Chris Day (Texas)
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Chris Day is a judge of the Texas 2nd District Court.
This office is outside of Ballotpedia's coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. Our scope includes all elected federal and state officeholders as well as comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population.
Education
Day earned his B.S. in computer science from Stephen F. Austin State University and his J.D. from Baylor Law School.[1]
Career
Day worked as a computer systems analyst between his undergraduate and law school studies. He served as an appeals court staff attorney from 1991 to 1994. Day was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) to serve on the Texas Real Estate Commission from 2007 to 2013. He has been an attorney in private practice since 1994.[1]
Campaign themes
2016
Day's campaign website listed the following themes for his 2016 campaign:
| “ |
The founding fathers of our nation were brilliant, principled men who wrote the United States Constitution in relatively plain, easy-to-understand language to make it accessible to all. Little in our history, however, has created more controversy than how to interpret those words, and in recent years, the temptation for many liberal judges to re-write the law to conform with their personal beliefs has been too great for them to resist. For this reason, I believe it is vital that we elect judges who are experienced, Constitutional conservatives; guided by the principles that are the foundation of our traditional East Texas way of life. The courtroom is no place for liberal, activist judges who flaunt the Rule of Law in order to advance a political agenda. So when the United States Supreme Court issued their 5-to-4 decision earlier this year making same-sex marriage legal across the nation, one of the key tenants of our system of representative democracy was severely violated. The court was transformed from an impartial referee into an active participant in the legislative process; writing law rather than applying it. Laws are only to be established by the citizens, through their elected officials, particularly at the state and local levels. So the notion that 5 unaccountable federal judges in Washington, D.C. invalidated part of the Texas Constitution, which defines a marriage as being between one man and one woman, is a very frightening turn of events. In his dissent on the ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts summed it up well: “The majority’s decision is an act of will, not legal judgment. The right it announces has no basis in the Constitution or this Court’s precedent...The Court invalidates the marriage laws of more than half the States and orders the transformation of a social institution that has formed the basis of human society for millennia…” Above all, the Rule of Law must be followed at all times. As your next District Judge, I know that the courtroom will not be a tool for me to use to further my beliefs, but rather that I will be a caretaker; entrusted with the great responsibility of providing a justice system for every citizen in Cherokee County that honors God and the Constitution. [2] |
” |
| —Chris Day (2016), [3] | ||
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.[4] Chris Day defeated Susie Saxion in the Texas 2nd District Court Republican primary.[5]
| Texas 2nd District Court, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Chris Day |
61.69% | 4,919 |
| Susie Saxion | 38.31% | 3,055 |
| Total Votes (1) | 7,974 | |
| Source: Cherokee County, Texas, "Cumulative Report-Unofficial," March 1, 2016 | ||
Day won without opposition in the general election.
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]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chris Day for Judge, "Biography of Chris Day," accessed February 12, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Chris Day for Judge, "Judicial Philosophy," accessed February 12, 2016
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," 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
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
