Paul Womack

Paul Leslie Womack (born April 1, 1947)[1] is a retired judge of the nine-member Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state court of last resort in criminal cases in Texas. A Republican, Womack was first elected in 1996, won second and third terms in 2002 and 2008, but did not seek a fourth term in 2014.

Paul Leslie Womack
Place 4 Judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
In office 1997–2015
Succeeded by	Kevin Patrick Yeary
Personal details
Born	(1947-04-01) April 1, 1947 City missing, Louisiana, USA
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Sally L. Ray
Residence	Georgetown Williamson County Texas
Alma mater	Louisiana State University University of Texas School of Law

Background

A resident of Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas,[1] Womack earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970 from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 1975, he received his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin.[2]

Legal career

After law school, Womack taught for a year at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston and then engaged in private practice for two years in San Antonio. In 1978, he was named research assistant for Judge Truman Roberts of Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. In 1982, when Judge Roberts retired, Womack became an assistant district attorney in Travis County. From 1987 to 1997, he was the first assistant district attorney in Williamson County, his last position until he joined the Court of Criminal Appeals. Since 1983, he has been an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law; he wrote a casebook on Texas criminal procedure.[3]

In the Republican primary election for the Court of Criminal Appeals in 1996, Womack led a five-candidate field for the Place 2 seat. He polled 214,415 votes (31.8 percent) and was placed in a runoff election with Pat Barber, who finished in a second place with polled 148,764 (22.1 percent), less than a thousand votes above that of the third-placed candidates.[4] In the second round of balloting Womack prevailed over Barber, 148, 135 (66.9 percent) to 73,129 (33.1 percent).[5] In the November general election, Womack defeated the Democrat Charles Holcomb, 2,721,048 (53.5 percent) to 2,368,192 (46.5 percent).[6]

In 2000, Womack's wife, Sally L. Ray, ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to join her husband as a member of the Court of Criminal Appeals. She finished in fourth place in the contest for the Place 2 seat with 131,609 votes (17.1 percent).[7] Victory ultimately went to Womack's colleague on the court, Barbara Hervey of San Antonio.

In 2002, Womack defeated another Democrat, Pat Montgomery, for Place 2 on the Court of Criminal Appeals, 2,463,069 (57.4 percent) to 1,828,431 (42.6 percent).[8] In 2008, in the Place 4 court race, Womack defeated another Democrat, J.R. Molina, 4,044,788 (53 percent) to 3,340,754 (43.7 percent).[9]

References

1. "Paul Womack's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
2. "Judge Paul Womack". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
3. "Judge Paul Womack". txcourts.gov. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
4. "Republican primary election returns, March 12, 1996". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
5. "Republican runoff election returns, April 9, 1996". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
6. "General election returns, November 5, 1996". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
7. "Republican primary election returns, March 14, 2002". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
8. "General election returns, November 5, 2002". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
9. "General election returns, November 4, 2008". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.

Legal offices
Preceded by Unknown	Judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 Paul Leslie Womack 1997–2015	Succeeded by Kevin Patrick Yeary