Supreme Court of Texas Decisions

Unlike every other state except Oklahoma, Texas divides its highest court into two entities. While the Texas Supreme Court resolves appeals of civil matters, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals resolves appeals of criminal cases. The Texas Supreme Court dates from 1836, when Texas was an independent republic that had not yet joined the U.S. In addition to holding mandatory jurisdiction over writs of habeas corpus and mandamus, it handles matters involving discipline in the legal profession and answers questions related to Texas law that have been certified from a federal appellate court.

The Supreme Court has discretionary jurisdiction over appeals of other cases. It generally focuses on cases that raise questions regarding a significant legal issue. Meanwhile, the Court of Criminal Appeals has discretionary jurisdiction over all criminal cases except those that involve a death sentence or other issues that affect the liberty of a defendant, which it must review.

To serve on the Supreme Court or the Court of Criminal Appeals, a candidate must be a resident of Texas and licensed to practice law in the state. They also must be a U.S. citizen between the ages of 35 and 74, and they must have served as an attorney or a judge for at least 10 years. Nine justices serve on each court, although no justice represents a specific judicial district. Texas uses partisan elections to elect its justices, each of whom serves a six-year term. In a partisan election, the party affiliation of the candidate appears on the ballot.

If a vacancy arises, the Governor of Texas will appoint a replacement justice to serve until the next general election. The Texas Senate must confirm the appointment if it is in session. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Presiding Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals run for those specific positions in the general election.

Browse Opinions From the Supreme Court of Texas
Recent Decisions From the Supreme Court of Texas
FLEMING v. WILSON (Opinion)  
Date: May 17, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-0166

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute between a lawyer, George Fleming, and his former clients, referred to as the "Wilson plaintiffs". Fleming had represented over 8,000 plaintiffs in a mass-tort action against the manufacturer…

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION v. SELF (Opinion)  
Date: May 17, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-0585

Justia Opinion Summary: Mark and Birgit Self owned a tract of rural land that adjoined a portion of Farm-to-Market Road 677 in Montague County, Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) had a right-of-way easement that reached fifty…

WESTWOOD MOTORCARS, LLC v. VIRTUOLOTRY, LLC (Opinion)  
Date: May 17, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-0846

Justia Opinion Summary: Westwood Motorcars, LLC leased commercial property in Dallas to operate an automobile dealership. The lease was set to expire in 2013, but an addendum allowed Westwood to extend the lease for two additional 24-month…

OCCIDENTAL PERMIAN, LTD. v. CITATION 2002 INVESTMENT LLC (Opinion)  
Date: May 17, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-0037

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute over the interpretation of an assignment of mineral rights. In 1987, Shell Western E&P, Inc. sold a large bundle of Texas oil-and-gas properties to the predecessor of Citation 2002 Investment…

FRISCO MEDICAL CENTER, L.L.P. AND TEXAS REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, L.L.C. v. PAULA CHESTNUT AND WENDY BOLEN, ON BEHALF OF THEMSELVES AND ALL OTHERS SIMILARLY SITUATED; from Dallas County; 5th Court of Appeals District (05-22-00058-CV, ___ SW3d ___, 11-07-22) (Per Curiam)
Date: May 17, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-0039
CARL v. HILCORP ENERGY COMPANY (Opinion)  
Date: May 17, 2024
 Docket Number: 24-0036

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute between Anne Carl and related parties (the royalty holders) and Hilcorp Energy Company (the producer) over the calculation of royalties from a mineral lease. The lease stipulates that…

Noe v. Velasco (Opinion)  
Date: May 10, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-0410

Justia Opinion Summary: A mother sued her doctor and his medical practice for allegedly failing to perform a sterilization procedure she paid for and then failing to tell her that the procedure was not performed. She claims the doctor’s actions…

Alonzo v. Lewis (Per Curiam)  
Date: May 10, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-0521

Justia Opinion Summary: Christine John and Christopher Lewis were injured in a rear-end collision involving a tractor-trailer driven by Roberto Alonzo. In the subsequent personal-injury lawsuit, Alonzo and his employer, New Prime, Inc.,…

IN THE MATTER OF TRUST A AND TRUST C. ESTABLISHED UNDER THE BERNARD L. AND JEANNETTE FENENBOCK LIVING TRUST AGREEMENT (Opinion)  
Date: May 10, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-0674

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a family dispute over the management of a trust established by Bernard and Jeannette Fenenbock. The trust was divided into three sub-trusts (Trust A, Trust B, and Trust C) to benefit their…

CITY OF HOUSTON v. SAULS (Opinion)  
Date: May 10, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-1074

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the City of Houston, which appealed a wrongful-death suit filed by the family of Dwayne Foreman, who was killed in a collision with a police cruiser. The police officers were responding to a suicide…

IN RE LAKESIDE RESORT JV, LLC (Per Curiam)  
Date: May 10, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-1100

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between Lakeside Resort JV, LLC, the owner of Margaritaville Resort Lake Conroe, and a guest, Mendez, who claimed to have sustained severe bodily injuries after stepping into a deep hole on…

IN RE RICHARDSON MOTORSPORTS, LTD. (Opinion)  
Date: May 10, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-1167

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Texas was asked to consider whether Texas Rules of Evidence 509(e)(4) and 510(d)(5) apply to a discovery request for a minor plaintiff’s psychological treatment records. The minor, E.B., was seeking…

IN RE URBAN 8 LLC AND URBAN 8 MANAGEMENT LLC; from Dallas County; 5th Court of Appeals District (05-22-01022-CV, ___ SW3d ___, 10-06-22) (Per Curiam)
Date: May 10, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-1175
HARLEY CHANNELVIEW PROPERTIES, LLC v. HARLEY MARINE GULF, LLC (Opinion)  
Date: May 10, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-0078

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute between Harley Channelview Properties, LLC (Channelview) and Harley Marine Gulf, LLC (Harley Marine) over a property lease agreement. The original lease, signed in 2011, included a…

TEXAS WINDSTORM INSURANCE ASSOCIATION v. PRUSKI (Opinion)  
Date: May 10, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-0447

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute between the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) and Stephen Pruski, a policyholder. TWIA is a quasi-governmental body that provides windstorm and hail insurance to property…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.