The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued nine opinions from Feb. 13-19. The Texas Supreme Court issued four opinions from Feb. 13-19. Both courts are the state’s courts of last resort. As of Feb. 19, the court of criminal appeals issued 57 opinions in 2023—23 more than this point a year ago. The supreme court issued 12 opinions as of Feb. 19, 2023—three fewer than this point a year ago.
From Feb. 13-19, state supreme courts issued 233 opinions nationally. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued the most with 77. State supreme courts in 12 states issued the fewest with zero. Courts where judges are elected have issued 165 opinions, while courts whose members are appointed have issued 68.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the Texas Supreme Court are the state’s courts of last resort. The former is the state’s court of last resort for criminal matters, while the latter is the state’s court of last resort for civil matters; both have nine judgeships. Sharon Keller and Nathan Hecht are the current chiefs of the criminal and supreme courts, respectively. Combined, the courts issued 413 opinions in 2022 and 536 in 2021. Nationally, state supreme courts issued 9,243 opinions in 2022 and 10,133 in 2021. The courts have issued 1,067 opinions in 2023. Courts where judges are elected have issued 683 opinions, while courts whose members are appointed have issued 384. Texas is a Republican trifecta, meaning Republicans control the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature.
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