by Carol Sims | Apr 25, 2022 | Governor's Office, Judicial Appointments
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has appointed L. Charles van Cleef to the Sixth Court of Appeals, Place 3, for a term set to expire on December 31, 2022, or until his successor shall be duly elected and qualified. Charles van Cleef of Longview is an attorney and has 30 years of experience in state and federal courts, including both trial and appellate law. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Bar Association of the Federal Fifth Circuit Court, and the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Additionally, he is a former member of the Gregg County Bail Bond Board and the Tyler Planning and Zoning Committee. Van Cleef received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor degree from South Texas College of...
by Carol Sims | Apr 5, 2022 | Appointments, Governor's Office
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Kimberly Allen as Judge of the 69th Judicial District Court in Dallam, Hartley, Moore and Sherman Counties, effective April 6, 2022, for a term set to expire December 31, 2022 or until her successor shall be duly elected and qualified. Kimberly Allen of Stratford is the County Attorney for Sherman County, where she has served since 1997. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas District & County Attorneys Association, and the 69th Judicial District Bar Association. She is the Secretary for the Dalhart Christian Academy Board and former secretary for the CareNet Pregnancy Center Board and the Imagination Station Board. Additionally, she is a member of the Stratford Lions Club and Chair of the First Baptist Church Personnel Committee. Allen received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Texas Tech University, a Juris Doctor degree from The University of Texas School of Law, and a Master in Biblical and Theological Studies from the Dallas Theological...
by Carol Sims | Dec 8, 2021 | Appointments, Governor's Office, Judicial Appointments
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Crystal Edmonson Levonius as Judge of the 481st Judicial District Court in Denton County, effective January 1, 2022, for a term set to expire December 31, 2022, or until her successor shall be duly elected and qualified. Crystal Edmonson Levonius of Flower Mound is an attorney and managing member of Crystal Levonius Law, PLLC and previously served as an assistant district attorney for the Collin County District Attorney’s Office. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, State Bar of New Mexico, Denton County Bar Association, and the Denton County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and a former member of the Texas District & County Attorneys Association and the Collin County Bar Association. She is a co-leader for the Little Flowers Christian Girls Club and a team manager for FC Legends United Soccer Club. She is the former Vice President of Ways and Means for the Wellington Elementary School PTA, former Director for Taking A Step Against Colon Cancer, and former volunteer for the Frisco ISD Mentor Program and Feed the Hunger. Levonius received a Bachelor of Arts in Government from New Mexico State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law...
by Carol Sims | Nov 10, 2021 | Uncategorized
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Jennifer Caughey to the Texas Judicial Council for a term set to expire on June 30, 2027. The council studies the court system in Texas and looks for methods to improve while also investigating and reporting on matters referred to the council relating to the court system. Jennifer Caughey of Houston is a Partner, who chairs the Appellate Department, at Jackson Walker, LLP. She previously served as a Justice on the First Court of Appeals and was previously an attorney at Baker Botts, LLP and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP. She completed appellate clerkships at the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. She is a member of the State Bars of Texas and New York and the Bar of the District of Columbia. Caughey received a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law...
by Carol Sims | Nov 1, 2021 | Appointments
For Immediate Distribution | November 1, 2021 | (512) 463-1826 AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today announced his appointment of Evan Young, a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, to the Supreme Court of Texas. Young will replace Justice Eva Guzman on the bench, who resigned in June. “Evan Young is a proven legal scholar and public servant, making him an ideal pick for the Supreme Court of Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “Evan’s extensive background in private practice and public service will be a fantastic addition to the bench, and I am confident that he will faithfully defend the Constitution and uphold the rule of law for the people of Texas.” Evan Young of Austin is a partner at the firm of Baker Botts LLP. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and served as Counsel to the Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). During his time at the DOJ, he spent nearly a year on detail to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, where he helped lead the U.S. government’s rule of law effort. Young is a former chair of the Texas Regional Office of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee, an elected member of the American Law Institute, and an adjunct professor at The University of Texas School of Law. He has served as a member of the Texas Judicial Council since 2017. Young received a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University and from Oxford University, where he was a British Marshall Scholar, and a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law...
