court of Appeals.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Perry: Hecht Will Replace Jefferson as Chief Justice
UPDATED: Justice Nathan Hecht will replace Wallace Jefferson chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday. He’ll be up for election next year.
Posted in
Bidness As Usual
Judicial Donations Raise Questions of Partiality
Texas Supreme Court justices are elected by voters, and the campaign contributions they receive from law firms with an interest in their decisions have caused some to worry that justice is for sale.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Updated: Chief Justice Pushes for “Innocence Commission”
Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson pushed lawmakers to establish a commission to investigate wrongful convictions at his biannual State of the Judiciary speech on Wednesday.
Posted in
Public Education
For Elected Judges, Facing Voters Without Heeding Political Urges
For the elected judges on the state’s highest civil court, the trick is to survive politically without thinking about politics — even on big political issues like school finance.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Lawmakers and Judge Push for Legal Aid Funding
A Texas Supreme Court Justice and several lawmakers are pushing to raise the amount of money that can be given by the attorney general’s office to indigent legal aid services groups.
Posted in
Demographics
Sons of Confederate Veterans Wants Plaque Removed From Building
Reigniting the flames of a years-long battle over plaques at the Texas Supreme Court building, the Sons of Confederate Veterans has filed a motion to remove a marker that the historical group says inadequately honors the Confederacy.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Bill Renews Debate on Merging Top Two Courts
State Rep. Richard Peña Raymond has filed a bill to abolish the Court of Criminal Appeals and bring all of its related cases under the Texas Supreme Court. He’s triggering a debate that goes all the way back to Reconstruction.
