Texas Supreme Court

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The Texas Supreme Court is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters (including juvenile delinquency which the law considers to be a civil matter and not criminal) in the state of Texas. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last resort for criminal matters.

The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. The Court meets in Austin, Texas in a building located on the state Capitol grounds, behind the Texas capitol.

Contents


[edit] Regulation of the legal profession in Texas

By statute, the Texas Supreme Court has administrative control over the State Bar of Texas, an agency of the judiciary.[1] The Texas Supreme Court has the sole authority to license attorneys in Texas, [2] and also appoints the members of the Board of Law Examiners[3] which, under instructions of the Supreme Court, administers the Texas bar examination.[4]

[edit] Justices of the Court

The Court has a Chief Justice and eight associate justices. All members of the Court must be at least 35 years of age, a citizen of Texas, licensed to practice law in Texas, and must have practiced law (or have been a lawyer and a judge of a court of record together) for at least ten years.[5]

[edit] Election of members of the Court

The Chief Justice and the associate justices are elected to staggered six-year terms in state-wide partisan elections. When a vacancy arises the Governor of Texas may appoint Justices, subject to Senate confirmation, to serve out the remainder of an unexpired term until the next general election. As of 2008, five of the current Justices, a majority, were originally appointed by Governor Rick Perry. The current Justices, like all the Judges of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, are all Republican.

The place numbers have no special meaning as all justices are elected state-wide, except that the Chief Justice position is considered "Place 1".

[edit] Current Justices

Justice Party Affiliation Place Date Service Began Term Ends
Wallace B. Jefferson
Republican
Chief Justice
April 18, 2001
2008
Don R. Willett
Republican
2
August 24, 2005
2012
Harriet O'Neill
Republican
3
January 1, 1999
2010
David M. Medina
Republican
4
November 10, 2004
2012
Paul W. Green
Republican
5
January 1, 2005
2010
Nathan Hecht
Republican
6
January 1, 1989
2012
Dale Wainwright
Republican
7
January 1, 2003
2008
Phil Johnson
Republican
8
April 11, 2005
2008
Scott A. Brister
Republican
9
November 21, 2003
2010

[edit] History of membership of the Court

[edit] Justices of the Republic of Texas, 1836–1845

The Constitution of the Republic of Texas provided for a Supreme Court to consist of a Chief Justice and Associate Justices. The Associate Justices were the Judges of the eight district courts of Texas.

[edit] Chief Justices
  • James Collinsworth (December 1836–July 1838)
  • John Birdsall (November 1838–December 1838)
  • Thomas Jefferson Rusk (December 1838–December 1840)
  • John Hemphill (December 1840–December 1845)

The District Judges, whose first session was January 13, 1840, served with the Chief Justice as Associate Justices from January 13, 1840 to December 29, 1845, when Texas was admitted into the United States:

[edit] Associate Justices
Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor
Edward Thomas Branch
George W. Terrell
John M. Hansford
Anderson Hutchinson
Patrick C. Jack
John B. Jones
William E. Jones
William J. Jones
John T. Mills
Richard Morris
M. P. Norton
William B. Ochiltree
J. W. Robinson
Richardson A. Scurry
Anthony B. Shelby

[edit] Justices 1845–1876

[edit] Under the Constitutions of 1845 and 1861

[edit] Chief Justices
John Hemphill (March 1846–October 1858)
Royall T. Wheeler (October 1858–April 1864)
Oran M. Roberts (November 1864–June 1866)

[edit] Associate Justices
Abner S. Lipscomb (March 1846–November 1856)
Oran M. Roberts (April 1857–October 1862)
George F. Moore (politician) (October 1862–June 1866)
Royall T. Wheeler (March 1846–October 1858)
James H. Bell (October 1858–August 1864)
Reuben A. Reeves (November 1864–June 1866)

[edit] Under the Constitution of 1866 (1866–1870)

Removed by U.S. military authorities in 1867:

