State Supreme Court Justice, Place 2
One of nine judges who serve on the highest civil court in Texas.
Full office description
- The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for civil matters including juvenile delinquency cases.
- The Texas Supreme Court is made up of nine justices. All nine positions are elected, with a term of office of six years and no term limits.
- Decisions are made collectively by majority vote, and a justice writes the majority opinion.
- The Texas Supreme Court is the only state supreme court in the United States in which refusing to hear a lower courts’ cases implies approval of courts’ decision, thus rendering it precedent.
- Justices must be at least 35 years old, a citizen of Texas, licensed to practice law in Texas and must have practiced law (or have been a lawyer and a judge of a court of record together) for at least ten years
- Depending on length of office, justices are paid a salary of between $168,000 and $201,600
How this impacts you
Public Safety — The Texas Supreme Court's decisions, such as those on police immunity, can affect your safety. They can rule on whether or not police acted with enough negligence or disregard for public safety in incidents like car chases or threats that could harm or kill civilians.
Civil Rights — Texas Supreme Court rulings can affect your health. For instance, in December 2023, they decided doctors may be held liable for performing abortions except in life-threatening situations, reversing a decision made by a lower court. As a result of this ambiguity, Texas doctors are hesitant to perform abortions in cases where the pregnancy poses serious health risks or future fertility issues for the woman.
