Puryear Rose Field Pemberton: 3rd Court of Appeals Election Crucial to Texas Voters
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas For the past twelve years
Judge David Puryear (left) has served on the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin and in 5-of-the-last-6 years has been
one of the Top 10 Most Productive Appellate Court Justices in Texas. Nonetheless a stealthy
new Democratic Super-PAC has pumped almost $50000 into the typically low-key but crucial 3rd Court races where three Republican incumbents are
seeking re-election.
By providing more than $5000 of support per candidate
the Judicial Fairness Fund formed just two months ago as an independent committee to oppose the 3rd Courts conservative Justices triggered a provision in judicial election law that exempts all 3rd Court hopefuls from the states $5000-per-donor limit to judicial candidates.
The Democrats are attempting a surprise end-run around our campaign finance laws at the 11th hour of this election with the intention of capturing a majority of seats on the critical 3rd Court of Appeals" says Justice David Puryear the longest serving member of the court.
In fact Justice Puryear was the most productive justice in Texas last year in merit-based opinions.
During that time he has been recognized as a statewide leader.
Republicans hold the majority of the crucial 3rd Court of Appeals whose six judges split 4-2 in favor of the Republicans.
Texas 3rd Court of Appeals is often
the court of last resort for citizens and regulatory matters in Texas and as a result is of particlular import to Texans.
Overseeing legal challenges to state laws as Texas citizens appeal State Government Agencies implementation of regulation the 3rd Court of Appeals decides the bulk of regulatory litigation in Texas.
Spending by 3rd-party committees is relatively rare in state judicial races. The Texas Ethics Commission has waived judicial campaign finance limits in only seven such races since 1995 the commission said.
Chuck Herring an Austin lawyer and Democratic activist who is listed as a decision maker on the Judicial Fairness Funds Ethics Committee filings and who helped form the Fund by giving $5000 on October 5th said there was no way to effectively communicate in the 3rd Courts 24-County Central Texas District without exceeding the $5000 spending limit.
The fund has been running TV and radio spots condemning the conservative incumbents. Much of their
material is verifiably false ... such as accusing the incumbents of taking money from groups they have not received funding from.
Republican candidates incumbent Justices Bob Pemberton David Puryear and Jeff Rose (at left) and Austin lawyer Scott Field have criticized the Judicial Fairness Fund as an unwanted intrusion into Texas normally staid judicial campaigns.
Its relatively unprecedented to have that type of an influence coming into these judicial races" said Republican incumbent Justice Jeff Rose recently.
Its certainly not something we were excited to see because it changes the playing field and it really puts more emphasis on the finances of a judicial race" Rose said.
This slate of candidates (Puryear Pemberton Rose and Field) represents a distinguished group of jurists and attorneys wholl preserve the Texas judicial system and
protect the people of Texas with honor & integrity"
said Red McCombs Chairman of the long-established and respected Texas Civil Justice
League.
Democratic challengers to the 3rd Courts conservative Republicans Bryan Case Andrew Hathcock and Karen Watkins said they had little knowledge about the fund or its plans.
Campaign finance reports show that the fund spent almost $48500 on fliers mailed to voters this month including one labeling the GOP candidates bought and sold" cronies of Gov. Rick Perry.
