Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals
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Texas Fifth Court of Appeals is one of 14 intermediate appellate courts in Texas. [1]
| Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals | |||
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| Court information | |||
| Judges: | 13 | ||
| Judicial selection | |||
| Method: | Partisan election of judges | ||
| Term: | 6 years | ||
| Active judges | |||
|
Carolyn Wright • David Bridges • Michael O'Neill • Kerry FitzGerald • Molly Francis • Douglas Lang • Elizabeth Lang-Miers • James Moseley • Mary Murphy • Joseph B. Morris • Robert Fillmore • Lana Myers • David Lewis (Texas) • David Evans (Court of Appeals) • | |||
Jurisdiction
The Fifth District Court of Appeals has appellate jurisdiction over appeals arising from district and county courts in 6 counties:
Current justices
| Judge | Term | Division | Appointed by | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice Carolyn Wright | 1995-2018 | Chief Justice | Gov. George Bush | Republican |
| Judge David Bridges | 1996-2014 | Republican | ||
| Judge Michael O'Neill | 1998-2016 | |||
| Judge Kerry FitzGerald | 1999-2014 | Gov. George Bush | ||
| Judge Molly Francis | 2001-2018 | Place 10 | Gov. Rick Perry | Republican |
| Judge Douglas Lang | 2002-2018 | Place 11 | Gov. Rick Perry | Republican |
| Judge Elizabeth Lang-Miers | 2003-2018 | Place 13 | Gov. Rick Perry | Republican |
| Judge James Moseley | 1996-2018 | Place 5 | Republican | |
| Judge Mary Murphy | 2009-2014 | |||
| Judge Joseph B. Morris | 1992-2012 | |||
| Judge Robert Fillmore | 2009-2018 | Place 12 | Gov. Rick Perry | Republican |
| Judge Lana Myers | 2009-2016 | Gov. Rick Perry | Republican | |
| Judge David Lewis (Texas) | 2012-2018 | Place 9 | Republican | |
| Judge David Evans (Court of Appeals) | 2013-2018 | Place 2 | Republican |
Judge salaries
Salaries of elected state judges in Texas are set by the state legislature. Current salary levels were established by the legislature in 2005. The current base salary for an appeals court judge is $137,500. That figure is set as 110% of the district court judge salary, which is $125,000. 110% of $125,000 comes to $137,500.[1]
Chief justices make an additional $2,500. Further, appeals court justices have the potential to earn up to an additional $7,500 annually that can be paid by the counties in which they preside for extra judicial services performed.[1]
History
Below are some key highlights in the court's history:' [2]'
- 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 Fifth Court of Appeals was created on September 4, 1893 and opened with a Chief Justice and two Associate Justices.
- In 1978, after 85 years, three additional Justices were authorized.
- In 1981, criminal jurisdiction was added and six additional justices.
- An additional justice position was created in 1983; there are currently 12 Justices and one Chief Justice.
See also
External links
References

2012
To organize the columns, click on the arrows in the column heading.| Candidate | Incumbency | Party | Place | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Whitehill | No | Republican | Place 2 | 48.61% | |
| Carolyn Wright | Yes | Republican | Chief Justice | 100% | 100% |
| Dan Wood | No | Democratic | Place 2 | 47.3% | |
| David Evans (Court of Appeals) | No | Republican | Place 2 | 51.4% | 52.7% |
| David Hanschen | No | Democratic | Place 9 | 100% | 47.4% |
| David Lewis (Texas) | No | Republican | Place 9 | 53% | 52.6% |
| Douglas Lang | Yes | Republican | Place 11 | 100% | 52.3% |
| Elizabeth Lang-Miers | Yes | Republican | Place 13 | 100% | 100% |
| James Moseley | Yes | Republican | Place 5 | 100% | 52.6% |
| Lawrence Praeger | No | Democratic | Place 12 | 100% | 46.9% |
| Martin Richter | Yes | Republican | Place 9 | 46.98% | |
| Molly Francis | Yes | Republican | Place 10 | 100% | 100% |
| Penny R. Phillips | No | Democratic | Place 5 | 100% | 47.4% |
| Robert Fillmore | Yes | Republican | Place 12 | 100% | 53.1% |
| Tonya J. Holt | No | Democratic | Place 11 | 100% | 47.7% |
2010
| Appellate Court, Place | Candidates | Details | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fifth District, Place 4 | (R): Lana Myers (D): Bonnie Lee Goldstein | Lana Myers was appointed in 2009; ran for election. | Lana Myers won with 58.3% of the vote. |
| Fifth District, Place 7 | (R): Michael O'Neill | Michael O'Neill was up for re-election. | Michael O'Neill |
| Fifth District, Place 12 | (R): Robert Fillmore (D): Lawrence Praeger | Robert Fillmore was up for re-election. | Robert Fillmore won with 58.3% of the vote. |
