SAN ANTONIO – Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced the appointment of 437th District Court Judge Lori Valenzuela to the 4th Court of Appeals.
The appointment came after Chief Justice Sandee Bryan-Marion retired in December and Justice Rebecca Martinez was elected in November to the post, which created a vacancy in the court.
“I’m excited about this new responsibility,” Valenzuela said Thursday.
Valenzuela said the appointment will be a new role since she is accustomed to dealing with attorneys and their clients directly from the bench.
”I’m going to embrace it”, she said. “But I will say that is probably the biggest change for me and probably what I will miss most.”
Valenzuela will be the lone Republican on the court, which is comprised of only women.
”I certainly know that there are folks who may consider that, but it’s not a consideration for me, and I suggest that perhaps it’s not a consideration for my colleagues”, Valenzuela said.
Valenzuela will officially take office on Jan. 22.
The appeals court, located in the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center at the Bexar County Courthouse, serves 32 South Texas counties.
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