Abbott appointed him chief justice in January to replace Nathan Hecht, who stepped down due to the mandatory judicial retirement age. Hecht was the longest serving Supreme Court justice in Texas ...

He was reelected later that year and again in November. Abbott appointed Blacklock in January to succeed Nathan Hecht as chief justice. Hecht, 75, was constitutionally required to retire in December.

It's not uncommon for state laws and regulations to be passed but then go unused, said Nathan Hecht, former chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court. “The codes get passed and then drop out of ...