Texas Civil Justice League PAC cites judicial experience public service
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas As a former district judge Melissa Goodwin has a distinguished record of public service and a reputation for efficiency and productivity" said Red McCombs San Antonio businessman and Texas Civil Justice League PAC chairman. The Texas Civil Justice League Political Action Committee (PAC) has endorsed former district judge Melissa Goodwin for the 3rd Court of Appeals Place 4.
The 3rd Court of Appeals is based in Austin and serves 24 Central and West Texas counties. Unlike the other thirteen intermediate courts it has unique jurisdiction over executive branch legislative and regulatory appeals involving the state government.
Judge Goodwins background and experience make her the clear-cut choice for the 3rd Court of Appeals Place 4."
Melissa Goodwin will interpret and apply the law not write it from the bench said Robert L. Looney Texas Civil Justice League board chairman. This appeals court is arguably the states most important handling all the appeals involving state government agencies including the Public Utility Commission Railroad Commission Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Department of Insurance."
Goodwin has served as a district judge and justice of the peace in Travis County. She is one of only three Republicans ever elected to the Travis County bench.
Goodwin is now a partner in the Austin firm of Potts & Reilly L.L.P. practicing administrative appellate civil and criminal law. In 2009 she was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to a six-year term on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education.
She was also an appellate lawyer for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and handled disciplinary matters for the State Bars General Counsels office.
The 3rd Court of Appeals is the final word" for almost 95 percent of the cases filed there as the states two highest courts (Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals) accept only a fraction of the petitions for review made each year.
The six-member 3rd Court of Appeals is based in Austin and serves:
- Bastrop
- Bell
- Blanco
- Burnet
- Caldwell
- Coke
- Comal
- Concho
- Fayette
- Hays
- Irion
- Lampasas
- Lee
- Llano
- McCulloch
- Milam
- Mills
- Runnels
- San Saba
- Schleicher
- Sterling
- Tom Green
- Travis and
- Williamson counties.
The Texas Civil Justice League is a statewide business liability and legal reform coalition. Since 1988 the Texas Civil Justice League PAC has supported legislative judicial and statewide candidates committed to a fair efficient and predictable civil justice system.
The statewide general election is Tuesday November 2 2010.
Goodwin is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and St. Marys School of Law. She and her husband Grant live in Austin with their three children.
