The Eighth Court of Appeals sits in El Paso and covers Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward, and Winkler counties.
The Eighth Court receives fewer criminal appeals than any other Texas court of appeals—about 45 new filings per year, a figure consistent across multiple fiscal years despite serving nearly a million people. Oral argument is almost never held in criminal cases (less than 1% of the time). After a court of appeals decision, either party can file a Petition for Discretionary Review (PDR) asking the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to reconsider the outcome; the CCA grants PDRs from Eighth Court decisions at the lowest rate in the state—about 2.8%—and when it does, rules against the lower court in about 75% of those cases. El Paso’s criminal defense practice runs primarily through federal court, where drug trafficking and immigration prosecutions fill the docket, and state criminal appellate work occupies a smaller share of the bar’s capacity than in any other major Texas city.
Eighth Court of Appeals — Cases
- 08-26-00030-CR — Ex parte Riley — post-conviction habeas corpus
- 08-20-00064-CR — Ex parte Moore — post-conviction habeas corpus
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