Chief Justice, 9th Court of Appeals - Scott Golemon

Chief Justice, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals

Recommended: Scott Golemon

There are 14 Circuit Courts of Appeals in Texas which hear all appeals from county and district courts except those related to death sentences.  A large majority of the cases appealed to the Circuit Court of Appeals are civil cases.  The 9th Circuit hears cases appealed from Montgomery and 9 neighboring counties.  It is one of the best performing Circuit Courts of Appeals in the state, both in terms of the composition of the Court (judicially very conservative), the efficient rate with which it handles cases (no growing case backlog) and its low reversal rate on appeal. This is a hard working court with a large caseload handled by 4 justices sitting on the bench.

Jay Wright and Scott Golemon are in the runoff for this race.  Jay Wright has a strong background and conservative bona fides, having worked with numerous conservative Montgomery County organizations. However, in interviewing Mr. Wright, he made it clear he was interested in slowing down and viewed the position on the Circuit Court as way to ease into retirement.    These statements raised concern about his willingness to devote the energy it will take to effectively replace Chief Justice McKeithen.

While Scott Golemon sees the role of Chief Justice on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals as less stressful than trying multiple cases a year, he fully appreciates the significant amount of work involved with this position.  With 31 years’ experience as a civil trial attorney and extensive understanding of the Texas court system, Scott Golemon possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to be able to immediately and effectively contribute to the Court’s heavy workload.  Additionally, he understands the need for good stewardship of state finances and has a clear plan for operation the court in a cost efficient manner.  His practice is state-wide, giving him the opportunity to experience first-hand the liberalization of Texas courts in many jurisdictions, which he considers a crisis.  Since rulings made by the District Court of Appeals are often the final decision rendered in a case, it is important to have an experienced, fair-minded person who does not legislate from the bench.  

There is no incumbent in this race since Chief Justice Steve McKeithen is retiring after 18 years on the bench.  The voters’ challenge is to replace Chief Justice McKeithen with an individual who will at least perpetuate, and hopefully bolster, the exceptional service Chief Justice McKeithen has provided.  This will require an individual who will:  1) complement and enhance the Court’s judicial conservative character; and 2) have the depth of experience and energy to be able to immediately contribute to the Court’s heavy workload.  Thankfully, Scott Golemon is such an individual and will be able to make a seamless transition into the Chief Justice role.