Frank Hunold
Elections and appointments
Personal
Contact
Frank Hunold (Republican Party) ran for election for the Place 2 judge of the Texas Eleventh District Court of Appeals. He lost in the Republican primary on March 3, 2020.
Hunold completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Hunold grew up in Houston, Texas. He earned his bachelor's degree from Rice University in 1976 and his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1979. His professional experience includes working as a lawyer in mergers and acquisitions and banking litigation, as a lawyer in civil trial defense, and has practiced business, contracts, construction, and oil and gas law. He has worked as in-house counsel for a tech company, a gas company, and an oil and gas construction corporation.[1]
Organizations
As of his 2020 campaign, Hunold was affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- State Bar of Texas
- Texans for Lawsuit Reform
- Permian Basin Landman's Association
Elections
2020
See also: Texas intermediate appellate court elections, 2020
General election
Republican primary election
Campaign finance
2020
Video for Ballotpedia
Video submitted to Ballotpedia
Released February 14, 2020
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Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Frank Hunold completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hunold's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am the Republican candidate for Justice, Texas 11th Court of Appeals. The 11th Court of Appeals serves twenty-eight counties in central and west Texas. Cases from local trial courts in these counties are appealed to the 11th Court of Appeals, located in Eastland, Texas.
I started my legal career in mergers & acquisitions, and banking litigation. I transitioned to civil trial defense. For the last 20 years, I've practiced business, contracts, construction, and oil & gas law. I've been in-house counsel for a tech company, a gas company, and a large oil & gas construction corporation. It's time for someone with real world experience and perspective on the Eastland Court.
- I am not an establishment lawyer.
- Like President Trump, I will bring real world business experience to the court.
- I am a christian conservative. My opponent is not.
I wasn't another law clerk or someone who's only handled insurance defense work. With over 30 years experience as a practicing oil and gas, corporate, and contracts lawyer, I have a clear understanding of how our Constitution and state laws apply to Texas companies and their employees. Decisions made by the 11th Court of Appeals impact our businesses, and all of us in West Texas. It's easy to say, but it really takes someone who's been in the trenches with Texans and Texas companies to understand the challenges faced by real people and real companies.
Justice Antonin Scalia. I admire Justice Scalia for his ideological impact during thirty years on the United States Supreme Court. Justice Scalia was an unapologetic "originalist." The fact that he had a clearly defined ideology is unique in itself. He gave credence to what was written within the four corners of the Constitution or relevant statute and eschewed the notion of "legislative intent." Justice Scalia opined if the legislature intended to limit or expand the law it would have done so within its text. As a result of his ideology, he often found himself authoring dissenting opinions.
Justice Scalia was so admired by the greater legal community and was so respected due to his congeniality and intelligence. He did not attempt to express his views by brute force (although he could be quite scathing in his criticism of opposing opinions), but by brilliant writing. He made it an enormous challenge to question his legal analyses of complex issues.
As a justice on the Eleventh Court of Appeals, I would strive to maintain strict interpretation of Texas law, backed by a hefty dose of congeniality and well-written opinions. I am the Republican candidate for Justice, Texas 11th Court of Appeals. The 11th Court of Appeals serves twenty-eight counties in central and west Texas. Cases from local trial courts in these counties are appealed to the 11th Court of Appeals. It is located in Eastland, Texas. Experience matters! As a Justice on the 11th Court of Appeals, I will decide cases dealing with oil and gas, agriculture, corporate law, business, real estate, and technology.
I wasn't another law clerk or someone who's only handled insurance defense work. With over 30 years experience as a practicing oil and gas, corporate, and contracts lawyer, I have a clear understanding of how our Constitution and state laws apply to Texas companies and their employees. Decisions made by the 11th Court of Appeals impact our businesses, and all of us in West Texas. It's easy to say, but it really takes someone who's been in the trenches with Texans and Texas companies to understand the challenges faced by real people and real companies.
