Three of the nine seats on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals are up for grabs, and a fourth seat will be if its current judge succeeds in being elected to the Texas Supreme Court.
Seven Republican candidates are vying for those seats.This turnover of potentially just under half of the seats on the appeals court could have significance in court decisions, where determinations are made when the state has authority to take a person's life and where precedent is set in criminal law.
The turnover could have an impact in a court where the court has previously had a tendency to rule in favor of the defense, according to the Texas Tribune.
The three judges not seeking re-election are Cathy Cochran, Tom Price, and Paul Womack. Lawrence Meyers is running for the Texas Supreme Court.
Law experts say the three judges who are leaving had a tendency to be the judges who make a difference one way or another in a decision.
The seven Republicans running will face their first challenge on March 4th in three separate primary races. In the November general election, the three winners will face one Democratic, three Libertarian, and two Green Party challengers.
