Dale Wainwright
From Judgepedia
Dale Wainwright is a Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. He was first elected to a six-year term on the Court in November 2002, and his term ends December 31, 2008. He replaced Deborah Hankinson on the Court.
In 2008, Wainwright, who is running as a Republican, faces an election challenge from trail lawyer and Democrat Sam Houston. (See Texas Supreme Court elections).
Biography
Judge Dale Wainwright and his wife, Debbie, have three sons – Jeremy, Phillip and Joshua – and are members of the Second Baptist Church.[1] He earned his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School, studied at the London School of Economics and earned his undergraduate degree from Howard University, summa cum laude, and serves on the Visiting Committees of the University of Chicago Law School and South Texas College of Law.[2]
Legal Education and Experience
Along with Wallace Jefferson, Wainwright is one of only two African Americans ever elected to the Texas Supreme Court. Justice Wainwright was appointed to the civil district court in 1999 by then-Gov. George W. Bush. The Houston bar gave Judge Wainwright a 90 percent approval rating in the judicial evaluation poll, with almost two-thirds of that rating being "outstanding." He resolved over 3,000 cases and reduced his docket by approximately 20 percent. He was responsible for supervising the ancillary docket and scheduling trials of mass tort cases for the 25 civil district courts in Harris County.
Wallace Jefferson, initially appointed by Governor Rick Perry in 2001, was re-elected to his seat in 2002 in the same election where Wainwright won an open seat to the Court - the first non-incumbent African American in the history of the State of Texas elected to the Texas Supreme Court.[3] Wainwright was the presiding judge of the 334th Civil Court of Harris County, Texas before joining the Texas Supreme Court.
Before his appointment to the bench, Justice Wainwright practiced in the trial sections of the firms of Haynes and Boone and Andrews & Kurth in Houston.
Awards and Associations
Justice Wainwright has a long history of public service, having co-founded the Aspiring Youth Program, a national program to assist inner-city youth; served on the board of directors of the Houston Bar Association, the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program and the Texas Young Lawyers Association; and served as president of the Houston Young Lawyers Association. He received the Legal Excellence Award in 2000 from the NAACP and was recognized for outstanding legal service by the Houston Lawyers Association. In 1995, Chief Justice Tom Phillips appointed him to a task force of the Texas Commission on Judicial Efficiency. He has also volunteered at the YMCA and coached Little League baseball. Wainwright is a member of the American Law Institute.[4]
Political Affiliation and Judicial Philosophy
Republican. Wainwright's judicial philosophy is encapsulated in this statement:"Our great task is to interpret and apply the Constitution and laws, as written, fairly and consistently without fear or favor. I will always remember that my fundamental objective for donning this robe is to serve this great purpose."[5]
Endorsements
In all the 2008 judicial polls — for the State Bar of Texas, the Houston Bar and the Tarrant County Bar[6] — the attorneys of Texas have voted Justice Wainwright best qualified to serve on the Supreme Court by nearly a two to one margin over his general election opponent.[7]
Justice Wainwright has received extensive endorsements, including James Baker, U.S. Secretary of State (Former), Baker & Botts, Houston; Harriett Miers, Locke Lord & Bissell, Dallas; the last 16 past Houston bar association presidents and Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC. A full list of his endorsements can be seen here.
Quotes
- Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison has described Justice Wainwright as "one of the outstanding stars on the Supreme Court in Texas."
- The Dallas Morning News stated that he "has been a strong voice for scholarly fairness."
- The Austin-American Statesman predicted that "Wainwright has all the makings of a Texas political star."[8]
Videos
Justice Wainwright campaign ad:
Justice Wainwright on the importance of the courts and the election:
Campaign Contributions
2002 Campaign
In the 2002 campaign, Dale Wainwright raised $1,091,616.[9] The top three industry contributors were:
- Lawyers and Lobbyists, $576,046
- Oil and Gas, $79,469
- Health Professionals, $43,791
2006 Campaign
In the 2006 campaign, Wainwright did not run, but $11,765 was contributed.[10]
2008 Campaign
In the 2008 campaign, the elections are not completed, but as yet, Wainwright has raised $320,146. The top three industries so far are Lawyers and Lobbyists, Oil and Gas, and Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate.[11]
For a complete summary of Dale Wainwright's campaign contributions, visit Follow the Money: Dale Wainwright.
In the News: Articles
On the Issues
On Contract Enforcement
On Criminal Justice
On the Death Penalty
On Freedom of Expression
On Discrimination and Equal Protection
On Education
On Elections Law
On Employer and Employee Rights
On Family Law
On Government Accountability
On Gun Rights
On Negligence
On Personal Responsibility
On Property Rights
On Taxes
On Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
On Term Limits
On Tort Reform
See Also
External Links
- Dale Wainwright's dissenting opinion on the appropriateness of mandamus relief to compel dismissal of medical malpractice suits
- Dale Wainwright's Election Page
- The Supreme Court of Texas
- Dale Wainwright's Endorsements for Supreme Court Justice
- Texas Bar: Supreme Court Profile of Dale Wainwright
- Dallas Morning News Voter Guide
- Supporting Quotes on Justice Wainwright from reelection site
References
- ↑ The Supreme Court of Texas: Dale Wainwright
- ↑ The Supreme Court of Texas
- ↑ Bio from Reelect Dale Wainwright Website
- ↑ The Supreme Court of Texas
- ↑ Reelect Dale Wainwright Website
- ↑ Judicial Polls
- ↑ "Voted Best Qualified" at Reelect Dale Wainwright Website
- ↑ Supporting quotes from Reelect Dale Wainwright Website
- ↑ Follow the Money: Dale Wainwright 2002
- ↑ Follow the Money: Dale Wainwright
- ↑ Follow the Money: Dale Wainwright 2008
