Born in Cotulla and raised in Laredo, Judge Kevin Patrick Yeary has spent his professional career serving the Texas legal system as an attorney, prosecutor, and appellate judge.

A graduate of St. Mary's University in San Antonio, where he earned both his undergraduate and law degrees, Judge Yeary began his legal career in 1991 as a briefing attorney for Judge Bill M. White on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Following his clerkship, he entered private practice, handling civil litigation and criminal defense matters before transitioning into public service as an appellate prosecutor.

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Nearly Two Decades of Prosecutorial Experience

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Before his election to the bench, Judge Yeary spent nearly 20 years serving in the appellate divisions of three major Texas district attorney's offices: Dallas County, Harris County, and Bexar County.

Throughout his career, he has briefed and argued cases before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the Texas Supreme Court and prepared briefs for cases before the United States Supreme Court.

His extensive experience in criminal and appellate law ultimately led him back to the court where his legal career began.

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Serving on Texas' Highest Criminal Court

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Elected in 2014, Judge Yeary took office on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in January 2015, representing Place 4.

The Court of Criminal Appeals is Texas' highest court for criminal matters. It reviews criminal appeals, considers challenges to criminal convictions, and has final appellate jurisdiction in criminal cases under Texas law.

Judge Yeary's judicial philosophy emphasizes the separation of powers, judicial restraint, and the responsibility of judges to interpret and apply the law rather than create it.

He has expressed the view that the authority to make law belongs to the legislative branch and that judges must remain faithful to the constitutions and statutes they are sworn to uphold.

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Beyond the Bench

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Judge Yeary regularly lectures and teaches on criminal and appellate practice. He also serves as the Court's liaison to the State Bar of Texas Criminal Pattern Jury Charge Committee and on the board of the Texas State Law Library.

Judge Yeary and his wife have four children and reside in the Texas Hill Country near Austin.

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Learn more about Judge Yeary at www.JudgeYeary.com.