As early voting in Texas comes to a close this week, Houstonians might undergo a sense of déjà vu as they select their preferred judicial candidate for the 61st District Court: Their choices are the same as they were during the 2016 general election.
Quantum Materials Lawyer Gets Good News from SCOTX During Kansas Trial
Michael Minns was on the last day of a virtual bench trial before a Kansas judge when he found out he prevailed in the Texas Supreme Court against global law firm K&L Gates. Now the Kansas proceeding will prove to be invaluable as the Texas case returns to a Hays County trial court. This article explains the connections.
Vitol Scores $147M Verdict in Marathon Zoom Bench Trial
Houston state District Judge Larry Weiman, in what may be his final major corporate trial before he leaves the bench, has awarded Vitol Americas $147 million in a contract dispute with Targa Channelview. The five-week trial, which pitted two elite litigation boutiques against each other, is believed to be the longest bench trial conducted via Zoom in Texas legal history.
Houston’s 334th District Court Up for Grabs Between Two Challengers
After the Democratic primary wiped out the incumbent of Harris County’s 334th district court, the seat is being pursued by two challengers: primary winner Dawn Rogers and Republican Dan Lemkuil.
Sandill and Copeland Face Off for Harris County’s 164th District Court
Incumbent R.K. Sandill, a 12-year veteran of the bench, faces challenger Nile Copeland, a civil litigator and serial public office runner.
Analysis: Even Lawyers See Difficulty in Informed Voting for Judges
U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts said there are no “Obama” or “Bush” judges, but the Texas Constitution mandates that all judges here be elected, making Texas one of only seven states where these positions are political and partisan. There are clear and definitive differences between the Democratic and Republican judicial candidates that impact cases large and small. But if lawyers even have difficulty figuring it out, what chance does the general public have?
Race for Place 5 on First COA Pits Adams Against Guerra – Updated
The judicial race pits incumbent Terry Adams, a recent Abbott appointee, against challenger Amparo Guerra, a commercial and employment litigation partner at Shackelford. (Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include a Q&A with Adams.
Lloyd Faces Rivas-Molloy in Race for Place 3 on First COA
Justice Russell Lloyd, the Republican incumbent, is defending his seat on the First Court of Appeals against Jones Walker special counsel Veronica Rivas-Molloy. This article includes candidate Q&As and results from the Houston Bar Association judicial preference poll.
The Race to Lead Houston’s 14th Court
Two women are running to replace Chief Justice Kem Thompson Frost for the top position of Houston’s Fourteenth Court of Appeals after Frost decided against seeking reelection. The race features Republican Tracy Christopher, who currently sits on Place 9 of the court, and Democrat Jane Robinson of the AZA law firm. This article includes a candidate Q&A and insights from the Houston Bar Association’s 2020 judicial preference poll.
Ken Wise & Tami Craft Vie for 14th COA Spot
Wise, the Republican incumbent, is a seven-year veteran of the court while Craft seeks to become the first African American justice elected to the Fourteenth Court of Appeals. This article includes a candidate Q&A and insights from the Houston Bar Association’s 2020 judicial preference poll.