Nathan Hecht, Texas’ most tenured Supreme Court justice, prepares to retire
Over 35 years, Hecht modernized the court, increased access to justice for the poor and saw his conservative views come to dominate the bench. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/140c956559d80adb25f4778e366f48af/0405%20SOT%20Judiciary%20LS%20TT%2003.jpg)
-
![Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht delivers his State of the Judiciary speech at the Supreme Court in Austin on Apr. 5, 2023.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court chief justice calls for higher judicial salaries, business courts
In his biennial state of the judiciary, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht also warned against politics’ encroachment into the third branch of government. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7dbf460b2ffd22e21a8e3f25c881553e/State%20of%20the%20Judiciary%20LS%20TT%2004.jpg)
![Chief Justice Nathan Hecht delivers the State of the Judiciary speech at the Texas Supreme Court building in Austin on April 5, 2023.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texans in many border counties voted for Donald Trump — and then for Democrats
Trump flipped a couple of historically Democratic counties on the Texas border this year. But in many cases, his showing didn't benefit the other Republicans on the ticket. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/00256cb2664bb7572cbe72145be32f8b/RGV%20Post%20Election%20JG%20TT%2025.jpg)
![A neighborhood surrounding downtown Rio Grande City on Nov. 11, 2020]()
Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune -
Pointing to pandemic and election controversies, Democrats make their case for Texas Supreme Court
Democrats argue the high court's pandemic-related decisions show GOP incumbents should be unseated in November. Republicans say the virus is another argument for sticking with the status quo. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/00c8f6f1b4e7863f9b0389d6e06cdee3/Texas%20Justice%20Tour%20MKC%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Candidate campaign materials at the Texas Justice Tour event in Cedar Park on Feb. 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott picks Rebeca Huddle for Texas Supreme Court vacancy
Abbott, a former Texas Supreme Court justice himself, picked Huddle to serve on the all-Republican high court. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/38903d7220f42886adada08eb1fd031a/Rebeca%20Huddle%20TT.jpg)
![Rebeca Huddle.]()
Credit: via Baker Botts -
Coronavirus throws Texas Supreme Court justices into the spotlight — and into Democrats' crosshairs
In a year when four justices face reelection, the all-Republican high court has made a slate of controversy-generating decisions, including lifting a moratorium on evictions and — for now — limiting voting by mail in this year’s elections. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/482181562326f58b71adb9eff7fbe44d/Texas%20Supreme%20Court%20MG%20TT%2015.jpg)
![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Optimistic Democrats are lining up to run for Texas’ high courts in 2020
The depth of the bench for non-marquee statewide races, like the state’s two high courts and the Railroad Commission, is a measure of how high Democratic hopes have soared ahead of the 2020 election. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ce20d427447e75bb3f42c8553a408f4c/Amy%20Meachum%20Campaign%20Kick%20Off%20EG%20TT%2009.jpg)
![Judge Amy Clark Meachum kicks off her campaign for Texas Chief Justice at Threadgillâs in Austin on Oct. 29, 2019.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate confirms Brett Busby for Supreme Court post
Busby, a Republican judge and former U.S. Supreme Court clerk, served on an appellate court in Houston until voters rejected him in November as part of a Democratic sweep. Full Story
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht calls for nonpartisan judicial elections, bail reform
In the wake of a midterm election that saw four major state appeals courts flip on partisan lines, Hecht called on lawmakers to consider changing Texas to a system of merit selection and retention elections. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/edd28ffa6c3324cd0df9ec29dbb29442/01_State_of_the_Judiciary_Hecht_MG.jpg)
![Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht speaks at the State of the Judiciary at the Capitol. Feb. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
House votes to end jail time for being too poor to pay fines
Senate Bill 1913, by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, would allow courts to ask defendants if they are too poor to pay for traffic tickets, fines for other low-level and fine-only offenses or court costs. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-MentalPrisonCuts-TW310.jpg)
![Inmates in the Harris County Jail in 2011.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas counties rally against statewide court records portal
Texas counties are trying to kill an effort to allow public access to court records from all 254 counties through an online portal, and they've found friendly ears in the Legislature. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/08/03/OpenRecordsRequests.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: The Sunlight Foundation -
Analysis: Rising criticism threatens one-punch voting in Texas
Most states have dropped straight-ticket voting, but not Texas. There's another attempt coming in the current legislative session, and it's got some high-level supporters. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/02/01/_SOJ3033_Hecht.jpg)
![Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, Justice Nathan Hecht, gives his State of the Judiciary speech on Feb. 1, 2017 to a joint session of the Texas Legislature.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Video: Hecht on U.S. Supreme Court "Lawlessness"
At our 10/29 conversation, Chief Justice Nathan Hecht of the Texas Supreme Court addressed the recent pushback against the "lawlessness" of the U.S. Supreme Court's unelected jurists. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TTEventsHecht354.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Video: Hecht on the School Finance Case
At our 10/29 conversation, Chief Justice Nathan Hecht of the Texas Supreme Court talked about the timing of a possible ruling on the state's appeal in the school finance lawsuit. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TTEventsHecht351TT.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Video: A Conversation with Nathan Hecht
Full video of my 10/29 conversation with Chief Justice Nathan Hecht of the Texas Supreme Court. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TTEventsHecht353TT.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Analysis: Should We Take Judges Out of the Fundraising Business?
The U.S. Supreme Court says it's okay for states to bar judges from raising their own campaign cash. A lot of judges (and lawyers, too) think that's a pretty good idea that Texas might want to consider. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/02/18/BDS_4567.jpg)
![Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals justices listen to Chief Justice Nathan Hecht's State of the Judiciary speech to legislators on Feb. 18, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Brief: Feb. 18, 2015
State Rep. José Menéndez handily won election to the state Senate after a high-dollar, contentious race against House colleague Trey Martinez Fischer. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Brief: Oct. 22, 2014
Criticism by state leaders of the Obama administration for failures in the response to the Ebola virus omits mention of the tools at the state's disposal that were not used. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/10/09/Perry_Ft._Hood1_copy.jpg)
![Gov. Rick Perry visiting soldiers at Fort Hood on Oct. 9, 2014. The 36th Engineering Brigade is preparing to deploy to Liberia to assist in the effort to control the Ebola outbreak.]()
Credit: Veronica Zaragovia -
Liveblog: The Justice Track at The Texas Tribune Festival
We're liveblogging the sessions from the 2014 Texas Tribune Festival's Justice track. The sessions include panels on criminal justice reform, the Texas Supreme Court, same-sex marriage and the death penalty. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/09/18/TTF14-liveblog-justice.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Graphic by Emily Albracht -
In Supreme Court Races, a Clash Over Contributors
Three Texas Supreme Court justices up for re-election face GOP primary challenges. Backers of the incumbents are critical about where support for those challengers is coming from. And those challengers have questioned the current court's conservatism. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/01/07/SupremeCourt.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0426d743e1ebe1e94ef8b4fddac04074/01_Brett_Busby_Oath_MG_TT)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8154446431cfff64292894ff8fbb3dd7/BD%20INC%20Mendez%2001%202013)