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Full-Text Articles in Law
Can A Twenty-First Century Texas Tolerate Its Nineteenth Century Judicial Selection Process Commentary., Charles Bleil
Can A Twenty-First Century Texas Tolerate Its Nineteenth Century Judicial Selection Process Commentary., Charles Bleil
St. Mary's Law Journal
Judicial selection by popular election is no longer practical in Texas. Texans must question the adequacy of the Texas judicial selection process for the next century. The history of Texas has seen the implementation of various methods for selecting the judiciary. Initially, the creation of courts by the Republic of Texas’s Constitution required joint ballot of both houses of the Texas Congress to select judges. However, in 1876, Texas began holding elections for jurists by popular vote. This enactment was in response to the drafters’ desire to limit government intervention during the Reconstruction era. Although the suitability of popular election …
Appellate Review Of Criminal Cases In Texas., Ellen Bloomer Mitchell
Appellate Review Of Criminal Cases In Texas., Ellen Bloomer Mitchell
St. Mary's Law Journal
This Article guides Texas practitioners in effectively preparing and presenting criminal cases on appeal. Its primary focus concerns the standards of review appellate courts use in determining the merits of the issues raised before them and, equally important, proper preservation and presentation of those issues. This Article does not exhaust the matters which may be raised on appeal in a criminal case. Rather, it covers a variety of issues and errors commonly raised in the “ordinary” criminal appeal. Understanding and utilizing this information in the presentation of issues on appeal will help the practitioner direct the appellate court to find …
Home Equity Reform In Texas Forum., Jerry Patterson
Home Equity Reform In Texas Forum., Jerry Patterson
St. Mary's Law Journal
Texas citizens should vote on home equity reform to be able to decide for themselves whether they desire the benefits of home equity borrowing. Texas is the only state in the nation that prohibits homeowners from using their home equity as they see fit such as to educate their children, to start or expand small businesses, or to enjoy their retirement years. Critics to home equity reform in Texas do not fully understand the scope of the amendments or the benefits that come with reform. The myth that equity loans would trigger an increase in foreclosure rates cannot be documented …
The Texas Homestead: The Last Bulwark Of Liberty Forum., Henry B. Gonzalez
The Texas Homestead: The Last Bulwark Of Liberty Forum., Henry B. Gonzalez
St. Mary's Law Journal
For more than 155 years Texans have adamantly supported the principle that the fundamental need for shelter justifies strict constitutional protection of homes from creditors in all but a few situations. This Article discusses where homestead protection came from and why it should not be lightly discarded. The Texas Constitution contains many rights and liberties for the protection and benefit of the state’s citizens. Unique among these treasured liberties is the protection of a person’s homestead from forced sale or foreclosure by creditors. A group of bankers and other financiers—for whom a homestead is nothing more than collateral and a …