(The Center Square) – Three Republican justices are running for reelection to Texas’ new 15th Court of Appeals.
The Legislature created the new appellate court in 2023 to hear cases involving state government. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed the inaugural justices to the court who began their first term on Sept. 1, 2024.
Prior to the court’s creation, cases were appealed to 14 courts in regional jurisdictions. Most cases involving state government were appealed to the Third Court of Appeals in Austin. The 15th Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over the entire state.
Place 1 on the court
The inaugural chief justice, Scott Brister, is running for reelection against Democrat Jerry Zimmerer.
Brister has served at nearly every level of the Texas judiciary. He served one six-year term on the Texas Supreme Court, three years as justice and chief justice of Houston’s 1st and 14th Courts of Appeals and 11 years as presiding judge of the 234th District Court in Harris County. He has presided over more than 670 trials to verdict and authored more than 600 appellate opinions-122 for the Texas Supreme Court. This service excludes a lengthy resume in private practice.
“Across all those roles, my approach has been the same: Follow the law as written, respect the Constitution, and issue clear, reasoned decisions that stand the test of time,” he says on his campaign website. He describes his service as being “marked by thorough legal reasoning, clarity in writing, and a deep respect for the judicial role.”
Zimmerer, a former appellate justice and litigator with 30 years of experience in Texas courtrooms, says he’s running “so the newest court in Texas answers to the law, and to the voters, rather than to the officials who appointed it.
“A court is only as trustworthy as the independence of the people sitting on it. The 15th Court hears cases about what the governor, the attorney general, and state agencies are permitted to do,” Zimmerer said. “Deciding them takes a judge who has actually tried the cases, read the records, and written the opinions – and who owes nothing to the officials whose conduct is under review.”
Place 2 on the court
Justice Scott Field is running for reelection against Democrat Tom Baker.
Field previously served as the inaugural judge of the 480th Judicial District Court in Williamson County and for one six-year term on the Third Court of Appeals in Austin.
Field explained his judicial approach, saying, “I believe in applying the law as written – not rewriting it to fit personal views or political outcomes. The Constitution, statutes, and precedents are the foundation of our legal system. It’s my job to interpret and apply them fairly and consistently. Every case deserves thoughtful, impartial review grounded in the law, not politics.”
Baker previously served five years on the 3rd Court of Appeals. He’s worked in private practice where he said he built his legal career “helping families and everyday Texans navigate the legal system, specializing in family law and appellate work.”
On his campaign website, Field said he Legislature created the 15th Court of Appeals as “a form of court-packing” or “packing the bench"” by the Texas Republican Party, led by Gov. Abbott. He said the court was created with justices deciding appeals sympathetically to Abbott and the executive branch of Texas government. He said the court’s creation “could and should undermine public confidence in the independence of their courts and fair and honest review of cases involving Governor Abbott’s executive branch of our government. The judicial branch or third branch of government serves to provide checks and balances on the other branches of government. When all branches are controlled by one political party the principles of checks and balances is compromised.”
Place 3 on the court
Justice April Farris is running for reelection against Democrat Marc Meyer.
Farris previously served on the 1st Court of Appeals, where she was appointed in 2021 and elected in 2022. Prior to serving on the bench, she was a partner at a major firm handling complex appellate litigation for clients in the energy, technology and government sectors. She was also a previous assistant solicitor general for Texas.
“Every decision I make is guided by a commitment to the rule of law, the Constitution, and the trust that Texans place in their courts,” she says on her campaign website.
She’s received numerous awards and national recognition, including a Law360 Rising Star in appellate litigation, and recognitions by Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers. She is a trustee for the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society and serves in other roles for other legal organizations in addition to teaching and mentoring.
Meyer has no experience as a judge, but he describes himself as a “nursing and EMT [emergency medical technician] attorney.” His law firm website has no information about his practice. He has no campaign website.
In a Facebook post, Meyer said he believes the court “will eventually be the second most important civil court in the great State of Texas.” He also claims in other Facebook posts that a vote for him is a vote “for independence” but does not explain his qualifications to serve as a judge.
