The Texas Supreme Court: A Narrative History, 1836–1986

Title Page, Copyright Page

The Texas supreme CourT Texas LegaL sTudies series Texas Supreme Court Historical Society Texas’s rich legal heritage spans more than three centuries and has roots in both Spanish law and the English common law, but this dimension of the state’s history is relatively unexplored. Books in the Texas Legal Studies Series examine a range of topics, including state-specific studies and those with a regional or national focus. The Texas supreme CourT A Narrative History, 1836–1986 James L. HaLey universiTy of Texas press Austin Copyright © 2013 by the University of Texas Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America First edition, 2013 Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to: Permissions University of Texas Press P.O. Box 7819 Austin, TX 78713-7819 http://utpress.utexas.edu/about/book-permissions ♾ The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso Z39.48-1992 (r1997) (Permanence of Paper). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Haley, James L. The Texas Supreme Court : a narrative history, 1836–1986 / by James L. Haley. — 1st ed. p. cm. — (Texas legal studies series) Includes bibliographical references and index. isBn 978-0-292-74458-5 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Texas. Supreme Court—History. 2. Courts of last resort— Texas—History. 3. Law—Texas—History. I. Title. KfT1712.H35 2013 347.764′03509—dc23 2012026733 doi:10.7650/744585 Nothing so bespeaks a people as their notions of justice. Their jurisprudence . . . is the supreme expression of their moral convictions. In it their very character is indelibly written, and hence by it they are to be truly judged. neLson pHiLLips CHief JusTiCe (1915–1921) supreme CourT of Texas THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ConTenTs foreword ix by William S. Pugsley prefaCe xiii aCKnowLedgmenTs xvii proLogue 1 1. anCienT HeriTage, new CirCumsTanCe 5 2. good inTenTions, fiTfuL Beginnings 17 3. a funCTioning JudiCiary 31 4. THe fronTier CourT 43 5. THe anTeBeLLum CourT 53 6. THe CiviL war CourT 66 7. THe reConsTruCTion CourTs 75 8. THe redeemer CourT 88 9. THe CapiToL CourT and THe puBLiC Lands 117 10. THe CapiToL CourT and THe giLded age 129 THe Texas supreme CourT viii 11. THe Consensus CourT 139 12. THe wrenCH in THe gears 151 13. THe CureTon CourT 163 14. THe warTime CourT 173 15. THe fifTies CourT 185 16. THe CaLverT CourT 196 17. THe CourT in fLux 206 appendix a. miLesTones in THe organiZaTion and operaTion of THe Texas supreme CourT 227 appendix B. JusTiCes of THe Texas supreme CourT, 1836–2012, wiTH appoinTmenT/eLeCTion daTes 235 noTes 255 BiBLiograpHy 293 index 307 ...