George F. Moore (Chief Justice, August 1866–September 1867)
Richard Coke (August 1866–September 1867)
S. P. Donley (October 1866–September 1867)
Asa H. Willie (August 1866–September 1867)
George W. Smith (Texas) (August 1866–September 1867)

Appointed by U.S. military authorities to replace them:

Amos Morrill (Chief Justice, September 1867–July 1870)
Livingston Lindsay (September 1867–July 1870)
Albert H. Latimer (September 1867–November 1869)
James Denison (January 1870–July 1870)
Colbert Caldwell (September 1867–October 1869)
C. B. Sabin (March 1870, no record of service)
Andrew J. Hamilton (November 1867–October 1869)
Moses B. Walker (December 1869–July 1870)

[edit] Under the Constitution of 1868 (1870–1876)

Three Justices from July 5, 1870 to January 29, 1874

Lemuel D. Evans (Chief Justice, July 1870–August 1873)
Wesley Ogden (July 1870–August 1873; Chief Justice, August 1873–January 1874)
Moses B. Walker (July 1870–January 1874)
J. D. McAdoo (August 1873–January 1874)

Five Justices from January 29, 1874 to April 18, 1876

Oran M. Roberts (Chief Justice, January 1874–April 1876)
Reuben A. Reeves (January 1874–April 1876)
Thomas J. Devine (January 1874–September 1875)
John Ireland (September 1875–April 1876)
George F. Moore (politician) (February 1874–April 1876)
William P. Ballinger (February 3, 1874, resigned same day)
Peter W. Gray (February 1874–April 1876)
Robert S. Gould (May 1874–April 1876)

[edit] Justices under the Constitution of 1876 (1876–present)

[edit] Justices 1876–1945

[edit] Chief Justices
Main article: List of Chief Justices of Texas
George F. Moore (November 1878–November 1881)
Robert S. Gould (November 1881–December 1882)
Asa H. Willie (December 1882–March 1888)
John W. Stayton (March 1888–July 1894)
Reuben R. Gaines (July 1894–January 1911)
Thomas J. Brown (January 1911–May 1915)
Nelson Phillips (June 1915–November 1921)
C. M. Cureton (December 1921–April 1940)
W. F. Moore (April 1940–January 1941)
James P. Alexander (January 1941–1948)
J. E. Hickman (1948–1961)
Robert W. Calvert (1961–1972)
Joe R. Greenhill (1972–1982)
Jack Pope (1982–1985)
John L. Hill, Jr. (1985–1988)
Thomas R. Phillips (January 4, 1988–January 2004)
Wallace B. Jefferson (January 2004–Present)

[edit] Associate Justices
Robert S. Gould (April 1876–November 1881)
John W. Stayton (November 1881–March 1888)
A. S. Walker (April 1888–January 1889)
J. L. Henry (January 1889–May 1893)
T. J. Brown (May 1893–January 1911)
W. F. Ramsey (January 1911–April 1912)
Nelson Phillips (April 1912–June 1915)
J. E. Yantis (June 1915–March 1918)
Thomas B. Greenwood (April 1918–December 1934)
John H. Sharp (December 1934–September 1945)
George F. Moore (politician) (April 1876–October 1878)
Micajah H. Bonner (November 1878–December 1882)
Charles S. West (December 1882–September 1885)
Sawnie Robertson (October 1885–September 1886)
Reuben R. Gaines (September 1886–July 1894)
Leroy G. Denman (July 1894–May 1899)
F. A. Williams (May 1899–April 1911)
Joseph Burton Dibrell, Jr. (April 1911–January 1913)
William E. Hawkins (January 1913–January 1921)
William Pierson (politician) (January 1921–April 1935)
Richard Critz (May 1935–January 1945)
Gordon Simpson (January 1945–September 1945)

