MEMBERSHIP OF THIS COURT
Chief Justice Josh R. Morriss, III - Place 1
Prior to becoming Chief Justice of the Sixth District Court of Appeals, Josh Morriss had
engaged in a varied legal practice, primarily involving commercial, financial, and real estate
practice, as well as significant practice management duties, including technology
management. He was appointed Chief Justice in June 2002 by Governor Rick Perry and won
election in November 2002's General Election. In 2004, he was re-elected without opposition.
Chief Justice Morriss has served the Texas Association of Bank Counsel as Director, Vice
President, and President. When in law school at the University of Texas at Austin, Morriss
received the American Jurisprudence Award for the top grade in legal research and writing
and served as a member and director of the Legal Research Board, a student organization
providing legal research and writing services to practicing attorneys. Prior to law school, he
had earned his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration
degrees from Southern Methodist University in finance and management science.
Between 1986 and 2002, he served as Manager of Central Counting and sometimes
Presiding Judge for Bowie County, Texas elections. In 2001, he served on, and as Vice Chair
of, the Bowie County Citizens Redistricting Advisory Committee. He has been a Rotarian since
1976 and has served his community in various other ways during that time.
Believing in the communicating ability of drama, Morriss has, since 1995, portrayed President
George Washington in the historically accurate "A Standing Miracle" which he researched
and wrote and has been presenting area-wide. He is also one of the founding members of
Texarkana Repertory Company, and has served on its Board of Directors and in various
officer positions.
Morriss is also a founding member of Fellowship Bible Church of Texarkana, in which he and
his wife have actively participated since its 1983 founding and in which he has served in
various leadership capacities, including music and worship.
Still married to his "first wife," Diana, after more than 33 years, Morriss has three daughters,
three grandsons, a granddaughter, a fifth grandchild on the way, two sons-in-law, and a son-
in-law-to-be.
Justice Bailey C. Moseley - Place 2
Bailey C. Moseley, is a fifth-generation East Texan and a native of Marshall. He is a graduate
of Marshall High School, received a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University
of Texas at Austin, and was awarded a Juris Doctor Degree from The Bates College of Law at
the University of Houston. While in law school, Moseley was the President of his Senior Class
and Chief Justice of the Honors Court.
Upon graduation from law school, he returned to Marshall and began his legal career as an
Assistant Criminal District Attorney. In 1971, he entered into a partnership with his brother,
Sam Moseley; this continued until 1986, when his brother was appointed Southwest Regional
Administrator for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Moseley then
associated with Al Davis and they practiced together as Moseley and Davis, Associates, until
1992. From 1992 until taking the bench in January, 2007, Moseley was a sole practitioner,
having a heavy emphasis in his practice on commercial and real estate litigation.
He has served as President of the Harrison County Bar Association and as its Continuing
Legal Education (CLE) chairman for a number of years. He has frequently acted as an
instructor for CLE programs sponsored by the Texas State Bar, the Dallas Bar Association,
and other organizations. He serves as a member of the governing Council of the Real Estate,
Probate, and Trust Law Section of the State Bar, where he is Vice-Chair of the Legislative
Action Committee. Formerly, Moseley was a member of the State Bar’s Committee on
Admissions and was a director of the Texas College of Real Estate Attorneys.
Moseley is 62 years old and has been married since 1966 to another Marshall native, Kay
Saxon Moseley; they have two grown and married children (Chris and Meredith) and one
grandchild, Saxon.
Locally, he is a leader in his church (Cypress Valley Bible Church), having served as
Chairman of its governing board; he was one of the founders of the Marshall Soccer
Association for the youth of his city and aided in the foundation of the local chapter of Habitat
for Humanity. The citizens of the City of Marshall elected him a member of the charter revision
commission and he has served Marshall as a Trustee of the Public Library Board, as well as a
Planning and Zoning Commissioner, and is a former member of the Board of Directors of the
Cypress Valley Navigation District.
