Eva Guzman
Encyclopedia
Eva Guzman is a member of the Texas Supreme Court
, the body of final appeal in civil and juvenile law in Texas
. She was appointed to Place 9 on the court by Governor
Rick Perry
in the fall of 2009 to fill the seat vacated by Justice Scott Brister
, who resigned with more than a year left in his term. All nine Supreme Court justices are Republican
. Guzman won the GOP
nomination
for the seat in the primary election
held on March 2, 2010. She defeated Judge Rose Vela of the 13th Court of Appeals, 721,456 (65.3 percent) to 384,135 (34.7 percent). In the November 2 general election
, Guzman defeated Democrat
Blake H. Bailey.
Guzman was born in Chicago, one of seven children of Mexican immigrant parents. Guzman was reared in Houston
, where she graduated in 1979 from the predominantly Hispanic
Austin High School. A resident of Cypress
in Harris County
, she is the first Hispanic woman to serve on the high court. Another Hispanic, David Medina, was elected to the court in 2006. Guzman was recognized by the Hispanic National Bar Association as "Latina Judge of the Year" and as "2009 Judge of the Year" by the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas Foundation. Perry said that Guzman "is known throughout legal circles as a strict constructionist with an unmatched work ethic, and has demonstrated a proven record of sound jurisprudence. . . . I am proud to appoint this principled, conservative judge as the first Hispanic woman on the Supreme Court of Texas." At the time of the appointment, Perry also called Guzman a "principled conservative with an "unmatched work ethic."
Prior to her high court appointment, Guzman was an associate justice on the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston
, where she ruled on thousands of civil and criminal appeals wrote hundreds of published opinions. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center. As of 2009, she had served for more than a decade as the first Hispanic female appointed and then elected to both the Harris County Family Court and the 14th Court of Appeals.
Guzman has also been named "Appellate Judge of the Year" by the Houston Police Officers Union. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston
and a law degree from South Texas College of Law
in Houston. She is married to Houston Police Sergeant Antonio Ray "Tony" Guzman (born 1958), and the couple has a daughter, Melanie Alexis.
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters in the state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, is the court of last resort for criminal matters.The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices...
, the body of final appeal in civil and juvenile law in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. She was appointed to Place 9 on the court by Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
in the fall of 2009 to fill the seat vacated by Justice Scott Brister
Scott Brister
Scott Andrew Brister is a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, who served from November 2003 until September 2009. He was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to serve the remainder of the term of Justice Craig T. Enoch. He was then elected to a regular six-year term in November 2004...
, who resigned with more than a year left in his term. All nine Supreme Court justices are Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Guzman won the GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination
Nomination
Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
for the seat in the primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
held on March 2, 2010. She defeated Judge Rose Vela of the 13th Court of Appeals, 721,456 (65.3 percent) to 384,135 (34.7 percent). In the November 2 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, Guzman defeated Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Blake H. Bailey.
Guzman was born in Chicago, one of seven children of Mexican immigrant parents. Guzman was reared in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, where she graduated in 1979 from the predominantly Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
Austin High School. A resident of Cypress
Cypress, Texas
Cypress is an unincorporated area of Harris County, Texas, United States located completely inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston. The Cypress area is located along U.S...
in Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
, she is the first Hispanic woman to serve on the high court. Another Hispanic, David Medina, was elected to the court in 2006. Guzman was recognized by the Hispanic National Bar Association as "Latina Judge of the Year" and as "2009 Judge of the Year" by the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas Foundation. Perry said that Guzman "is known throughout legal circles as a strict constructionist with an unmatched work ethic, and has demonstrated a proven record of sound jurisprudence. . . . I am proud to appoint this principled, conservative judge as the first Hispanic woman on the Supreme Court of Texas." At the time of the appointment, Perry also called Guzman a "principled conservative with an "unmatched work ethic."
Prior to her high court appointment, Guzman was an associate justice on the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, where she ruled on thousands of civil and criminal appeals wrote hundreds of published opinions. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center. As of 2009, she had served for more than a decade as the first Hispanic female appointed and then elected to both the Harris County Family Court and the 14th Court of Appeals.
Guzman has also been named "Appellate Judge of the Year" by the Houston Police Officers Union. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
and a law degree from South Texas College of Law
South Texas College of Law
South Texas College of Law is a private American Bar Association accredited law school and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools...
in Houston. She is married to Houston Police Sergeant Antonio Ray "Tony" Guzman (born 1958), and the couple has a daughter, Melanie Alexis.