Harris County GOP

317 Years of Experience
Harris County Incumbent Judges

Fair Courts Require Innovative,
Responsive and Experienced Judges

	Justice Laura Carter Higley 1st Court of Appeals, Place 5 Justice Higley is an honors graduate of the University of Houston Law School and received the City of Houston Mayor's Award for Volunteer Service. Hearing appeals in civil and criminal cases, she authored 291 opinions in the last 4 years.

	Chief Justice Adele Hedges 14th Court of Appeals Chief Justice Hedges leads one of the busiest appellate courts in Texas. An appellate justice since 1992 and chief justice since 2003, Judge Hedges has coauthored three Texas Practice Guides and has been named Appellate Judge of the Year.

	Justice Jeff Brown 14th Court of Appeals, Place 4 Justice Brown has been appointed to the appellate bench after six years as a highly rated civil trial judge. Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, he is a former law clerk to Texas Supreme Court Justices Jack Hightower and Greg Abbott. In 2006, Judge Brown was named by TYLA as Texas Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year.

	Justice Bill Boyce 14th Court of Appeals, Place 6 Justice Boyce is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law and brings extensive appellate experience to the bench. As an attorney with Fulbright & Jaworski for 18 years, he handled appeals throughout Texas and across the country, including a successful appearance in the U.S. Supreme Court.

	Justice Kem Frost 14th Court of Appeals, Place 7 Justice Frost, a 1999 appointee to the appellate bench, has earned certification in Appellate Jurisprudence from the Texas College for Judicial Studies and served on the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Code of Judicial Conduct. Prior to her appointment, she practiced complex business litigation for 15 years with two major Texas law firms. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute.

	Judge Mark Davidson 11th Civil District Court Judge Davidson has over two decades of judicial service to the citizens of Harris County, currently serving as the supervising judge for all asbestos cases in Texas in addition to regular docket duties. A history buff, Judge Davidson has written extensively on Texas history. He served as Harris County Administrative Judge and on the Harris County Juvenile Board.

	Judge Jeff Shadwick 55th Civil District Court Judge Shadwick was a practicing attorney for 27 years prior to his appointment to the bench in 2007. He had received his AV rating and conducted an active commercial litigation practice. Judge Shadwick served the Houston community as a board member and President of the HISD Board of Education.

	Judge John Donovan 61st Civil District Court Judge Donovan is certified in Trial Law and graduated Cum Laude from South Texas College of Law (1984). He has chaired the Civil Courts’ Special Dockets (Mass Torts) Committee and presided over to conclusion the silicone implant docket in Harris County. Judge Donovan has helped improve docket management of mass tort suits.

	Judge Lynn Bradshaw-Hull 80th Civil District Court Judge Bradshaw-Hull is certified in Civil Jurisprudence by the Texas College for Judicial Studies. During the past 13 years, she has presided fairly over the disposition of more than 60,000 cases, including over 500 jury trials. She is a graduate of South Texas College of Law (1984). Visit judgebradshawhull.com for more information on this outstanding jurist.

	Judge John Coselli 125th Civil District Court Judge John Coselli has presided over the 125th District Court since 1999. He has more than 30 years of combined experience as a Judge and a lawyer. Judge Coselli is President of the Texas Association of District Judges and is Chair of Judicial Advisory Commitee to the American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Section.

	Judge Sharolyn Wood 127th Civil District Court Judge Wood has presided over complex civil jury trials for over 24 years. She served as Civil Administrative Judge and on the Texas Judicial Council and Juvenile Board. Judge Wood, appointed to serve on three Supreme Court Task Forces, was honored as Trial Judge of the Year. A graduate of Rice University (1970) and UT School of Law (Dec-1972), she is the senior civil judge in Harris County.

	Judge Grant Dorfman 129th Civil District Court Judge Grant Dorfman is in his 6th year of service as Judge of the 129th Civil District Court. A native Texan, he graduated from Brown University , Oxford University , and the Yale Law School (1992). Prior to his appointment, Judge Dorfman served as a law clerk on the United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced law with Susman Godfrey and as a partner with Ogden Gibson White & Broocks.

	Judge Lamar McCorkle 133rd Civil District Court Judge McCorkle has served as a civil court judge for over twenty years. He has been elected Chair of the Judicial Section of the State Bar and Chair of the Texas Center for the Judiciary. Judge McCorkle served as a law clerk on the 1st Court of Appeals and practiced with a prominent civil firm before his election to the bench.

	Judge Caroline Baker 151st Civil District Court Judge Baker is beginning her 12th year as a civil trial judge. A graduate of Princeton and UT School of Law, Judge Baker is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law. She serves on the Committee on Judicial Ethics; serves as Vice President of the Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists; and on the Pattern Jury Charge Committee. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Baker was a partner in McFall, Sherwood & Sheehy.

	Judge Ken Wise 152nd Civil District Court Judge Wise is the current Harris County Civil Administrative Judge and served as the chair of the Civil Court House Technology Committee. He served on the Harris County Juvenile Board.

