Court History
John H. Sharp (September 21, 1945, to December 31, 1952):
Appointed justice in December 1934 by Governor Miriam A. Ferguson. Elected in November 1940 and re-elected in November 1946. Retired in January 1953.
Frank P. Culver Jr. (January 1, 1953, to January 1, 1965):
Elected in November 1952 and re-elected in November 1958. Retired in January 1965.
Jack Pope (January 4, 1965, to November 29, 1982):
Elected in November 1964 and re-elected in November 1970 and November 1976. Appointed chief justice in November 1982.
Ted Robertson (December 2, 1982, to December 31, 1988):
Appointed by Governor William P. Clements in December 1982 to Pope's unexpired term. Defeated in his bid for chief justice in November 1988.
Lloyd Doggett (January 1, 1989, to December 31, 1994):
Elected in November 1988. Did not seek re-election in 1994.
Priscilla R. Owen (January 1, 1995, to June 6, 2005):
Elected in November 1994 and re-elected November 2000. Appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in June 2005.
Don R. Willett (August 24, 2005, to January 2, 2018):
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to replace Justice Owen and elected in 2006 and in 2012. Appointed to the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in 2017 and sworn in January 2018.
James D. Blacklock (January 2, 2018, to present):
Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to replace Willett when Willett was appointed to the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Elected to retain the seat in November 2018. His current term ends December 31, 2024.