Texas Judicial Selection Process Essay

In Texas, the selection of judges and the types of judicial selection processes used in the United States are crucial aspects of the legal system that impact the judiciary’s independence and accountability. Understanding the laws of the selection of judges in Texas and the various methods used across the U.S. provides knowledge about how judges are appointed or elected. This paper will include Texas law regarding the selection of most judges in Texas, the types of judicial selection processes used in the U.S., which selection is the best, and what I would do to engage the political process in Texas to pursue my position. The current Texas laws regarding the selection of judges are partisan elections and merit-based selection. Partisan elections involve judicial candidates running for office with a party label, for example,

Out of the two selection methods, partisan elections are more voter-oriented than merit-based selections. While Texas has its process for selecting judges in Texas, the United States has its own methods for judge selection. For example, one selection is also through appointments. When a judge is selected by appointment, the governor appoints district and appellate judges to the bench to fill vacancies before an election or to fill judgeships on new courts (Champagne, Harpham, Casellas 2021, 308). Similar to merit-based elections, but in this case voters don’t get to vote whether to elect or evict. Typically, when a judge passes away or retires, it's up to the president and approved by the Senate to appoint the new judge. They’re appointed until death or until that judge decides to retire. Another example of the judge selection method in the United States is commission