The outcome of the recent Republican primary races in Texas has threatened the stability of the state’s highest criminal court. Three Texas judges have been defeated, each of whom faced opponents backed by the state’s Attorney General, Ken Paxton. Judges Sharon Keller, Barbara Hervey, and Michelle Slaughter lost their re-election bids in a turn of events that could potentially provide Paxton with the opportunity to make significant changes to the court.
Paxton’s involvement in these races likely serves as a retaliation against the judges, given that they were among the majority ruling in a 2021 decision stating that the Attorney General’s office can’t unilaterally prosecute voter fraud. This ruling meant that Paxton’s office would first need to get a request from local prosecutors or the Lieutenant Governor before mounting prosecutions on voter fraud cases.
In the wake of this disappointing electoral result, the two judges who lost their primaries, Keller and Hervey, will step down after serving the court since 2001. This shakeup in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals could shape the future of the state’s criminal justice landscape, as Paxton seeks to consolidate his influence.
For more detailed coverage on the developments regarding this story, please see Bloomberg’s full report here.