From the San Angelo Standard-Times:
Kuhn says the 3rd Court’s backlog is the result of an increased partisan environment in the judiciary that is hurting the court’s efficiency.
“The reality is, we need to make these races less partisan so when the court gets together, it can work together,” Kuhn said.
From the Austin American-Statesman:
But in a district where close races are the norm — the last seven winners, four Republicans and three Democrats, received an average of 51.6 percent of the vote — Democrat Kuhn is banking on support that crosses party lines. Three former Supreme Court justices, all longtime Republicans, are supporting Kuhn as the most qualified candidate and sponsored a September fundraiser for him in downtown Austin.
From the American Independent:
Kuhn says his experience as an appellate lawyer is what counts. He is a partner and chair at Brown McCarroll and adjunct professor of appellate advocacy at the University of Texas School of Law.
Austin appellate lawyer Todd Smith [said,] “[T]he consensus among appellate lawyers is that Kurt is the better-qualified candidate.”
From the San Angelo Standard-Times:
Kurt Kuhn offers better credentials than his opponent . . . . Kuhn’s background, record and temperament suggest he could be an excellent addition to the Third Court of Appeals.
From the Austin Chronicle:
In the contentious 3rd Court of Appeals race, we have been disappointed by Melissa Goodwin’s run to the hard right, and we believe Kuhn will maintain necessary balance on the court.
From the Hays Free Press:
A selection for this judicial position . . . is easy. Kurt Kuhn, a Democrat, has amassed support from an overwhelming number of area lawyers, including many Republicans, and is head and shoulders above Melissa Goodwin, who briefly served as a district judge in Austin. A large number of Buda and Kyle area business owners are also lending him bi-partisan support.
From the Austin American-Statesman:
[W]e believe Kuhn offers a better combination of legal knowledge, skills and temperament — qualities the court needs to restore its lost luster.
From the Austin Chronicle:
Court races, and particularly 3rd Court races, have become entirely too politically charged, [Kurt Kuhn] says. “You have to have faith that when somebody puts on the robe,” he adds, “they’re going to be fair.”
From the Llano County Journal:
Kurt Kuhn, Democratic candidate for Texas’ Third Court of Appeals, visited with Kingsland residents during a meet-and-greet event on Saturday. More than 30 people attended the event.
From the San Angelo Standard-Times:
The candidate for Texas’ 3rd District Court of Appeals, a 24-county district that includes San Angelo and Austin, says the increased partisan environment is hurting the court’s efficiency, resulting in a backlog of cases.
“The reality is, we need to make these races less partisan so when the court gets together, it can work together,” Kuhn said during a campaign stop in San Angelo on Thursday afternoon.
From Texas Lawyer Blog:
Former Chief Justice Tom Phillips and former Justices Craig Enoch and Scott Brister confirm they have endorsed Kuhn, a partner in Austin’s Brown McCarroll. . . . Kuhn says he is trying to run a broad bipartisan campaign. “I’m not going to be a Democrat if I’m elected; I’m going to be a judge,” he says.
From The Llano News:
Five of ten statewide Democratic candidates made appearances at Robinson Park in Llano, at the “Hill Country Blowout” organized in large part by Bob and Lynda Gammage of Llano.
From the Lampasas Dispatch Record:
Fresh on the heels of being voted “best qualified” by the State Bar of Texas judicial poll, and endorsed by the Texas Municipal Police Association, Democratic candidate for Third Court of Appeals Kurt Kuhn will visit Lampasas to speak about his campaign and the importance of the court.
From The Daily Texan:
Kurt Kuhn, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for Justice of Third Court of Appeals, said that as the only board-certified appellate lawyer in the running, he is far more qualified than both of his Republican opponents.
From the Hill Country Times:
Kurt Kuhn announced on January 15 that he has now raised a total of $120,149.98 in his campaign for the Third Court of Appeals. “I am humbled by the support and encouragement that I have received from so many people across the district, and from leading attorneys statewide,” stated Kuhn.
From the Austin American-Statesman:
The 3rd Court’s docket, heavy on complex appeals about regulatory rules and actions by state government, is considered to be the most challenging in Texas. And with at least 800 cases arriving each year — more than 130 per judge — there is little slack in the court’s schedule.
From the Austin-American Statesman:
Austin lawyer Kurt Kuhn, a Democrat, will face the winner of that primary. Kuhn has reported that as of Dec. 31 he has raised $56,956 since July and has $57,238 to spend.
From the Cameron Herald:
The local political scene was busy this week, with the Milam County Republican Party celebrating the opening of its headquarters and the Democrats welcoming to the community Kurt Kuhn, candidate for the Texas Third Court of Appeals.
From Eye on Williamson:
This Saturday The West Williamson County Democrats and The East Williamson County Democratic Club are sponsoring a chance to meet Democratic candidate for the 3rd Court of Appeal Kurt Kuhn.
From the Austin American-Statesman:
First off, let’s call the race for the 3rd Court of Appeals Place 4 a local race. The winner of the spot on the intermediate appeals court that decides civil and criminal cases will be chosen from voters in Travis and 23 other central and west Texas counties.
From Grits for Breakfast:
An open seat on the 3rd Court of Appeals should be a competitive fight between Democrat Kurt Kuhn and Republican Scott Field.
From Hill Country News:
Noting the court’s current backlog–which includes cases that are more than four years old–Kuhn said that he would work tirelessly, apply the law evenhandedly, and never forget the importance of each case to the parties and the jurisprudence of Texas.
From The Villager:
Kurt Kuhn has the necessary experience to serve as one of the justices for the 3rd Court of Appeals.
From In Fact Daily:
Kuhn kicking off campaign at Threadgill’s . . . Kurt Kuhn, Democratic candidate for the Third Court of Appeals, will hold his official campaign kick-off event at Threadgill’s World Headquarters on Wednesday Oct. 7 at 5:30pm. The seat is currently held by Democrat Jan Patterson, who is stepping down to run for district court in Travis County.
From Texas Lawyer:
“Really what it is is a balancing between getting the law right as they see it and the trial court’s discretion,” Kuhn says of the mandamus debate. “Historically the grant for a new trial was going to be unreviewable,” says Kuhn, adding that the cases are interesting because they get to the heart of “the Supreme Court’s attempt to align the law and the district court’s ability to control their own courtroom.”
From the San Angelo Standard Times:
A candidate for the Texas Third Court of Appeals was in San Angelo on Monday, saying the court needs to be restored to the nonpartisan judicial body it was intended to be, allowing it to deal with its backlog of cases, some of which he said have been pending up to four years.
From the Burnt Orange Report:
In a report filed with the Texas Ethics Commission this week, Democratic candidate Kurt Kuhn reported that he raised $63,193.00 in contributions during the last three weeks of June. He is running to fill the seat held by Democrat Jan Patterson who will be leaving her bench to run for a District Court in Travis County.
From the Lampasas Dispatch Record:
During the informal dinner/meeting, Kuhn spoke of his qualifications and reasons for running for political office. He said he grew up at a time when public service was an honorable profession, and that it’s time to re-establish the respectability of working for the public.
From the Texas Lawyer Blog:
Chances are, if you have a law license and practice within the 24-county jurisdiction served by Austin’s 3rd Court of Appeals, you’ve received a letter from Kurt Kuhn. He’s a partner in the Austin office of Brown McCarroll, announcing his intention to run for the 3rd Court in 2010. In the letter, Kuhn informs lawyers that he’s seeking the bench currently held by fellow Democrat Jan Patterson, who intends to retire from the court at the end of her term.
