Judges

Dallas County District Judge Amber Givens filed a suit Monday alleging county commissioners unlawfully excluded her from the supplemental pay approved for all the county's other judges as part of the county's fiscal year 2026 budget.

Dallas County is considering whether to supplement judges salaries for merit or cost of living in the 2026 fiscal year budget, while facing nearly $30 million higher operations costs.

State District Judge Amber Givens was admonished and reprimanded by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for complaints filed several years ago.

The base salary for state judges hasn't changed or adjusted for inflation since 2013, ranking Texas second-to-last for judicial salaries in the country.

Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock asked for higher judicial pay and protections for parents in child custody cases in his first State of the Judiciary address since Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him to the high court's top role.

Dallas County prosecutor Jennifer Balido will have to run for election once her term expires in 2026. She's now the only Republican state district judge in Dallas County.

Abbott originally appointed Blacklock to the high court as the Place 2 justice in 2018. Abbott's general counsel James Sullivan will replace Blacklock as a new justice.

Chief Justice Nathan Hecht leaves a legacy of legal wisdom, low-income litigant advocacy and a blueprint for judicial conservatism in the wake of his mandatory retirement.

Senior District Judge Deborah Oakes Evans recused herself after a challenge to her impartiality over longtime relationships with case prosecutors and judges.

Tina Clinton says additional mail-in and provisional ballots led to her victory over Republican Matthew Kolodoski in a tight race for a Fifth Court of Appeals seat.

Effective Nov. 15, all federal lawsuits against X must be filed in the Northern District of Texas, where a judge owns Tesla stock and has heard several lawsuits involving Elon Musk.

Election night marked a major ideological shift in 14 Texas appeals courts whose elections usually get little fanfare.