Former former Harris County state district court judge David Medina is expected to be named today to the Texas Supreme Court by Governor Rick Perry during a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. at the South Texas College of Law in Houston. Mr. Medina is currently serving as the Governor’s general counsel.
The appointment will fill the second of two vacancies on the nine-member court. Mr. Medina will replace Michael Schneider, who was confirmed as a U.S. District Judge in Tyler in September. The other vacancy was filled by Wallace Jefferson, a Supreme Court justice who Governor Perry recently promoted to chief justice. Chief Justice Jefferson replaced former Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Phillips, who retired to enter private practice.
Mr. Medina, who is 46, was born in Galveston and grew up just to the north in Hitchcock. He graduated in 1980 from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University-San Marcos), where he was a member of the baseball team and the state-championship karate team. He subsequently received his law degree from South Texas, where he was on the dean’s list and was a member of the American Bar Association Regional Moot Court National Championship Team.
From 1996 to 2000, Mr. Medina served as judge of the 157th District Court in Harris County, during which time the Houston Bar Association members consistently cited him as one of the top jurists in Harris County. Before and after his tenure on the bench, Mr. Medina worked for Cooper Industries, a worldwide manufacturer of electrical products, tools and hardware. He has served as Governor Perry’s general counsel since January of this year.
Before becoming Governor Perry’s general counsel, Mr. Medina was involved in a controversy when he was arrested in June 2002 and charged with driving while intoxicated. His trial ended in a hung jury, and then Medina pleaded guilty to making an improper lane change, paid a fine, and the original DUI charge was dismissed.
Upon appointment to the Supreme Court, Mr. Medina will have to through the Texas Senate’s confirmation process next year. To remain on the bench, Mr. Medina would have to run for election in 2006.