Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Letty Lopez
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive election coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. This judge is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates.
Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!
Letty Lopez is the judge of Texas District 389.[1] She was re-elected on November 6, 2012, to a four-year term.
Lopez won re-election without opposition in 2016. The general election took place on November 8, 2016.[2]
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.[3] Incumbent Letty Lopez ran unopposed in the Texas 389th District Court Democratic primary.[2]
| Texas 389th District Court, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
 Letty Lopez Incumbent | ||
Letty Lopez 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.[4]
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."[5]
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;*[6]
- 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.[4]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[4]
2012
Lopez was re-elected without opposition to the 389th District Court.[7] Lopez defeated fellow Democrat Alma Garza in the primary election.
- See also: Texas judicial elections, 2012
Education
Lopez received her undergraduate degree from Texas Pan American and her J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.[8]
Awards and associations
- College of the State Bar of Texas
- Business, Education & Technology Academy
- Member of Hidalgo County Bar Association.
- Member of Judicial Section State Bar of Texas.
- Member of the Hidalgo County Women’s Bar Section
- Regional Representative – Texas Association of District Judges
- Mentor and Volunteer for VAMOS (Valley Alliance of Mentors for Opportunities & Scholarships)[8]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Hidalgo County, "389th District Court"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 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 Summary" Select "2012 General Election"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Re-elect Judge Letty Lopez, "About"
