Texas Courts: How the Appellate System Actually Works

Civil and juvenile

Supreme Court of Texas

Texas's court of last resort for civil and juvenile matters. Most ordinary civil cases reach it only after an intermediate Court of Appeals, and review is generally discretionary.

Criminal

Court of Criminal Appeals

Texas's court of last resort for criminal cases. Most criminal cases reach it after a regional Court of Appeals, while death-penalty cases follow a special direct-review path.

Intermediate review

15 Courts of Appeals

These courts review trial-court records and legal rulings rather than retrying cases. The first 14 primarily operate geographically; the Fifteenth uses statewide specialized civil jurisdiction.

Created in 2023; operating since September 1, 2024

Senate Bill 1045 organized Texas into 15 court-of-appeals districts and made the Fifteenth District consist of every county in the state. The court sits in Austin and began with a chief justice and two justices.

Its statewide geography does not make it a general second appellate court for every Texan. Statute gives it specialized civil jurisdiction, including specified matters involving the state and exclusive intermediate review of Texas Business Court appeals.

The first regular election cycle is 2026

The inaugural justices were gubernatorial appointees. Texas Secretary of State guidance says the chief justice and Places 2 and 3 appear on the 2026 ballot. Although every county is inside the Fifteenth District, the office is listed with other court-of-appeals district offices rather than as a statewide executive-style office.

Current election guidance also reflects later legislation phasing in Places 4 and 5 in future years. For voters, the key distinction is simple: statewide geographic coverage and specialized subject-matter jurisdiction are separate concepts.

Six-year partisan elections

Chief justices and justices of Texas Courts of Appeals serve six-year terms and run in partisan elections within their appellate districts. Because the Fifteenth District consists of every Texas county, all Texas voters are within that district even though election guidance classifies it as a district judicial office.

Vacancy appointments

A governor can fill a covered appellate vacancy with Senate consent. An appointed justice may later run in the partisan election system, so accurate biographies should record both the original appointment and later election history.

How many Courts of Appeals does Texas have?

Texas has 15 intermediate Courts of Appeals. The First through Fourteenth Courts primarily serve geographic districts and hear both civil and criminal appeals. The Fifteenth Court has a statewide district and specialized civil jurisdiction.

What is the difference between a Court of Appeals and the Texas Supreme Court?

A Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court. The Supreme Court of Texas is the state's court of last resort for civil and juvenile matters. Most civil cases reach a Court of Appeals before any request for Supreme Court review.

Does the Texas Supreme Court hear criminal appeals?

No. The Court of Criminal Appeals is Texas's court of last resort for criminal matters. Most ordinary criminal appeals first go through a regional Court of Appeals.

Are Texas Court of Appeals justices elected?

Yes. Court-of-appeals chief justices and justices are elected in partisan elections for six-year terms, with gubernatorial appointments used to fill covered vacancies. The Fifteenth Court's initial members were appointed before its first election cycle.

Why does Texas have both a First and Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston?

Houston has two overlapping intermediate appellate courts because the Fourteenth Court was created in 1967 alongside the existing First Court. Their shared-territory structure is handled through statutory and court procedures for allocating appeals.

What makes the Fifteenth Court of Appeals different?

Its district is composed of all Texas counties, but its jurisdiction is specialized rather than a general statewide replacement for the regional courts. It hears specified state-related civil appeals and appeals from the Texas Business Court, subject to the governing statutes and exceptions.

Do Courts of Appeals retry cases or hear juries?

No. Appellate courts review the trial-court record, legal arguments, and alleged legal or procedural errors. They do not conduct a new jury trial or ordinarily take new witness testimony.

How many justices sit on a Texas Court of Appeals case?

Appeals are usually heard by a panel of three justices. A court may order en banc consideration, in which the court's eligible justices hear the matter together.