Justice Jack Carter - Place 3
Jack Carter was elected to the position of Justice, 6th Court of Appeals in 2002 and took
office January 1, 2003. Prior to his election, Justice Carter served almost 22 years as the
District Judge of the Fifth Judicial District Court in Bowie and Cass Counties.
Justice Carter is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. His legal career began
in 1967 as a practicing attorney in Texarkana and he continued until 1981 when he became
District Judge. During his law practice, Justice Carter was certified by the State Bar of Texas
as a specialist in civil trial law. He has attended numerous judicial studies including the
National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada. Justice Carter was one of the authors of a
handbook for district judges entitled "Texas Intermediate Sanctions Bench Manual." He has
spoken at many legal/judicial functions.
During his tenure as District Judge, Justice Carter was instrumental in the formation of the
Northeast Texas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). This volunteer program
provides advocates in court for children removed from abusive homes. Justice Carter
developed the seminar for divorcing parents in Bowie and Cass Counties (Let's Talk About
Kids - Seminar on D.I.V.O.R.C.E. - The Children's Perspective).
Justice Carter has been active in Central Christian Church serving as Board Moderator. He
has been on advisory boards for the YWCA Kids's Exchange, Texarkana Independent School
District Community Board, Federal Correctional Institute Community Board, and Caddo Area
Council (Boy Scouts).
Justice Carter is married to Joan Varley Carter and they have three grown children and four
grandchildren.
Overview of the Court - Sixth Court of Appeals
Bi-State Justice Building
The Sixth Court of Civil Appeals was established by the Texas Legislature in 1907, and began
operations in August of that year when Governor Tom Campbell appointed Samuel Priest
Wilson, Richard B. Levy, and William Hodges as the first justices of the Court. The Court's
offices were located in the old city hall building until offices were provided in the "new"
municipal building. In 1985, the Court's offices were moved to the new Bi-State Justice
Building in downtown Texarkana.
The Court's first official order designated Eli T. Rosborough of Marshall as clerk and Mary
DeLoach of Texarkana as stenographer. The originally designated district was comprised of
Bowie, Cass, Camp, Cherokee, Fannin, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Hopkins, Lamar, Morris,
Marion, Panola, and Red River Counties. The Sixth Appellate District now contains nineteen
counties: Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Hopkins, Hunt,
Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Titus, Upshur, and Wood.
The first case called was L. Y. Jesse v. H.S. Deshong from Lamar County.
After their appointments, all three justices were elected to their respective positions in 1908.
The three justices drew lots for the duration of their initial terms. Beginning in 1910, each of
the three initial justices were re-elected in turn.
In its first 23 years, the Court disposed of 3,884 cases and ruled on 4,966 motions, and had
an average of 170 cases filed per year.
The Sixth Court was granted jurisdiction in criminal appeals in 1981, and its name was
changed to Court of Appeals.
Twenty-three judges have served on the Court since its inception.
Contact Information for the Sixth Court of Appeals in Texarkana
Physical Location
* Sixth Court of Appeals
100 N. State Line Ave., Ste. 20
Texarkana, Texas 75501
Mailing Address
* SIXTH COURT OF APPEALS
100 N STATE LINE AVE
STE 20
TEXARKANA TX 75501
Contact By Telephone
* Telephone: (903) 798-3046
Fax: (903) 798-3034
Hours of Operation
* Monday - Friday ( 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
Contact Personnel
* Clerk of the Court: Debbie Autrey
Email the Clerk
* Deputy Clerk for Civil Cases: Kim Robinson
(903) 798-3046
* Deputy Clerk for Criminal Cases: Molly Pate
(903) 798-3047
* Senior Staff Attorney: Stacy Stanley
Driving Directions to Bi-State Justice Building
* From I-30: Turn off onto the State Line Avenue Exit, heading South. Continue down State
Line until you reach downtown Texarkana. Go around the Post Office, which is also the
Federal Courthouse, and continue down State Line Avenue until you reach Broad Street.
* The Bi-State Justice Building is located at the intersection of State Line Avenue and Broad
Street. The Court is located on the second floor of the Bi-State Justice Building.
SOURCE: Info from various pages of the Court's official webpage (click link) 7/2/09
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