Paxton’s push to oust incumbents puts spotlight on Court of Criminal Appeals primaries

The three incumbents running for their seats on Texas’ highest criminal court were not well known political figures outside of the legal community.

The timing of the opinion was such that this primary is the first opportunity for Paxton to seek political retribution against some of the eight Republican judges who he believes ruled against him. Wendy Watson, a faculty member of the University of North Texas’ Department of Political Science, views these races as a referendum on Trump and his false claims of voter fraud.

The Court of Criminal Appeals serves as a twin to the Texas Supreme Court, which handles civil, instead of criminal, cases. The nine judges on the court serve six years; new elections for three seats are held every two years during the regular election.In the race for presiding judge, Schenck, a former state appeals court judge, is challenging Keller, who was elected in 1994 as the first female judge on the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Keller, like her two colleagues up for reelection, have been subject of criticism from the far right wing of the party. In Keller’s case, she has also been the subject of several ethics complaints over her tenure, which include aHer challenger, Schenck, has stayed relatively quiet about Paxton’s involvement in the race. The attorney general’s face is not plastered on his campaign website and Schenck has been hesitant to opine on the court’s voter fraud opinion.

“I think experience and dedication to these things are important to move the needle forward,” Hervey said. Parker is a Waco attorney who has practiced both civil and criminal law. In a statement to The Texas Tribune, she said that her experience as a prosecutor and defense attorney would bring a balanced perspective to the court.

Source: Law Daily Report (lawdailyreport.net)

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