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Audra Riley
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4
Audra Riley is the Democratic nominee for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4. She is presiding judge of Dallas County Criminal District Court No. 3, in office since January 2021, and holds a law degree from Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
The court, in plain English
The Court of Criminal Appeals is the highest criminal court in Texas. Its nine judges are the final state authority on every criminal conviction, and the court automatically reviews all death-penalty cases.
Why this seat matters
This court is the last state-level check on a wrongful conviction. Nothing about a Texas criminal case is truly final until it rules.
On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4, Audra Riley faces Kevin Patrick Yeary (Republican), the sitting judge.
Where this seat sits on your ballot
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 appears in the Statewide Courts section of your ballot. Elected by all of Texas. The last word on civil law, criminal appeals, and cases against the State.