[edit] Justices from 1945

[edit] Chief Justice, Place 1
James P. Alexander (September 21, 1945 to January 1, 1948)
J. E. Hickman (January 7, 1948 to January 3, 1961)
Robert W. Calvert (January 3, 1961 to October 4, 1972)
Joe R. Greenhill (October 4, 1972 to October 25, 1982)
Jack Pope (November 29, 1982 to January 4, 1985)
John L. Hill Jr. (January 5, 1985 to January 4, 1988)
Thomas R. Phillips (January 4, 1988 to September 3, 2004)
Wallace B. Jefferson (September 20, 2004 to present. Term ends in 2008)

[edit] Justices, Place 2
John H. Sharp (September 21, 1945 to December 31, 1952)
Frank P. Culver Jr. (January 1, 1953 to December 21, 1964)
Jack Pope (January 4, 1965 to November 29, 1982)
Ted Robertson (December 2, 1982 to December 31, 1988)
Lloyd Doggett (January 1, 1989 to December 31, 1994)
Priscilla R. Owen (January 1, 1995 to June 6, 2005. Appointed as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.)
Don R. Willett (August 24, 2005 to present. Term ends in 2012.)

[edit] Justices, Place 3
Gordon Simpson (September 21, 1945 to March 1, 1949)
R. H. Harvey (March 1, 1949 to September 8, 1950, died in office)
Robert W. Calvert (September 18, 1950 to January 3, 1961)
Zollie Steakley (January 3, 1961 to December 31, 1980)
James P. Wallace (January 1, 1981 to September 1, 1988)
Eugene A. Cook (September 1, 1988 to December 31, 1992)
Rose Spector (January 1, 1993 to December 31, 1998)
Harriet O'Neill (January 1, 1999 to present. Term ends in 2010)

[edit] Justices, Place 4
Graham B. Smedley (September 21, 1945 to June 16, 1954)
Ruel C. Walker (October 19, 1954 to September 30, 1975)
Ross E. Doughty (October 1, 1975 to December 31, 1976)
Don Yarbrough (January 1, 1977 to July 1977)
Charles W. Barrow (July 25, 1977 to September 30, 1984)
Raul A. Gonzalez (October 8, 1984 to December 31, 1998)
Alberto R. Gonzales (January 14, 1999 to December 22, 2000. Resigned to become White House counsel to President George W. Bush.)
Wallace B. Jefferson (April 18, 2001 to September 20, 2004. Appointed chief justice in September 2004.)
David M. Medina (November 10, 2004 to present. Term ends in 2012)

[edit] Justices, Place 5
William M. Taylor (September 21, 1945 to December 31, 1950)
Will Wilson (January 2, 1951 to June 1, 1956)
Abner V. McCall (June 15, 1956 to December 31, 1956)
James R. Norvell (January 1, 1957 to October 10, 1968)
Thomas M. Reavley (October 10, 1968 to October 1, 1977)
T. C. Chadick (October 5, 1977 to December 31, 1978)
Robert M. Campbell (December 1, 1978 to February 1, 1988)
Barbara Culver (February 1, 1988 to December 7, 1988)
Jack Hightower (December 7, 1988 to January 1, 1996)
Greg Abbott (January 2, 1996 to June 6, 2001)
Xavier Rodriguez (September 7, 2001 to November 6, 2002)
Steven Wayne Smith (November 20, 2002 to December 31, 2004)
Paul W. Green (January 1, 2005 to present. Term ends in 2010)

[edit] Justices, Place 6
J. E. Hickman (September 21, 1945 to January 5, 1948)
W. St. John Garwood (January 14, 1948 to December 31, 1958)
Robert W. Hamilton (January 1, 1959 to December 31, 1970)
James G. Denton (January 1, 1971 to June 10, 1982, died in office.)
Ruby Kless Sondock (June 25, 1982 to December 31, 1982)
William W. Kilgarlin (January 1, 1983 to December 31, 1988)
Nathan L. Hecht (January 1, 1989 to present. Term ends in 2012.)

