R.H. Wallace Jr.
R.H. Wallace (Republican Party) was a judge of the Texas 96th District Court. He assumed office in 2010. He left office on December 31, 2020.
Wallace (Republican Party) ran for re-election for judge of the Texas 96th District Court. He won in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Biography
Wallace received his undergraduate degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and his J.D. from Baylor University Law School.[1]
Wallace began his career as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas. In 1984, he joined the firm of Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller, LLP, where he became a partner. He worked there until his judicial appointment in 2010.[2]
Awards and associations
- State Bar of Texas
- American Bar Association
- Tarrant County Bar Association
- Texas Association of Defense Counsel
- Tarrant County Civil Court Advisory Committee
- Life fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
- Treasurer, Eldon B. Mahon Inns of Court[1]
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 R.H. Wallace Jr. defeated Traci DeAnne Hutton in the Texas 96th District Court Republican primary.[4]
| Texas 96th District Court, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 R.H. Wallace Jr. Incumbent |
53.63% | 80,525 |
| Traci DeAnne Hutton | 46.37% | 69,618 |
| Total Votes | 150,143 | |
| Source: Tarrant County, Texas, "Unofficial Results," accessed March 2, 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.[5]
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."[6]
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;*[7]
- 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.[5]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[5]
2012
- See also: Texas judicial elections, 2012
Wallace was re-elected without opposition to the 96th District Court.[8]
Noteworthy cases
Marlise Munoz life support case
On January 24, 2014, Wallace ordered John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth to remove life support for a pregnant, brain-dead woman named Marlise Munoz. The woman's parents and husband argued that she would not want to be kept in that condition, but the hospital refused to remove life support. Wallace gave the hospital until 5 p.m on January 27 to remove life support. The hospital and Munoz's family agreed that Munoz was brain-dead, which meant she was dead both medically and under Texas state law. However, against the wishes of Munoz's family, the hospital continued to treat her. Wallace said that Munoz was legally dead, and by continuing to treat her, the hospital was misapplying a state law that prohibits the removal of life-sustaining treatment from a pregnant patient.[9]
On January 26, John Peter Smith Hospital complied with Wallace's order to remove Munoz from life support. The fetus, which was at 23 weeks gestation, was not delivered.[10]
See also
- Judges appointed by Rick Perry
- Texas District Courts
- Judicial selection in Texas
- Courts in Texas
- Local trial court judicial elections, 2016
External links
- Office of the Texas Governor, Press Release: "Gov. Perry Appoints Wallace as Judge of the 96th District Court," November 12, 2010
- Texas Judicial Branch
- Campaign website
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Office of the Texas Governor, Press Release: "Gov. Perry Appoints Wallace as Judge of the 96th District Court," November 12, 2010
- ↑ Shannon Gracey, "Governor Perry Appoints Shannon Gracey's R.H. Wallace, Jr. To the 96th District Court of Texas," November 17, 2010
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 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: Remove life support for pregnant woman," Associated Press, January 24, 2014 (dead link)
- ↑ "Brain-dead Texas woman taken off life support," Associated Press, January 27, 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
