Second Court of Appeals
B.D. Tarlton
Chief Justice
Benjamin Dudley Tarlton (1892 to 1898) Benjamin Dudley Tarlton was born on October 18, 1849, in St. Mary’s Parish, Louisiana. He attained a B.A. degree from St. Charles College in 1868 and studied law at the University of Louisiana (now Tulane University), graduating in 1872. After practicing law in Louisiana for several years, Tarlton moved to Texas in 1875. In the 1880s,... Read more
Truman Holman Conner
Chief Justice
Truman H. Conner (1898 to 1933) Truman H. Conner was born on December 5, 1849, in Miami County, Indiana. He attended Marvin College before studying law under multiple judges and at the law department of Trinity University. After Conner had been practicing for several years, Governor Lawrence Ross appointed him as district judge for the 42nd Judicial District where he served until... Read more
Irby Dunklin
Chief Justice
Irby J. Dunklin (1930 to 1940) Irby J. Dunklin was born on September 11, 1857, in Greenville, Alabama. He attended the University of Georgia and moved to Texas shortly after graduating in 1880. He was elected judge of the 48th Judicial District Court in 1887. Around this time, he became heavily involved with the Gladney Center for Adoption, and both he and... Read more
Joseph Atwood McDonald
Chief Justice
Joseph Atwood McDonald (1941 to 1951) Joseph Atwood McDonald was born in Azle, Texas, in 1899. After serving in the army during World War I, McDonald graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1924. He practiced law in Fort Worth for sixteen years before announcing his candidacy for Chief Justice of the Second Court of Appeals. After winning a... Read more
Earl P. Hall
Chief Justice
Earl P. Hall (1946 to 1952) Earl P. Hall was born in Montague County, Texas, in 1904. He attended Texas Christian University for two years and received his law degree from Cumberland University. Hall passed the Texas Bar in 1926 and practiced law for ten years before being appointed judge of the 97th Judicial District Court by Governor James Allred. After serving... Read more
Frank A. Massey
Chief Justice
Frank A. Massey (1953 to 1982) Frank A. Massey was born on November 28, 1911, in Britton, Texas. He attended Texas Christian University for one year before leaving to take a job as a claims adjuster in the insurance industry. After working with attorneys handling insurance claims, he became interested in the law, and in 1931, he began his legal studies... Read more
Howard Martin Fender
Chief Justice
Howard Martin Fender (1983 to 1987) Howard Martin Fender was born November 23, 1920, in Fort Worth, Texas. He attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1942. He then studied law at Washington and Lee University. In 1952, he was elected Tarrant County District Attorney where he served for six years. From 1962 to 1972, he served as an... Read more
H. Tod Weaver
Chief Justice
Harland “Tod” Weaver (1988 to 1994) Harland “Tod” Weaver was born on August 12, 1924, in Dickens County, Texas. He served in the navy and obtained his undergraduate degree from William Jewel College. He then attended the University of Texas School of Law. After graduating from law school, he began practicing both criminal and civil law in Fort Worth before relocating to... Read more
John G. Hill
Chief Justice
John G. Hill (1983 to 1994) John G. Hill was born in 1943 in Fort Worth, Texas. After graduating from Paschal High School, he matriculated at Baylor University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1966 and his law degree in 1967. After being admitted to the bar, Hill served as an Assistant District Attorney in Tarrant County from 1967 to... Read more
John Hill Cayce, III
Chief Justice
John Hill Cayce III (1995 to 2009) John Hill Cayce III was born on March 17, 1953, in Rochester, Minnesota. In 1971, he enrolled at Abilene Christian University to play football, but he left after suffering an injury during his first semester. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in the Naval Construction Force, better known as the Navy Seabees,... Read more
Terrie Livingston
Chief Justice
Terrie Livingston (1994 to 2017) Terrie Livingston was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1955 and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. After graduating from Western Hills High School in 1973, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and her law degree from The University of Texas. She began her legal career practicing with several law firms and later had her... Read more
Bonnie Sudderth
Chief Justice
Bonnie Sudderth (2015 to Present) Bonnie Sudderth was born on September 2, 1959, in Brownwood, Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Affairs and Public Administration from the University of Southern California in 1982 and a J.D. from The University of Texas Law School in 1985. She later continued her legal education, earning an LL.M in Judicial Studies... Read more