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Texas Supreme Court justice vacancy (June 2021)
| Texas Supreme Court |
|---|
 |
| Guzman vacancy |
| Date: June 11, 2021 |
| Status: Seat filled |
| Nomination |
| Nominee: Evan Young |
| Date: November 1, 2021 |
Texas Governor Gov. Greg Abbott (R) appointed Evan Young to the Texas Supreme Court on November 1, 2021.[1] Young succeeded Justice Eva Guzman, who resigned on June 11, 2021.[2][3] Young was Gov. Abbott's fifth nominee to the nine-member supreme court.
At the time of the vacancy, Texas law directed the governor to appoint a replacement to the Texas Supreme Court in the event of a midterm vacancy. The Texas State Senate must then confirm the nominee. Appointees serve until the next general election, in which he or she must participate in a partisan election to remain on the bench for the remainder of the unexpired term.[4]
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources on the process to fill the Texas Supreme Court vacancy:
- An overview of the appointee.
- An overview of the selection process.
- An overview of the court following the vacancy.
- An overview of the justice who left office.
- A list of other state supreme court appointments in 2021.
The appointee
- See also: Evan Young
Before his appointment to the Texas Supreme Court, Young was a lawyer with the law firm of Baker Botts, where he headed the firm's Supreme Court and constitutional law practice. Previously, he worked as counsel to the U.S. attorney general at the Department of Justice and served as the deputy rule of law coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Young has also taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law and was the chairman of the Texas office of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.[1]
Young earned a J.D. from Yale University in 2004.[1]
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Texas
In the event of a midterm vacancy on the Texas Supreme Court, the governor appoints a replacement who must be confirmed by the Texas State Senate. The appointee serves until the next general election, in which he or she must compete in a partisan election to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.[4]
Otherwise, the nine state supreme court justices are selected in statewide partisan elections. The elected justices serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court.[4]
Makeup of the court
- See also: Texas Supreme Court
Justices
Following Guzman's retirement, the Texas Supreme Court included the following members:
| ■ Nathan Hecht | Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) in 2013 | |
| ■ Jimmy Blacklock | Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2018 | |
| ■ Debra Lehrmann | Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) in 2010 | |
| ■ John Devine | Elected in 2012 | |
| ■ Rebeca Huddle | Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2020 | |
| ■ Jane Bland | Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2019 | |
| ■ Jeffrey S. Boyd | Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) in 2012 | |
| ■ Brett Busby | Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2019 |
About the court
Founded in 1836, the Texas Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort for civil matters and has nine judgeships. The current chief of the court is Jimmy Blacklock.
As of January 2025, all nine judges on the court identified with the Republican Party.
The Texas Supreme Court meets in Austin, Texas.[5]
In Texas, state supreme court justices are elected in partisan elections. There are eight states that use this selection method. To read more about the partisan election of judges, click here.
About Justice Guzman
- See also: Eva Guzman
Justice Guzman joined the Texas Supreme Court in 2009. She was appointed to the court on October 8, 2009, by Gov. Rick Perry (R). She was the first Hispanic woman appointed to the Texas Supreme Court and upon winning election to the seat in 2010 became the first Hispanic woman elected to statewide office in Texas. Guzman's term was set to expire on December 31, 2022.[6][7]
Prior to her appointment to the supreme court, Guzman served as a district judge for Texas' 309th District Court and as an appellate judge for Texas' Fourteenth Court of Appeals. Guzman practiced law as a litigator in Houston before becoming a judge.[6]
Guzman earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston, a J.D. from the South Texas College of Law, and an LL.M. from Duke University School of Law.[6]
Other state supreme court appointments in 2021
- See also: State supreme court vacancies, 2021
The following table lists vacancies on state supreme courts that opened in 2021. Click the link under the Court column for a particular vacancy for more information on that vacancy.
Click here for vacancies that opened in 2020.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 [https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/11/01/texas-supreme-court-vacancy-austin-lawyer-evan-young-appointed-greg-abbott-to-fill-position/6235403001/ Austin American-Statesman, "Austin lawyer tapped to fill Texas Supreme Court vacancy," November 1, 2021[
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman resigns," June 7, 2021
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Eva Guzman, former Texas Supreme Court justice, officially starts campaign for attorney general," June 21, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Texas," accessed June 14, 2021
- ↑ Texas Judicial Branch, "Supreme Court," accessed August 31, 2021
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Texas Judicial Branch, Supreme Court, "Justice Eva Guzman, Place 9," archived June 11, 2021
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Eva Guzman: The TT Interview," October 4, 2010
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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
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