[edit] Justices, Place 7
C. S. Slatton (September 21, 1945 to October 1, 1947)
James P. Hart (October 1, 1947 to November 15, 1950)
Clyde E. Smith (November 15, 1950 to December 31, 1970)
Price Daniel (January 1, 1971 to December 31, 1978)
Franklin S. Spears (January 1, 1979 to December 31, 1990)
John Cornyn (January 2, 1991 to October 18, 1997)
Deborah Hankinson (October 28, 1997 to December 31, 2002)
Dale Wainwright (January 1, 2003 to present. Term ends in 2008.)

[edit] Justices, Place 8
Few Brewster (September 21, 1945 to September 20, 1957)
Joe R. Greenhill (October 1, 1957 to October 4, 1972
Hawthorne Phillips (October 4, 1972 to December 31, 1972)
Sam Johnson (January 1, 1973 to October 16, 1979)
Will Garwood (November 15, 1979 to December 31, 1980)
C. L. Ray Jr. (November 25, 1980 to December 31, 1990)
Bob Gammage (January 1, 1991 to August 31, 1995)
James A. Baker [1] (September 1, 1995 to August 31, 2002)
Michael H. Schneider (September 6, 2002 to September 20, 2004)
Phil Johnson (April 11, 2005 to present. Term ends in 2008.)

[edit] Justices, Place 9
A. J. Folley (September 21, 1945 to April 1, 1949)
Meade F. Griffin (April 1, 1949 to December 31, 1968)
Sears McGee (January 1, 1969 to December 31, 1986)
Oscar H. Mauzy (January 3, 1987 to December 31, 1993)
Craig T. Enoch (January 1, 1993 to October 1, 2003)
Scott A. Brister (November 21, 2003 to present. Term ends in 2010.)