Today, Texas faces a set of challenges none of us could have imagined: Border Security; Immigration; Crime; School Funding; Health Care; Property Taxes; Aging Infrastructure. Strength in leadership and the strength to do what's right are necessary now more than ever. It's time we have someone on the 11th Court of Appeals who has been in the trenches with Texans and Texas businesses; someone who understands repercussions and can see the whole picture. My "hands-on" experience will bring valuable business perspective to the Court. A Texas appellate judge must interpret the constitution as it is written, not as he believes it should have been written. Judicial restraint should be admired. Judges are constantly under pressure from the legislature, special interest groups, and the media to become an activist in interpreting the constitution. It takes courage for a conservative judge to withstand this pressure.
I would like to leave a legacy of having been a great husband and father. I would like to leave a legacy of having served Texas to the best of my ability.
The first historical event that happened in my lifetime that I vividly remember was the assassination of President Kennedy. I was 9 years old.
My first job was newspaper delivery boy, when I was 11 years old. I had this job for 3 years.
The Texas Court of Appeals is not widely known by most folks. The race is down the ballot. Folks don't think the appellate courts are as important as other offices. Yet, the 11th Court is the court of last resort in a vast majority of cases for Ector County, Midland county, and 26 other counties in Texas. Virtually all civil and criminal cases are appealed to the appeals court. Less than 10% of them make it from there to the Texas Supreme Court. If you get in a car wreck and get sued, the appeal will go to the 11th Court. If your business is involved in a lawsuit, the appeal will go to the 11th Court. If you get involved in a land dispute, the appeal will go to the 11th Court. The decisions of the courts of appeals, more than any others, directly affect our lives, liberty, and property.
I believe It is the duty of the appellate judge to interpret the laws, not to make the laws. Appellate judges are like umpires. The question is, what kind of umpire do we want on the court? Some umpires say: "It is not a ball or a strike until I say it is". Some umpires say: "I call m' as I see m". I will not be either one of these umpires. I will be the umpire who says: "I will call it as it is".
Justice Antonin Scalia. I admire Justice Scalia for his ideological impact during thirty years on the United States Supreme Court. Justice Scalia was an unapologetic "originalist." The fact that he had a clearly defined ideology is unique in itself. He gave credence to what was written within the four corners of the Constitution or relevant statute and eschewed the notion of "legislative intent." Justice Scalia opined if the legislature intended to limit or expand the law it would have done so within its text. As a result of his ideology, he often found himself authoring dissenting opinions. Justice Scalia was so admired by the greater legal community and was so respected due to his congeniality and intelligence. He did not attempt to express his views by brute force (although he could be quite scathing in his criticism of opposing opinions), but by brilliant writing. He made it an enormous challenge to question his legal analyses of complex issues.
As a justice on the Eleventh Court of Appeals, I would strive to maintain strict interpretation of Texas law, backed by a hefty dose of congeniality and well-written opinions.
Yes. It is important for a judge to have experience and perspective to understand the real effects his decision will have on Texas businesses and their employees.
Yes. I have a 5-Star rating from Martindale Hubbell.
In the vast majority of cases, the courts of appeals have the final say in applying the Texas Constitution and Statutes in our daily lives. Now, more than ever, it is up to our appellate judges to make the difficult decisions necessary to reflect the true will of Texas citizens. Having been a litigator, businessman, and business owner, I decided to run for the 11th Court of Appeals because I believe it is time for real world experience on the Court. I was born in Texas and spent my career as a Texas business litigation and corporate attorney. It is time I give of myself back to Texas.
The State of Texas is currently debating whether to continue election of judges or change to a system of committee appointment of judges. I strongly believe we should continue electing our judges. Texas voters deserve the right to know who their judges are. Without elections, we will not have knowledge of the beliefs and backgrounds of our judges. I trust the voters to decide.
The greatest opportunity for the legal system in Texas is to protect the rights of Texas citizens. Our rights of freedom of speech, our second amendment rights, our property rights, and our right to life are under attack. It is up to our legal system to apply our Texas constitution and laws as written to protect these rights for all Texans.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 14, 2020.
