AG Paxton Commends U.S. District Court Ruling That Upholds Texas’ Time-Honored System of Statewide Judicial Elections

by TCJL | Sep 13, 2018 | info

Attorney General Ken Paxton today applauded a decision by the U.S. District Court in Corpus Christi upholding the well-established practice of statewide judicial elections for the Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals. The court ruled that the system fully complies with voting rights’ laws.“Texans have been choosing the courts’ highest appellate judges in statewide elections for 142 years, and this system supports the state’s interest in maintaining judicial accountability and independence,” Attorney General Paxton said. “The system was enshrined in the Texas Constitution in 1867 and allows every Texas voter to vote for every candidate seeking a seat on the state’s two highest courts.”A lawsuit against the state of Texas sought to divide the two highest courts into single-member judicial districts. But such a change would mean voters would only be able to vote for one seat on each high court instead of casting a ballot for all 18 seats. The court concluded that the plaintiffs that had standing “have not satisfied their burden to show that the voting methodology results in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”View a copy of the U.S. District Court ruling here: https://bit.ly/2QjOpeF

Want new articles directly to your inbox?
Subscribe to our Publishing Service.

Austin Court of Appeals Rules for Appraisal Districts in Gas Compressor Cases, Potentially Creating a Loophole in Tax Code Treatment of a Dealer’s Inventory of Heavy Equipment

As we reported in June, energy companies that lease natural gas compressors won a significant victory for property owners when the Texas Supreme Court has ruled that § 25.25(c), Tax Code, motion to correct the appraisal roll is not precluded by a prior unsuccessful...

Governor Abbott Appoints Blacklock As Chief Justice, Sullivan As Justice Of The Supreme Court Of Texas

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Jimmy Blacklock as Chief Justice and James P. Sullivan as Justice, Place 2, on the Supreme Court of Texas for terms set to expire on December 31, 2026. "With more than 35 years on the bench, Chief Justice Nathan Hecht is the state’s...

New Causes of Action Tracker – 89th Lege 2025

New Causes of Action and Penalties filed in the 89th Texas Legislature. Please note many other bills filed also contain new causes of action and penalties. This list highlights explicit new causes. 12-18-24 HB 167 by Tepper (R-Lubbock): Creates a new no-injury cause...

AG Paxton Commends U.S. District Court Ruling That Upholds Texas’ Time-Honored System of Statewide Judicial Elections

AG Paxton Commends U.S. District Court Ruling That Upholds Texas’ Time-Honored System of Statewide Judicial Elections

AG Paxton Commends U.S. District Court Ruling That Upholds Texas’ Time-Honored System of Statewide Judicial Elections

Austin Court of Appeals Rules for Appraisal Districts in Gas Compressor Cases, Potentially Creating a Loophole in Tax Code Treatment of a Dealer’s Inventory of Heavy Equipment

Governor Abbott Appoints Blacklock As Chief Justice, Sullivan As Justice Of The Supreme Court Of Texas

New Causes of Action Tracker – 89th Lege 2025

Pin It on Pinterest