[edit] Succession of seats

Chief Justice (Place 1)
Established by the Texas Constitution of 1876
G. Moore Democratic 1878-1881
Gould Democratic 1881-1882
Willie Democratic 1882-1888
Stayton Democratic 1888-1894
Gaines Democratic 1894-1911
Brown Democratic 1911-1915
N. Phillips Democratic 1915-1921
Cureton Democratic 1921-1940
W.F. Moore Democratic 1840-1941
Alexander Democratic 1941-1948
Hickman Democratic 1948-1961
Calvert Democratic 1961-1972
Greenhill Democratic 1972-1982
Pope Democratic 1982-1985
Hill Democratic 1985-1988
T. Philllips Republican 1988-2004
Jefferson Republican 2004-present
Place 2
Established by the Texas Constitution of 1876
Gould Democratic 1876-1881
Stayton Democratic 1881-1888
Walker Democratic 1888-1889
Henry Democratic 1889-1893
Brown Democratic 1893-1911
Ramsey Democratic 1911-1912
N. Phillips Democratic 1912-1915
Yantis Democratic 1915-1918
Greenwood Democratic 1918-1934
Sharp Democratic 1934-1952
Culver Democratic 1953-1965
Pope Democratic 1964-1982
T. Robertson Republican 1982-1988
Doggett Democratic 1989-1994
Owen Republican 1995-2005
Willett Republican 2005-present
Place 3
Established by the Texas Constitution of 1876
G. Moore Democratic 1876-1878
Bonner Democratic 1878-1882
West Democratic 1882-1885
S. Robertson Democratic 1885-1886
Gaines Democratic 1886-1894
Denman Democratic 1894-1899
Williams Democratic 1899-1911
Bibrell Democratic 1911-1913
Hawkins Democratic 1913-1921
Pierson Democratic 1921-1935
Critz Democratic 1935-1945
Simpson Democratic 1945-1949
Harvey Democratic 1949-1950
Calvert Democratic 1950-1961
Steakley Democratic 1961-1980
Wallace Democratic 1981-1988
Cook Republican 1988-1992
Spector Democratic 1993-1998
O'Neill Republican 1999-present
Place 4
Established in 1918 as Commissioner, Section B
Made a Supreme Court judgeship in 1945
Sadler Democratic 1918-1920
Powell Democratic 1920-1927
Leddy Democratic 1927-1933
Smedley Democratic 1933-1954
Walker Democratic 1954-1975
Doughty Democratic 1975-1976
Yarbrough Democratic 1976-1977
Barrow Democratic 1977-1984
R. Gonzales Democratic 1984-1998
A. Gonzales Republican 1999-2000
Jefferson Republican 2001-2004
Medina Republican 2004-present
Place 5
Established in 1918 as Commissioner, Section B
Made a Supreme Court judgeship in 1945
Montgomery Democratic 1918-1919
Kittrell Democratic 1919-1921
Hamilton Democratic 1921
Short Democratic 1925-1934
Taylor Democratic 1935-1950
Wilson Democratic 1950-1956
McCall Democratic 1956
Norvell Democratic 1957-1968
Reavley Democratic 1968-1977
Chadick Democratic 1977-1978
Campbell Democratic 1978-1988
Culver Republican 1988
Hightower Democratic 1988-1996
Abbott Republican 1996-2001
Rodriguez Republican 2001-2002
Smith Republican 2002-2004
Green Republican 2005-present
Place 6
Established in 1918 as Commissioner, Section A
Made a Supreme Court judgeship in 1945
Taylor Democratic 1919-1921
Randolph Democratic 1921-1923
Bishop Democratic 1923-1927
Critz Democratic 1927-1935
Hickman Democratic 1935-1948
Garwood Democratic 1948-1958
Hamilton Democratic 1959-1970
Denton Democratic 1971-1982
Sondock Republican 1982-1983
Kilgarin Democratic 1983-1988
Hecht Republican 1989–present
Place 7
Established in 1918 as Commissioner, Section B
Made a Supreme Court judgeship in 1945
McClendon Democratic 1918-1923
Stayton Democratic 1923-1925
Speer Democratic 1925-1929
Ryan Democratic 1929-1937
Martin Democratic 1937-1939
Slatton Democratic 1939-1947
Hart Democratic 1947-1950
Smith Democratic 1950-1970
Daniel Democratic 1971-1978
Spears Democratic 1979-1990
Cornyn Republican 1991-1997
Hankinson Republican 1997-2002
Wainwright Republican 2002-present
Place 8
Established in 1918 as Commissioner, Section A
Made a Supreme Court judgeship in 1945
Sonfield Democratic 1918-1921
Gallagher Democratic 1921-1923
Blanks Democratic 1923-1924
Chapman Democratic 1924-1925
Nickels Democratic 1925-1929
Sharp Democratic 1929-1934
German Democratic 1935-1941
Brewster Democratic 1941-1957
Greenhill Democratic 1957-1972
H. Phillips Democratic 1972
S. Johnson Democratic 1973-1979
Garwood Republican 1978-1980
Ray Democratic 1980-1990
Gammage Democratic 1990-1995
Baker Republican 1995-2002
Schneider Republican 2002-2004
P. Johnson Republican 2004-present
Place 9
Established in 1918 as Commissioner, Section A
Made a Supreme Court judgeship in 1945
Strong Democratic 1918-1920
Spencer Democratic 1920-1923
German Democratic 1923-1925
Harvey Democratic 1925-1943
Folley Democratic 1943-1949
Griffin Democratic 1949-1968
McGee Democratic 1969-1986
Mauzy Democratic 1987-1992
Enoch Republican 1993-2003
Brister Republican 2003-present

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Tex. Gov’t Code section 81.011.
  2. ^ Tex. Gov't Code sections 81.061 and 82.021
  3. ^ Tex. Gov't Code section 82.001
  4. ^ Tex. Gov't Code section 82.004.
  5. ^ Tex. Const., Art. 5, Sec. 2.

[edit] External links

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