Texas Supreme Court Justice Has Missed Majority of Oral Arguments to Campaign

Justice John Devine reportedly reviews the briefs and watches videos of the proceedings he skips to be on the campaign trail.

(L–R) Texas Supreme Court Justices Rebeca Aizpuru Huddle, Brett Busby, and Debra Lehrmann, Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht, and Justices Jeff Boyd, Jimmy Blacklock, Jane Bland, and Evan A. Young arrive to hear litigators make their arguments in Zurowski v. State of Texas, at the Texas Supreme Court in Austin on Nov. 28, 2023. Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images

Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine has skipped the majority of the court’s oral arguments for the current term that started in September, drawing the attention of his opponent.

The 65-year-old Republican has missed oral arguments for 28 of the 50 cases heard by the state’s highest court, opting instead to be on the campaign trail, Bloomberg Law reported. He is one of three justices seeking reelection this year and the only incumbent facing a challenger in the upcoming primary.