Compare And Contrast The Texas Judicial System

Judicially, the contrasts between federal government and state government could not be starker. The federal judiciary is simple and orderly, with three levels of courts – district courts, appeals courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court, the final word on all statutory and constitutional matters. All federal judges are appointed, not elected, and Supreme Court justices are appointed for life, with the specific intent of removing the judiciary from the pressures of electoral politics, allowing protection of minority interests in a government system designed to allow majority rule. In contrast, the Texas judiciary is complicated and confusing. The Texas Constitution establishes six types of courts, some of which have concurrent or overlapping jurisdictions.