We wish every political race were like the one for Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9. The two candidates, Jennifer Balido and John Messinger, are both highly qualified, smart and thoughtful. Each would bring an abundance of relevant, though different, experience to the court. They were even cordial to each other during our editorial board interview — a good omen for people seeking a job that requires intense, probing discussions and teamwork.
Our conclusion: Voters cannot go wrong with either candidate, but given the high court’s current composition, Balido’s past judicial experience gives her an advantage. We recommend her.
The Court of Criminal Appeals has eight judges and a presiding judge; all run statewide for election and serve staggered six-year terms. Three of the nine places are up for election in November.
Of the other six judges, three have no judicial experience, according to their official biographies, and two just joined the court in 2024. Not every judge on the highest criminal court needs previous judicial experience, but another member who has overseen a trial court would provide a useful perspective. That’s why we recommend Balido, who has presided over three courts in Dallas County. Gov. Greg Abbott recently endorsed her for this seat.
Opinion
Balido earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from Texas Tech University. She has worked as a criminal defense attorney and was chief of the Dallas County district attorney’s appellate division for eight years, supervising 20 attorneys who worked on appeals and post-conviction litigation. She also advised the district attorney on law and policy and helped train prosecutors and investigators.
Having experienced the courts as both a prosecutor and a defense lawyer, and seen judges decide similar issues very differently, Balido said she strives to uniformly follow the law in every case that comes before her.
“…every day I work to make my judicial decisions consistent and faithful to the law, regardless of what party [prosecution or defense] benefits from the ruling,” Balido wrote in our questionnaire.
She said she supported the constitutional proposition voters passed last fall that requires judges to deny bail to suspects accused of certain violent crimes if prosecutors can show they are a flight risk or could pose a danger to the community.
Messinger, the other candidate in the race, earned his law degree from Baylor University and is a lawyer in the State Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Among other duties, these lawyers can review opinions from appellate courts and request that the high court reexamine specific issues, such as jury instructions, allowable defenses and points of law.
Messinger has argued dozens of cases before intermediate appellate and the highest criminal court. He is a strong writer and a careful observer of the court’s functioning. He believes it could produce its decisions faster. He, too, could do the job, but we tip to Balido because of her experience on the bench.
This editorial is part of the Dallas Morning News Editorial Board’s slate of recommendations for the 2026 primary. Find the full project here.
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