Article XV, Section 8 of the Texas Constitution ("Removal of Judges by Governor on Address of Legislature")

Adopted February 15, 1876:

The Judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and District Courts, shall be removed by the Governor on the address of two-thirds of each House of the Legislature, for wilful neglect of duty, incompetency, habitual drunkenness, oppression in office, or other reasonable cause which shall not be sufficient ground for impeachment; provided however, that the cause or causes for which such removal, shall be required, shall be stated at length in such address and entered on the journals of each House; and provided further, that the cause or causes shall be notified to the Judge so intended to be removed, and he shall be admitted to a hearing in his own defense before any vote for such address shall pass, and in all such cases, the vote shall be taken by yeas and nays and entered on the journals of each House respectively.

Editor Comments

Article V, the judiciary article of the state constitution, was substantially revised in 1891.

The Court of Appeals was replaced by the Court of Criminal Appeals and Courts of Civil Appeals.

The amendment failed to conform this section or Article XV, Section 2 to that transformation.

Attorney Steve Smith

Recent Decisions

None.

Historic Decisions

None.

Library Resources

Online Resources