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Cathy Cochran
Cathy Cochran was a judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. She was appointed by Governor Rick Perry in 2001 and retained by voters in 2002 and 2008.[1][2] Cochran retired at the end of her term in 2014.[3]
Education
Cochran earned her B.A. in English in 1966 from Stanford University and in 1984, her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center.[4]
Career
Cochran has worked in the private practice of law, served as an assistant district attorney in Texas counties and lectured as an adjunct professor at her alma mater. She has also serve as the director of criminal justice in the policy office of former Governor George W. Bush.[4]
Awards and associations
- Member, Administration of Rules of Evidence Committee of the State Bar
- Member, State Bar College[4]
Elections
2008
Cochran was re-elected to the court in 2008.[2]
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Party | Election % |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cathy Cochran  |
Yes | Place 9 | Republican | 81.8% | |
| William Bryan Strange | No | Place 9 | Libertarian | 18.1% |
Political ideology
In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan ideology of state supreme court justices. They created a scoring system in which a score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology, while scores below 0 were more liberal.
Cochran received a campaign finance score of -0.68, indicating a liberal ideological leaning. This was more liberal than the average score of 0.91 that justices received in Texas.
The study was based on data from campaign contributions by the judges themselves, the partisan leaning of those who contributed to the judges' campaigns, or, in the absence of elections, the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice, but an academic summary of various relevant factors.[5]
See also
External links
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, "Judge Cathy Cochran Biography"
- Project Vote Smart, "Judge Cathy Cochran (TX)"
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
- The Houston Chronicle, "Top criminal court," October 9, 2008
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2002 election results," 2002 see 2002 General Election results
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Texas Secretary of State, "2008 election results," 2008 see 2008 General Election results
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "One-Third of Criminal Appeals Court Ready to Leave," September 12, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, "Judge Cathy Cochran Biography," archived August 15, 2014
- ↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
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
