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Brock Thomas
Brock Thomas was a judge for Texas District 338. He was elected on November 6, 2012, for a four-year term.[1]
Thomas lost his re-election bid in 2016.[2] The general election took place on November 8, 2016.
Biography
Thomas received his undergraduate degree J.D. from the University of Houston.[3] Prior to his judicial election, Thomas was a partner at Anderson & Thomas, PLLC. He served from 2002 to 2008 as judge of 338th Criminal District Court after being appointed by Gov. Rick Perry. Thomas was also an assistant district attorney in Harris County.[4]
Elections
2016
Texas held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on March 1, 2016. A primary runoff election was held on May 24, 2016, for any seat where the top vote recipient did not receive a majority of the primary vote.[5] Incumbent Brock Thomas ran unopposed in the Texas 338th District Court Republican primary.[2]
| Texas 338th District Court, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Brock Thomas Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 198,623 |
| Total Votes | 198,623 | |
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Republican Party Cumulative Report-Unofficial," accessed March 2, 2016 | ||
Ramona Franklin defeated incumbent Brock Thomas in the Texas 338th District Court general election.
| Texas 338th District Court, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Ramona Franklin |
51.71% | 654,745 | |
| Republican | Brock Thomas Incumbent | 48.29% | 611,345 | |
| Total Votes | 1,266,090 | |||
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Election Results," accessed December 9, 2016 | ||||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
The judges of the Texas District Courts are chosen in partisan elections. They serve four-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving.[6]
Though Texas is home to more than 400 district courts, the courts are grouped into nine administrative judicial regions. Each region is overseen by a presiding judge who is appointed by the governor to a four-year term. According to the state courts website, the presiding judge may be a "regular elected or retired district judge, a former judge with at least 12 years of service as a district judge, or a retired appellate judge with judicial experience on a district court."[7]
Qualifications
To serve on the district courts, a judge must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- a resident of Texas;
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- between the ages of 25 and 75;*[8]
- a practicing lawyer and/or state judge for at least four years; and
- a resident of his or her respective judicial district for at least two years.[6]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[6]
2012
Thomas ran for election to the 338th District Court and defeated incumbent Hazel B. Jones with 50.2 percent of the vote.[9][1]
- See also: Texas judicial elections, 2012
Endorsements
2016
Thomas' campaign endorsements included the following organizations:[10]
- Houston Chronicle
- Houston Police Officers Union PAC
- C Club of Houston
- Houston Realty Business Coalition
- Houston Area COGIC PAC
Awards and associations
Awards
- Judge of the Year by P.O.L.I.C.E. Inc. (Police Officers Looking into Courthouse Excellence) in 2004 and 2005
- Criminal District Judge of the Year by C.O.P.S. (Coalition of Police & Sheriffs) in 2006
- Best Criminal Court Judge in 2005 by the Houston Press
- Houston Bar Association’s President’s Award
Associations
- Fellow of both the American Leadership Forum and Texas Bar Foundation
- State Bar College
- Houston Bar Association
- Administration of Justice Committee
- President of the Harris County Drug Court Foundation[4]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harris County, Texas-2012 General Elections Results
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ Martindale.com Profile
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Campaign Website Bio (dead link)
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Texas," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ Texas Courts Online, "Administrative Judicial Regions," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Texas State Historical Association, "Judiciary," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2012 General Election Results," November 6, 2012
- ↑ Judge Brock Thomas for 338th District Court, "Endorsements," accessed October 13, 2016
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas
State courts:
Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts
State resources:
Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas
