Texas
Supreme Court
Texas’s highest court for civil matters is the Supreme Court of Texas. The court has eight justices and one chief justice. The chief justice is selected according to the same procedures as the associate justices. (Source: Texas Constitution)
Judicial Selection
Texas Supreme Court justices are selected for six-year terms through a partisan election, where multiple candidates may vie for the seat. Justices may seek additional terms through partisan elections. When a seat opens in the middle of a justice’s term, the governor appoints a candidate to fill the vacancy. The governor’s selection must be confirmed by a majority of the state senate. The appointed justice holds office until Texas’ next general election. The elected justice serves a six-year term. There is no limit on the number of terms a justice may serve; however, a justice may not stand for election after turning 75. A justice who turns 75 during the first four years of a six-year term must vacate the seat at the end of the calendar year of the term’s fourth year. A justice who turns 75 in the final two years of the term is permitted to complete the term.
Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas’s highest court for criminal matters is the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The court has eight judges and one presiding judge. The presiding judge is chosen by election. (Source: Texas Constitution)
Judicial Selection
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judges are selected for six-year terms through a partisan election, where multiple candidates may vie for the seat. Justices may seek additional terms through partisan elections. When a seat on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals becomes open in the middle of a judge’s term, the governor appoints a candidate to fill the vacancy. The governor’s selection must be confirmed by a majority of the state senate. The appointed judge holds office until Texas’ next general election. The elected judge serves a six-year term. There is no limit on the number of terms a judge may serve; however, a judge may not stand for election after turning 75. A judge who turns 75 during the first four years of a six-year term must vacate the seat at the end of the calendar year of the term’s fourth year. A judge who turns 75 in the final two years of the seat’s term is permitted to complete the term.
State Constitution
Texas has had five state constitutions adopted between 1845 and 1876. As of January 1, 2026, it had 547 amendments. ((Data on file with John Dinan, Wake Forest University.)
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The Many Versions of State Constitutional Lockstepping
The practice of interpreting state constitutions identically to their federal counterpart is often criticized in blanket terms. But the ways state courts lockstep vary widely.
How State Courts Can Help Deflect the Supreme Court’s Latest Blow to Multiracial Democracy
State courts need not import a federal doctrine directing judges to avoid issuing rulings that could change election rules in the runup to an election.
Texas Parental Rights Amendment Threatens to Invalidate Child Abuse Laws
During oral arguments in a child abuse case, some Texas Supreme Court justices seemed open to the possibility that the amendment protected parental violence against children.
“State Capture” and the Role of State Courts
State constitutions offer powerful tools for combatting control of state and local institutions by private interests.
How Courts Evaluate Election Day Requests to Keep Polls Open Late
Various factors, including the harm to voters and the option for tailored and limited relief, play into whether judges will allow voting to continue past the scheduled closing time.
State Courts Offer Protection Against Pregnancy Discrimination
Courts in almost two dozen states have rejected the U.S. Supreme Court’s reasoning that discrimination based on pregnancy is not sex discrimination.
Former Texas Chief Justice on the Importance of Court Transparency
The Supreme Court of Texas has long allowed cameras in its courtroom and takes the unique approach of allowing clerks to sit in on conferences.
How Are State Judges Selected?
Thirty-eight states use elections as part of their system for choosing high court judges.