Justice Scott Field Running to Keep Conservative Majority on 3rd Court of Appeals

SAN ANGELO, TX -- San Angelo was the center of the Texas political world this week as both U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Texas Governor Greg Abbott made campaign stops in the solidly Republican city.  

While Cruz and Abbott were the highest profile candidates in town, Third Court of Appeals Justice Scott Field met with supporters in San Angelo for a third time in three weeks in his bid for reelection.  Field is a conservative republican jurist for the district that hears cases from the central Texas district that includes San Angelo and Austin. For the first time Field is locked in a tight race with a democrat challenger.  

Justice Field had lunch with area republicans at the River View restaurant Wednesday.  Field says four of the six republican judges on the court are up for reelection this cycle and it’s important to keep the court intact. “It’s important for us and right now and we just had an article come out that we’re the most efficient and least reversed court in the state of Texas and we’re proud of that.  Things are going so well and we want to maintain that, and if we have four new justices all that goes away.”

The third court of appeals hears every lawsuit against filed against the Texas legislature including issues like school finance and the constitutionality of laws passed by the legislature.  

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Justice Field was first elected to the Third Court of Appeals in 2012 to a six year term.

Justice Field began his career by serving as a law clerk on the Texas Supreme Court, for Hon. Raul Gonzalez. He then began private practice at Baker Botts, L.L.P., where he practiced in the trial and appellate departments until 2001. He then co-founded York, Keller & Field, L.L.P., before forming The Field Law Firm, PLLC, in 2007.

A native Texan, Justice Field was born in Houston and grew up outside of College Station. As an undergraduate, Justice Field earned a B.A. in Political Science from Texas A&M University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, where he graduated with honors.

Chari Kelly, the Democrat challenger, earned her B.A. in Political Science and Criminology from the University of Florida and her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. She served as a Judge Advocate General in the U.S. Army, separating from the military at the rank of captain after four years of service. She served as the Assistant Criminal District Attorney for Comal County in New Braunfels before taking a position in Travis County in Austin, serving as an Assistant District Attorney.

The other Third Court of Appeals Justices running for reelection are Cindy Olson Bourland, David Puryear and Mike Toth.  Early voting continues from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 6.