Harriet O'Neill
Encyclopedia
Harriet Smith O'Neill is a retired associate justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. A Republican
, O'Neill represented Place 3 of the nine positions on the court. O'Neill's term was to expire on December 31, 2010, and she declined to seek re-election to a third full six-year term. In the April 13 Republican runoff election, Judge Debra Lehrmann
, a family court jurist from Fort Worth
, defeated Rick Green
, a former state legislator and Constitutional speaker
from Dripping Springs
. O'Neill subsequently decided to leave the court early and vacated the seat on June 20, 2010. Lehrmann was appoointed by Governor
Rick Perry
to fill out O'Neill's term.
appointed her. Prior to that, O'Neill had been a trial judge for the 152nd District Court, located in Houston
, to which she was elected in 1992.
and she received her J.D.
from the University of South Carolina School of Law
in 1982. Prior to joining the bench, O'Neill was in private practice in Houston. She practiced law with the firms of Porter & Clements, Morris & Campbell, and then opened her own practice. Throughout those ten years, O'Neill practiced mostly complex business and commercial litigation.
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...
, O'Neill represented Place 3 of the nine positions on the court. O'Neill's term was to expire on December 31, 2010, and she declined to seek re-election to a third full six-year term. In the April 13 Republican runoff election, Judge Debra Lehrmann
Debra Lehrmann
Debra Ann H. Lehrmann is one of the eight associate justices of the Texas Supreme Court, a civil and juvenile tribunal, and a former 360th Judicial District Court judge from Fort Worth, Texas....
, a family court jurist from Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, defeated Rick Green
Rick Green (Texas politician)
Richard Arlin Green, known as Rick Green , is an attorney and politician from Dripping Springs in Hays County, Texas, who is a former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives...
, a former state legislator and Constitutional speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
from Dripping Springs
Dripping Springs, Texas
Dripping Springs is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,548 at the 2000 census; it was 1,828 in the 2008 census estimate....
. O'Neill subsequently decided to leave the court early and vacated the seat on June 20, 2010. Lehrmann was appoointed 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...
to fill out O'Neill's term.
Judicial experience
O'Neill was first elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1998. Previously, O'Neill had been a Justice of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals of Texas since 1995, when then-Governor George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
appointed her. Prior to that, O'Neill had been a trial judge for the 152nd District Court, located 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 ...
, to which she was elected in 1992.
Education and career
O'Neill completed her undergraduate studies at Converse CollegeConverse College
Converse College is a liberal arts women's college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. It was established by a group of Spartanburg citizens and named after Dexter Edgar Converse.-History:...
and she received her J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of South Carolina School of Law
University of South Carolina School of Law
The University of South Carolina School of Law, also known as South Carolina Law or SC Law, is one of the professional schools of the University of South Carolina. South Carolina Law was founded in 1867 in Columbia, South Carolina and is the only public and non-profit law school in the state of...
in 1982. Prior to joining the bench, O'Neill was in private practice in Houston. She practiced law with the firms of Porter & Clements, Morris & Campbell, and then opened her own practice. Throughout those ten years, O'Neill practiced mostly complex business and commercial litigation.