The Court of Criminal Appeals is the State’s highest court for criminal cases and has final jurisdiction over criminal matters, while the Texas Supreme Court has final jurisdiction over civil matters.

The Court is located in the Supreme Court Building in Austin and has a presiding judge and eight judges who are elected for six-year terms by the voters of the State of Texas.

After a trial court has decided a criminal case, the State or defendant may appeal to a higher court.  Cases in which the death penalty has been assessed go directly to the Court of Criminal Appeals, while appeals of all other criminal cases go to one of the fourteen Courts of Appeals in Texas.  Those decisions may then go to the Court of Criminal Appeals for further review.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals typically disposes more matters each year than any other appellate court in the country.