Eleventh Court of Appeals

Place 1

Chief Justice John M. Bailey has served on the 11th Court of Appeals since October 2013 when he was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to serve as a justice on the court. He subsequently won a contested 2014 Republican Primary for an unexpired term and ran unopposed for a full term in 2016.

Governor Greg Abbott appointed Chief Justice Bailey as the chief justice of the 11th Court of Appeals in September 2018 to replace retired Chief Justice Jim Wright. Chief Justice Bailey was elected to a full term as chief justice in November 2018.

Chief Justice Bailey is a native of the district and a current resident of Eastland County. Chief Justice Bailey graduated summa cum laude from Tarleton State University in Stephenville in 1989, with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in government and a minor in history. Chief Justice Bailey graduated with honors from Texas Tech School of Law in 1992.

Immediately after graduating from law school, Chief Justice Bailey served as a briefing attorney for Chief Justice Austin McCloud at the 11th Court of Appeals for one year. Chief Justice Bailey then practiced trial and appellate law in Abilene at the law firm of Glandon & Scarborough, P.C. for several years. He returned to work as a staff attorney at the 11th Court of Appeals in 2001. Chief Justice Bailey continued to serve as a staff attorney at the court until his appointment to the bench in 2013.

Chief Justice Bailey and his wife, Sarah, are active in many civic organizations. Chief Justice Bailey has served as the president of the Cisco Livestock Show Association and the Eastland County Museum Association. He also served on the Board of Regents at Cisco College prior to his appointment to the 11th Court of Appeals. Sarah has served as the president of the Cisco Senior Nutrition Program and as an officer in the Cisco Civic League. In his spare time, Chief Justice Bailey enjoys traveling, woodworking, and serving as the public address announcer for the Cisco Loboes football team.