Both of the candidates running in the Nov. 5, 2024, general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge — David Schenck (R) and Holly Taylor (D) — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.
Here are the candidates’ responses to the question: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
Schenck:
“Justice Schenck served for 8 years on the state’s largest appellate court and as Chairman of the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Prior to this, he served as Texas Deputy Attorney General for Legal Counsel and lead counsel for the state in the defense of its plans to redistrict its congressional and state legislative districts. He is a recognized and board certified appellate and constitutional lawyer, having argued or led dozens of major civil and criminal appellate matters in state and federal courts, including serving as lead counsel for TSRA and 47 other state organizations before the U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark Heller decision. He has received the highest ‘AV’ rating from the Martindale Hubble lawyer review service, is an elected member of the American Law Institute, and repeatedly recognized as ‘superlawyer’ in state rankings prior to assuming the bench.”
Taylor:
“Holly Taylor currently serves as Assistant Director in the Civil Rights Division of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office working with the Appeals Team, Civil Rights Unit, and Conviction Integrity Unit, which seeks to remedy wrongful convictions. Holly has also served in the Public Integrity Unit, working to prosecute fraud and corruption impacting government agencies. Previously, Holly served as a Staff Attorney and as the Rules Attorney for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and was a member of the Court’s Rules Advisory Committee. From 2018-2020, Holly taught an advanced legal writing class at the University of Texas School of Law. She received her B.A. from Rice University and earned her two graduate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin: a J.D. and a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Holly is Board Certified in Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a member of the Society of Legal Scholars. She is admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court. She has co-chaired the Austin Bar Association’s CLE Committee.”
Click on the candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.
We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.
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