Opinion ID: 1752836
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: David L. Hodges is the incumbent judge of McLennan County Court at Law No. 1. He has served in that capacity for about twenty years. In March 2002, Judge Hodges again ran for his office in the Democratic Party primary. He was unopposed and, therefore, received the Democratic Party's nomination for Judge of McLennan County Court at Law No. 1. However, rather than casting a vote in the March 2002 Democratic Party primary, Judge Hodges decided to vote for his friend, Jim Meyer, who was running in a contested race for district judge in the Republican Party primary. After discovering that Judge Hodges voted in the Republican Party primary, the McLennan County Democratic Party Chair, John Cullar, informed Judge Hodges that section 162.015 left him no discretion but to remove Judge Hodges from the November 2002 general election ballot as the Democratic Party's nominee. It is undisputed that Judge Hodges would be eligible to run as the Democratic Party candidate for county court at law judge in the general election but for section 162.015. It is also undisputed that absent section 162.015 Judge Hodges would be guaranteed reelection because he has no opposition in the general election. Before Cullar issued a declaration of ineligibility, Judge Hodges filed a declaratory judgment action, asking the trial court to declare that section 162.015 does not render him ineligible to be a Democratic Party candidate and to enjoin Cullar from declaring him ineligible. The trial court disagreed with Judge Hodges's statutory construction argument and denied his request for a temporary injunction. After the trial court's ruling on Judge Hodges's statutory construction argument, Cullar issued a Notice of Administrative Declaration of Ineligibility, declaring Judge Hodges ineligible for a place on the 2002 general election ballot. Thereafter, Judge Hodges amended his petition, claiming that section 162.015 is unconstitutional as written and as applied to him. Although Judge Hodges's amended petition did not cite the provisions of the Texas and United States Constitutions that section 162.015 allegedly violates, his trial court brief stated that the statute impermissibly burdens his right to vote and violates his substantive due process rights. The State of Texas intervened, arguing for the statute's constitutionality. After a non-jury trial, the trial court held section 162.015 unconstitutional as applied to Judge Hodges under the specific and unique facts of this case. The trial court rendered judgment, permanently enjoining the McLennan County Democratic Party from declaring Judge Hodges ineligible for a place on the November 2002 general election ballot as the Democratic Party candidate for Judge of McLennan County Court at Law No. 1 based on his participation in the Republican Party primary. The State of Texas, Cullar, and the McLennan County Democratic Party (Appellants) filed direct appeals to this Court. By cross-point, Judge Hodges reasserted his statutory construction argument as an alternative basis for upholding the trial court's judgment, but he did not argue that section 162.015 is facially unconstitutional. We noted probable jurisdiction and set the case for oral argument.