About this office
It's very difficult for a case to reach the Supreme Court. So for most Texans who appeal — a custody ruling, a lawsuit, a conviction — the Court of Appeals is the last court that will ever hear it. Texas has 14 of these courts, each covering a share of the 254 counties, and Hays County's cases go to the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin. The Chief Justice runs that court — and this year the seat is on your ballot.
Candidates
Clarissa SilvaShe grew up in Harlingen and became a felony prosecutor before she ever put on a judge's robe.
About Clarissa
Silva is the incumbent justice on the 13th Court of Appeals, first elected in 2020. Before taking the bench, she worked as a prosecutor in the Nueces County District Attorney's Office and the San Patricio County Attorney's Office, and she earned her law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston. She is now running for a second term.
John BallHe is double board certified in both criminal law and family law, a credential held by less than half a percent of Texas attorneys.
About John
Ball earned his law degree from St. Mary's University School of Law and has spent his career in criminal and family law, including a stint prosecuting cases in the Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office. Before running for the appeals court, he served as an elected trustee for the McAllen Independent School District.