The Political Judiciary
This Texas judge, famous for his "frontier justice," reportedly said, "Hang 'em first, try 'em later."
Who is Judge Roy Bean?
This state official serves as Texas’s chief lawyer and provides legal opinions that can shape policy.
Who is the Attorney General?
Texas is unique in having two high courts: one for civil cases and one for criminal cases. Name both.
What are the Texas Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals?
The majority of Texas judges are elected for this term length at the trial level.
What is four years?
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states must provide this to defendants who cannot afford one.
What is legal representation?
Texas judges are elected in these types of elections, making them answerable to the public.
What are partisan elections?
All Texas attorneys must pass this exam to practice law.
What is the state bar exam?
These courts handle minor offenses like traffic violations and city ordinance violations.
What are municipal courts?
The 2018 Texas elections made history when this many African American women were elected as judges in Harris County.
What is 19?
The vast majority of criminal cases in Texas are resolved through this process rather than going to trial.
What are plea bargains?
This term describes the belief that judges should be impartial and not influenced by politics.
What is judicial independence?
This organization licenses and regulates attorneys in Texas.
What is the Texas State Bar?
The highest trial courts in Texas, handling major criminal and civil cases.
What are district courts?
This 1995 law attempted to limit campaign contributions to judicial candidates to prevent conflicts of interest.
What is the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act?
The Texas judiciary has faced criticism for disparities in this area, with poor defendants and minorities often receiving harsher sentences.
What is equal justice?
Some argue that judges must be accountable to the public, while others believe they should be insulated from political pressures. This debate highlights the tension between these two principles.
What are accountability and independence?
This group determines whether there is enough evidence for a formal indictment in a criminal case.
What is a grand jury?
This type of court has intermediate appellate jurisdiction and reviews cases from lower courts.
What are the courts of appeals?
This alternative method of judicial selection involves a governor appointing judges from a recommended list, with voters later deciding whether to retain them.
What is the Missouri Plan?
DNA evidence has led to the exoneration of many wrongfully convicted Texans. The case of this man, executed in 2004, raised serious doubts about wrongful convictions.
Who is Cameron Todd Willingham?
This Texas Supreme Court case in 2000 divided all-Republican justices over a parental notification law for minors seeking abortion.
What is Jane Doe v. Texas?
This type of jury decides the outcome of a trial based on presented evidence.
What is a trial jury?
These courts handle probate cases and estate matters in urban areas.
What are statutory probate courts?
Critics argue that judicial elections in Texas raise concerns about this issue, as judges receive campaign funds from lawyers and interest groups.
What is “justice for sale”?
This controversial punishment remains a major issue in Texas, with concerns about wrongful convictions and racial disparities.
What is the death penalty?