164th District Court Race in Harris County, Texas
Alexandra Smoots Hogan Defeats Martha Hill Jamison
Houston Opinions



Recent Appeals from Cases in Judge Smoots-Hogan's Court

In re Essler (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Feb. 16, 2010)(per curiam denial)
(petition for mandamus challenging order compelling arbitration denied)
DENY PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS: Per Curiam     
Before Justices Keyes, Sharp and Massengale   
01-09-00233-CV   In re Jerry Esser      
Appeal from 164th District Court of Harris County
Trial Court Judge: Hon Alexandra Smoots-Hogan

Jones v. Union Pacific RR Co. (Tex.App. - Houston [14th Dist.] Feb. 11, 2010)(per curiam dismissal)
(appeal dismissed for noncompliance with terms of mediation order)
DISMISSED: Per Curiam    
Before Chief Justice Hedges, Justices Anderson and Christopher  
14-09-00541-CV   Donald R. Jones, Sr. v. Union Pacific Railroad Company   
Appeal from 164th District Court of Harris County
Trial Court Judge:  Alexandra Smoots-Hogan  

In re United Production & Construction Services, Inc.(pdf)(Tex.App.- Houston [14th  Dist.] Feb. 11, 2010)(per
curiam)(denial of relator’s motion to dismiss for forum non conveniens)
MOTION OR WRIT DENIED: Per Curiam    
Before Justices Frost, Boyce and Sullivan  
14-10-00023-CV  In re United Production & Construction Services, Inc   
Appeal from 164th District Court of Harris County
Trial Court Judge: Alexandra Smoots-Hogan
On January 8, 2010, relator filed a petition for writ of mandamus in this court.  See Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 22.221
(Vernon 2004); see also Tex. R. App. P. 52.  In the petition, relator asked this court to compel the Honorable
Alexandra Smoots-Hogan, presiding judge of the 164th District Court of Harris County, to vacate her ruling
denying relator’s motion to dismiss for forum non conveniens and direct her to grant relator’s motion.  
The petition states a hearing was held on the motion on October 30, 2009, but relator has not provided a reporter’
s record or stated that no testimony was adduced.  See Tex. R. App. P. 52.7(a)(2).  Absent a reporter’s record of
the hearing, we must presume the evidence before the trial court was adequate to support its denial of relator’s
motion to dismiss for forum non conveniens.  See In re Bill Heard Chevrolet, Ltd., 209 S.W.3d 311, 313 (Tex. App.
– Houston [1st Dist.] 2006, orig. proceeding).  Accordingly, we deny relator’s petition for writ of mandamus,
without prejudice.  See also In re Cervantes, No. 2009 WL 3766375 (Tex. App. – Waco 2009, orig. proceeding)
(relators provided a copy of the hearing record on motion for rehearing after petition for writ of mandamus was
denied).

Seiflein v. City of Houston (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Feb. 4, 2010)(Higley)
(ad valorem tax delinquency suit judgment affirmed)
AFFIRM TC JUDGMENT: Opinion by Justice Higley     
Before Chief Justice Radack, Justices Alcala and Higley
01-09-00361-CV   Phil Seiflein v. City of Houston    
Appeal from 164th District Court of Harris County
Trial Court Judge:  Hon Alexandra Smoots-Hogan  


Recent Appeals from Cases in Judge Hill Jamison's Court   
[click hyper-link and than page down]
Harris County Civil Courthouse - Frontal View
Houston District Court Judge Martha Jamison Hill 2008 Judicial Re-election Campaign Sign

For contact Information including telephone numbers and address for this court
go to ---> Official web page for the 164th District Court of Harris County   
2008 Election Contest for the 164th District Court Bench
Republican Incumbent Martha Hill Jamison
         loses to
Democratic Challenger Alexandra Smoots-Hogan
   (click candidate's name to link to respective campaign web sites)
Also see Harris County Democratice Party candidates web page

THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE ENDORSED THE INCUMBENT: Martha Hill Jamison for 164th Judicial
District: Jamison, a former Democrat who changed parties, was appointed to her bench by Gov. George W.
Bush in 2000. She has since won re-election twice, serving with distinction.
Hon. Alexandra Smoots-Hogan
Presiding Judge of the 164th District Court in Harris County, Texas
www.houston-opinions.com
THE INCUMBENT IN HER OWN WORDS
 THE CHALLENGER IN HER OWN WORDS
Martha Hill Jamison, Republican
Incumbent Judge, 164th Judicial District Court, since
1999. Board Certified, Civil Trial
Law. Member, Harris County Juvenile Board. Civil
Administrative Judge. Founding Fellow,
International Academy of Mediators. Board, American
Judicature Society. Graduate, University
of Texas School of Law. Active member, St. Luke’s
Methodist Church. American Leadership
Forum, Class XXV.
 Alexandra Smoots-Hogan, Democrat
After graduating with honors from The University of St.
Thomas, I joined South Texas College
of Law’s nationally ranked advocacy team. With three
national moot court titles, I was inducted
in the Order of the Barristers. I have spent my career in
the Courtroom, representing varied
clients in varied cases.
WHEN SHOULD A JUDGE RECUSE?
 WHEN SHOULD A JUDGE RECUSE?
A judge should recuse when statutorily required. A
judge may offer to recuse in cases where a
litigant may feel uncomfortable going forward (for
example, if my brother’s law firm is representing
a party); however, this should be a rare occurrence. A
judge should not recuse when the
request is made solely because of a ruling made in the
case.
 A judge should recuse themselves whenever there is an
air of impropriety in their remaining
on the case. This air may be the result of an obvious
financial interest or from a less overt
acquaintance between the counsel or judge.
Source: LWV Voters Guide: Question to candidate
 Source: League of Women Voters Guide: Candidate Q&A
More on the incumbent from the Harris County GOP
judicial re-election campaign web site:
Keep our Judges dot com
 More on this candidate form the Harris County
Democratice Party judicial elections campaign web site:
Judges for All dot com
2008 ELECTION OUTCOME:REP Martha Hill Jamison 3547,785 Votes: 49.84%
DEM Alexandra Smoots-Hogan 551,249 Votes: 50.16%  See all Harris County Election Results
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Harris County District Court Judges

11th  Judge Mike Miller (2009)
11th  Judge Mark Davidson (former)  
55th  Judge Dion Ramos (elected 2008)
55th  Judge Jeff Shadwick (former)
55th  Judge Jeff Brown (former)
61st  Judge Al Bennet (2009)
61st  Judge John Donovan (former)
80th  Judge Larry Weiman (2009)
80th  Judge Lynn Bradshaw-Hull (former)
113th  Judge Patricia Hancock
125th  Judge Kyle Carter (2009)
125th  Judge John Coselli (former)
127th  Judge R. K. Sandill (2009)
127th  Judge Sharolyn Wood (former)
129th  Judge Michael Gomez (2009)
129th  Judge Grant Dorfman (former)
133th  Judge Jaclanel McFarland (2009)
133th  Judge Lamar McCorkle (former)
151st   Judge Mike Engelhart (2009)
151st   Judge Caroline E. Baker (former)
152nd  Judge Robert Schaffer (2009)
152nd  Judge Kenneth Wise (former)
157th   Judge Randall Wilson
164th   Judge Alexandra Smoots-Hogan (2009)
164th   Judge Martha Hill Jamison (former)
165th   Judge Josefina Muniz Rendon (2009)
165th   Judge Elizabeth Ray (former)
189th   Judge Bill Burke
190th   Judge Patricia Kerrigan (reelected '08)
190th   Hon. Jennifer W. Elrod (now on 5th Cir)
215th   Judge Steven E. Kirkland (2009)
215th   Judge Levi Benton (former)
234th   Judge Reece Rondon
269th   Judge Dan Hinde (appointed 2008)
269th   John T. Wooldridge (resigned 2008)
270th   Judge Brent Gamble
280th   Judge Tony Lindsay
281st   Judge Sylvia Matthews (appt'd 2008)
281st   Judge David J. Bernal (resigned 2008)
295th   Judge Caroline Baker (appointed 2009)
295th   Judge Tracy E. Christopher (former)
333rd  Judge Joseph James "Tad" Halbach Jr.
334th  Judge Sharon McCally (reelected 2008)