	Judge Martha Hill Jamison 164th Civil District Court Judge Jamison, a trial judge since 1999, is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law. founding Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators and former Civil Administrative Judge, she currently serves on the State Bar of Texas Task Force Court Reorganization, American Leadership Forum Class XXV and the Board of Directors of the American Judicature Society. Judge Jamison is a graduate of UT School of Law (1977).

	Judge Elizabeth Ray 165th Civil District Court Judge Ray has been the judge of this court for sixteen years. Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, she was partner in a Houston law firm and an experienced civil trial attorney when she was appointed to the bench. As Harris County Administrative Judge, she was successful in getting the new Civil Courthouse built. Graduated from Baylor School of Law (1978) and was named Trial Judge of the Year (2006).

	Judge Brian Rains 176th Criminal District Court Judge Rains is in his 20th year of service as a felony court judge. He served as an assistant district attorney under District Attorneys Carol Vance and Johnny Holmes for more than 10 years and was in private practice prior to his appointment to the bench.

	Judge Devon Anderson 177th Criminal District Court Judge Anderson is a highly rated criminal court judge who has presided over more than 140 jury trials. She is an esteemed former chief prosecutor who tried more than 100 jury trials, including the infamous “Railcar Killer.” Elected in 2004, she also presides over one of Harris County’s drug courts. She graduated from UT School of Law (1991).

	Judge Roger Bridgwater 178th Criminal District Court Judge Bridgwater received notice of his Appointment in 2007, while in a jury trial. He is highly respected, with over 28 years as an assistant district attorney and a criminal defense practitioner. Roger and Mary Ann, his wife of 32 years, are very involved in community-wide activities and he serves as a trustee of both Houston Baptist University and Houston's First Baptist Church.

	Judge Mike Wilkinson 179th Criminal District Court Judge Wilkinson is in his 20th year as District Judge, with over 500 jury trials. He previously served over six years in the trial bureau of the District Attorney’s Office under Carol Vance and Johnny Holmes and was in private practice for over seven years. A graduate of the UT School of Law (1974), he is former chair of the HBA Criminal Law & Procedure Section and presiding judge over one of the original drug courts.

	Judge Patricia Kerrigan 190th Civil District Court Judge Kerrigan, appointed in 2007, brings 24 years of tort and commercial litigation experience to the bench. She is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and has served as Chair of a Pattern Jury Charge Committee. She has been a leader of the TADC, the DRI, and served as a state liaison to the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence. She is honored to be a member of ABOTA, the American Board of Trial Advocates.

	Judge Levi Benton 215th Civil District Court A graduate of South Texas College of Law, Judge Benton has nearly a decade of experience presiding over complex civil cases. He was named Trial Judge of the Year and Best Civil Trial Judge by two prominent organizations. Judge Benton also serves as a member of the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee.

	Judge David Farr 312th Family District Court Judge Farr was appointed district judge by the governor in 2007. He has been highly rated by the HBA while serving as an associate judge for six years in another family court. He is Board Certified in Family Law and was recently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Texas Army National Guard. Judge Farr served combat tours in Bosnia (2000), Operation Enduring Freedom (2006), and in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

	Judge Tad Halbach 333rd Civil District Court Judge Halbach, a highly respected civil trial judge, is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, and was an experienced trial lawyer when appointed to the bench in 1995. Dedicated to professional and public service, he is a Past-President, Houston Young Lawyers Association and a frequent speaker at CLE programs. An Eagle Scout, Judge Halbach is also an active adult leader in the Boy Scouts of America.

	Judge Don Stricklin 337th Criminal District Court Judge Don Stricklin was appointed to the bench over eight years ago. A highly regarded prosecutor prior to taking the bench, he served under District Attorneys Carol Vance and Johnny Holmes, serving over twelve years as 1st Assistant District Attorney. Judge Stricklin is the Harris County Administrative Judge.

	Judge Brock Thomas 338th Criminal District Court Judge Thomas is a highly rated judge who has presided over all levels of felony cases since his appointment in 2002. Instrumental in the development of Harris County's Drug Court program, he also presides over a drug court docket. Prior to his appointment, he served nine years as a trial prosecutor.

	Judge Caprice Cosper 339th Criminal District Court Judge Cosper has presided over 20,000 felony cases, including nearly 500 jury trials, in her fifteen years on the bench. A former trial and appellate prosecutor, she is a frequent speaker on criminal law. In 2004, the State Bar’s Criminal Law Section named her Judge of the Year.

	Judge Mark Kent Ellis 351st Criminal District Court Judge Ellis was elected over ten years ago to the district court bench. An experienced trial attorney in private practice before becoming a judge, he was hired by District Attorney Johnny Holmes and served as an assistant district attorney for over eight years.

These distinguished judges represent 317 years of service upon completion of their current terms The inclusion of any judge does not constitute an endorsement by that judge of any other judge. Paid for by the Harris County Republican Party, 3311 Richmond Ave, Ste 218, Houston, TX 77098