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Fifth District COA Candidates Make Their Case in Refreshingly Civil Virtual Forum

The Democratic and Republican candidates for three seats on the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas did something Thursday evening that, in 2020, could strike many voters as odd. They engaged in a cordial, thoughtful, informative discussion of their qualifications to the bench, their legal experience and their judicial philosophies. Bruce Tomaso details what was said at the forum, which was moderated by The Texas Lawbook.

Bruce Tomaso

Rebeca Huddle of Baker Botts Named to SCOTX

Gov. Greg Abbott has selected El Paso native Rebeca Huddle to fill the open seat on the Texas Supreme Court left by Justice Paul Green, who retired from the bench at the end of August. Huddle, a former justice on the First Court of Appeals in Houston, was most recently the partner-in-charge of Baker Botts' Houston office.

Allen Pusey

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?

Natalie Posgate

Dallas COA Races Test the Strength of Incumbent Republicans

The power of incumbency, normally a potent advantage at the ballot box, may prove to be of diminished relevance in this year’s three races for seats on the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas. This article explains the dynamics and background of the three races in Dallas' Fifth Court of Appeals.

Bruce Tomaso

Texas Takes its Pecos River Water Grievance to the U.S Supreme Court

It's a case about the cost of evaporated water. Or, if you prefer, a case about the cost of literally nothing. But in one of the earliest disputes to be heard in the term that begins next week, the Lone Star State is taking its complaint over a bill for disappearing Pecos River water to the U.S. Supreme Court. Tony Mauro reports.

Tony Mauro

2020 Houston Judicial Appellate Races: The Candidates, The Issues & Factors

The men and women of Texas’ appeals courts are called justices for a reason. They’re typically the first people to scrutinize whether justice was truly served to their citizens in the trial courts they oversee. In the first of a special series on Texas judicial races, this article introduces the candidates in Houston’s two intermediate appellate courts and lays out the issues that Houston voters may consider about these races while filling out their 2020 ballot.

Natalie Posgate

“Well, that was unexpected…” Panel Considers SCOTX Term

The state's highest court dealt with a number of issues this past term — a COVID-19 pandemic, changes in personnel and a ransomware attack. But the court also heard a few cases, and a quartet of appellate experts from Beck Redden and Haynes and Boone discussed those cases in a recent panel hosted by The Texas Lawbook.

Janet Elliott

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