IN-DEPTH: Texas Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Remove Justice John Devine From March Ballot

The Supreme Court of Texas has denied a bid to remove incumbent Justice John Devine from the Republican primary ballot. Earlier this month, a lawyer for Texas Supreme Court candidate Brian Walker filed an emergency petition requesting Justice Devine be removed from the ballot over allegations that he failed to secure the required number of valid petition signatures for his candidate application. “The facts here fit within the scope of this longstanding cure remedy that Devine can cure the defects Walker identifies,” read the court opinion on Jan. 11. “Thus, if Walker had filed his mandamus petition promptly, the proper initial remedy would have been abatement for an opportunity to cure, not withdrawal of the chairman’s certification of Devine as a candidate. Because Walker failed to seek mandamus relief promptly and would not be entitled to the relief sought if he had, we deny the petition.”...