- David M. Medina
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"David Medina" redirects here. For the Spanish footballer, see David Medina Díaz de López.
David Michael Medina Texas Supreme Court Justice Incumbent Assumed office
2004Preceded by Wallace B. Jefferson Personal details Born July 23, 1958
Galveston, Texas, USANationality American Political party Republican Spouse(s) Francisca J. Stult Medina Residence Harris County, Texas Occupation Attorney; Judge David Michael Medina (born July 23, 1958)[1] is a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. He serves in the Place 4 position. He was elected to a full-term in 2006; his term will expire in January 2013, with elections during 2012. All members of the court are Republicans.
Medina was elected in 2006 without a Democratic opponent. Unopposed for the Republican nomination, he handily defeated his Libertarian Party challenger, Jerry Adkins, 2,558,036 (75.5 percent) to 830,780 (24.5 percent).[2]
Contents
Appointment to the court and professional experience
Medina succeeded Wallace B. Jefferson in Place 4 after Jefferson was appointed to be chief justice, following the retirement of Tom Phillips. Governor Rick Perry appointed Medina on November 10, 2004. Medina had been Perry's General Counsel since January 2004.
Before that, he was associate general counsel for Cooper Industries in Houston from 2000–2004 and served on the 157th State District Court bench in Harris County from 1996-2000 after appointment in May 1996 by then-Governor George W. Bush. He was elected in November 1996 and again in November 1998. The Houston Bar Association voted him as one of the top jurists in Harris County.
Medina rejoined Cooper in 2000 as associate general counsel for litigation, responsible for supervising Cooper’s litigation and product-safety matters throughout the world. In January 2004, he left Cooper to become General Counsel to Governor Perry.
Background and education
Medina was born on Galveston Island, attended public schools in Hitchcock and graduated with a bachelor of science degree from Texas State University at San Marcos in 1980. In college he competed on the university’s karate and baseball teams and was on the Dean’s List. In 1989 he earned his Juris Doctor degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston. He was on the Dean’s List and a member of the American Bar Association Regional Moot Court National Championship Team.
Medina is a former board member of Habitat for Humanity and Houston Metro. He currently serves on the board for the Spring Klein Baseball Association. He has also served as an adjunct professor for South Texas College of Law, where he taught advanced civil trial litigation.
Indictment dropped
Medina faced an indictment by a Harris County grand jury in connection with a fire at his home, but charges were eventually dropped as frivolous.[3]
The indictment was dismissed by State District Court Judge Brian Rains, at the request of then Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal. The dismissal prompted the grand jury foreman, Robert Ryan, to publicly threaten to re-issue the charge, which some subsequent reports characterized as unusual given the grand juror's requirement of secrecy.[4] Rosenthal, who thereafter resigned as district attorney, said that the evidence against the Medinas was insufficient to support the indictment. Medina had been charged with tampering with evidence, and Mrs. Medina with arson. The damages amounted to approximately $900,000.[5]
Dick DeGuerin, Mrs. Medina's attorney explained that his client did not start the fire and "didn't have anything to gain. That was their dream house."[6]
Some notable opinions
- Irving Marks v. St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, August 28, 2009[7]
- In re Morgan Stanley, July 3, 2009 [8]
- City of San Antonio v. Pollock, (dissenting opinion), May 1, 2009 [9]
- North Texas Pentecostal church Pleasant Glade Assembly of God vs. Laura Schubert, June 27, 2008[10][11]
References
- ^ Net Detective, People Search
- ^ http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe
- ^ "Texas Supreme Court justice, wife indicted". http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5464346.html., Houston Chronicle, Jan. 17, 2008.
- ^ http://law.justia.com/texas/codes/cr/001.00.000020.00.html
- ^ http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5467874.html
- ^ Texas Lawyer - Justice Medina Proclaims Innocence, Takes on Two Grand Jurors
- ^ http://www.supreme.courts.state.tx.us/historical/2009/aug/070783.htm
- ^ http://www.supreme.courts.state.tx.us/opinions/HTMLopinion.asp?OpinionID=2001437
- ^ http://www.supreme.courts.state.tx.us/historical/2009/may/041118d.htm
- ^ ap.google.com, Texas high court rules exorcism protected by law
- ^ chron.com, Court reverses judgment against church in exorcisms
External links
Preceded by
Wallace B. JeffersonTexas Supreme Court Justice,
Place 4
2004–presentIncumbent Categories:- 1958 births
- Living people
- People from Galveston, Texas
- People from Houston, Texas
- Hispanic and Latino American judges
- Texas Supreme Court justices
- Texas Republicans
- Texas lawyers
- American lawyers
- South Texas College of Law alumni
- Texas State University–San Marcos alumni
- Texas state court judges
- Hispanic and Latino American people
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