Second Court of Appeals

Justice Place 3

John Speer (1936 to 1950)

John Speer was born on October 12, 1873, in Montague County.  He he had little formal education but studied law in the offices of his brother, Ocie Speer, who would also later become a justice on the Second Court of Appeals.  After he was admitted to the bar, he and his brother created a firm together known as Speer and Speer.  He practiced law in Bowie until 1918, serving stints as Bowie’s City Attorney and the Montague County Attorney.  In 1918, he was appointed by Governor W.P. Hobby to serve as judge of the 16th District Court in Denton County, but he left the bench following year to return to private practice.

In 1936, Governor James V. Allred appointed Speer to serve on the Second Court of Appeals after Justice P.A. Martin passed away.  He served as a justice until his retirement in 1950. Speer died on February 8, 1972, in Fort Worth and was buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Denton.