Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals
The Texas Twelfth Court of Appeals is one of 15 intermediate appellate courts in Texas.[1]
- Published opinions of the Twelfth District Court of Appeals can be found here.
| Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals | |||
 | |||
| Court information | |||
| Judges: | 3 | ||
| Salary: | Associates: $192,500[2] | ||
| Judicial selection | |||
| Method: | Partisan election of judges | ||
| Term: | 6 years | ||
Jurisdiction
The Twelfth District Court of Appeals has appellate jurisdiction over appeals arising from district and county courts in 18 counties:
Judges
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
November 1, 2025 - Present |
Greg Abbott |
|
|
August 28, 2006 - Present |
Rick Perry |
|
|
2003 - Present |
Salary
- See also: Texas court salaries and budgets
In 2025, associate judges serving on the Texas District Courts of Appeals in districts 1 through 14 received a base salary of $192,500, according to the Office of Court Administration. Judges on the Fifteenth District Court of Appeals earned a base salary of $205,000.[3]
Former judges
Judicial selection
- See also: Partisan election of judges and Judicial selection in Texas
The justices of the Texas Court of Appeals are selected in district level 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]
Qualifications
To serve on the Texas Court of Appeals, a justice must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- a resident of Texas;
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- between the ages of 35 and 75;*[5][6] and
- a practicing lawyer and/or judge for at least 10 years.[4]
Chief justice
The chief justice of each district court is selected by voters at large. He or she serves in that capacity for a full six-year term.[4]
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement who must be confirmed by the Texas Senate. The appointee serves until the next general election, in which he or she may compete to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.[4]
Elections
Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3
See also: Texas intermediate appellate court elections, 2030
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 2
See also: Texas intermediate appellate court elections, 2028
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
See also: Texas intermediate appellate court elections, 2026
Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice
Brian Hoyle (R) is running in the general election for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Brian Hoyle (R) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled.
Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice
Brian Hoyle (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Brian Hoyle |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Special general election for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3
Incumbent Michael Davis (R) is running in the special general election for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Michael Davis (R) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled.
Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Special Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3
Incumbent Michael Davis (R) advanced from the special Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Michael Davis |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3
See also: Texas intermediate appellate court elections, 2024
General election
General election for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3
Incumbent Greg Neeley (R) won election in the general election for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Greg Neeley (R) | 100.0 | 342,795 | |
| Total votes: 342,795 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled.
Republican primary
Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3
Incumbent Greg Neeley (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Greg Neeley | 100.0 | 103,444 | |
| Total votes: 103,444 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 2
See also: Texas intermediate appellate court elections, 2022
General election
The general election scheduled for November 8, 2022, was canceled. Incumbent Brian Hoyle (R) won election in the general election for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 2 without appearing on the ballot.
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for March 1, 2022, was canceled.
Republican primary
Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 2
Incumbent Brian Hoyle (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 2 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Brian Hoyle | 100.0 | 90,584 |
| Total votes: 90,584 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice
See also: Texas intermediate appellate court elections, 2020
General election
General election for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice
Incumbent James Worthen (R) won election in the general election for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | James Worthen (R) | 100.0 | 351,260 |
| Total votes: 351,260 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled.
Republican primary
Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice
Incumbent James Worthen (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Chief Justice on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James Worthen | 100.0 | 119,505 |
| Total votes: 119,505 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3
General election
General election for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3
Incumbent Greg Neeley (R) won election in the general election for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Greg Neeley (R) | 100.0 | 247,551 | |
| Total votes: 247,5510 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3
Incumbent Greg Neeley (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals Place 3 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Greg Neeley | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Ethics
The Texas Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Texas. It consists of eight overarching canons:
- Canon 1: Upholding the Integrity and Independence of the Judiciary
- Canon 2: Avoiding Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety in All of the Judge’s Activities
- Canon 3: Performing the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially and Diligently
- Canon 4: Conducting the Judge's Extra-Judicial Activities to Minimize the Risk of Conflict with Judicial Obligations
- Canon 5: Refraining from Inappropriate Political Activity
- Canon 6: Compliance with the Code of Judicial Conduct
- Canon 7: Effective Date of Compliance
- Canon 8: Construction and Terminology of the Code[8]
The full text of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.
Removal of judges
Court of Appeals judges in Texas may be removed in one of three ways:
- Removal or retirement by a review tribunal upon a Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct recommendation to the Supreme Court. The Commission investigates and, if warranted, prosecutes allegations of judicial misconduct. After a Commission recommendation, the Supreme Court selects a review tribunal made up of Court of Appeals judges to verify the Commission's findings and enter a judgment. Decisions are subject to appeal to the Supreme Court.
- By the governor on the address of two thirds of the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives.
- By a two-thirds vote of the Senate, upon impeachment by a majority vote of the House.
History
Below are some key highlights in the court's history:
[9][10][11][12]
- Texas appeals courts were established by amendment to the Texas Constitution in 1891.
- The Texas Legislature authorized courts of civil appeals to issue writs of mandamus and all other writs necessary to enforce their jurisdiction in 1892.
- The Twelfth Court of Appeals consists of Chief Justice James T. Worthen and two justices: Greg Neeley and Brian Hoyle.
- From 1999 through 2002, Chief Justice Worthen served the State of Texas as a justice on the 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler.
- James T. Worthen became chief justice in 2003. He acted as chairman of the Council of Chief Justices from 2005 to 2006.
State profile
| Demographic data for Texas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Texas | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 27,429,639 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 261,232 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 74.9% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 11.9% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 38.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 81.9% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 27.6% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $53,207 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 19.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Texas. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Texas
Texas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Texas, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[13]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Texas had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Texas coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Texas
- United States congressional delegations from Texas
- Public policy in Texas
- Endorsers in Texas
- Texas fact checks
- More...
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Twelfth District Court of Appeals
- ↑ This is the base salary, which may increase with years of service or if you hold the position of chief judge. Judges on the Texas Fifteenth District Court of Appeals had a base salary of $205,000.
- ↑ Texas Courts, "Judicial salaries," accessed October 8, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Texas," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ Texas State Historical Association, "Judiciary," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ While no justice older than 74 may run for office, sitting justices who turn 75 are permitted to remain on the court until their terms expire.
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Statewide and Court of Appeals Judges Permanent Place Designations"
- ↑ Texas Judicial Branch, "Texas Code of Judicial Conduct," amended September 1, 2024
- ↑ Texas Fourth Court of Appeals, "History," archived May 16, 2014
- ↑ Texas Fifth Court of Appeals, "History," accessed October 23, 2015
- ↑ Texas Twelfth Court of Appeals, "History," accessed October 23, 2015
- ↑ Texas Twelfth Court of Appeals, "Chief Justice James T. Worthen," accessed October 23, 2015
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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
