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Julie Countiss
1st Court of Appeals, Place 4 Unexpired Term
Former justice on the First Court of Appeals (Place 7, 2019-2024). SMU grad, University of Houston Law Center (2002); Teach for America alum and former Harris County assistant county attorney. Daughter of retired Justice Richard Countiss.
The court, in plain English
The First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals sit in Houston and review appeals from trial courts across a ten-county district that includes Fort Bend, Harris, Brazoria, Galveston, Waller, Austin, Chambers, Colorado, Grimes, and Washington counties.
Why this seat matters
When a trial court gets it wrong, these justices are the correction. Their published opinions bind every trial court in the district — including every court in Fort Bend County.
On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for 1st Court of Appeals, Place 4 Unexpired Term, Julie Countiss faces David Gunn (Republican), the sitting judge.
Where this seat sits on your ballot
1st Court of Appeals, Place 4 Unexpired Term appears in the Multi-County Courts of Appeals section of your ballot. Shared with nine neighboring counties. Their rulings bind every trial court in Fort Bend.