---
title: "Gina M. Palafox | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gina-m-palafox-tx-8th-court-appeals"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-07-27"
---

# Gina M. Palafox

Texas 8th Court of Appeals · Court of Appeals Justice

## Profile

- Court: Texas 8th Court of Appeals
- State: Texas
- Role: Court of Appeals Justice
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-27

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### appellate electronic filing

Scope: statewide

In Texas appellate courts, attorneys must electronically file civil and criminal documents, subject to a good-cause motion; self-represented parties may e-file but are not required to do so.

Evidence excerpt: Attorneys in civil cases must electronically file documents. Attorneys in criminal cases must electronically file documents except for good cause shown in a motion filed in the appellate court.

[Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1461885/texas-rules-of-appellate-procedure.pdf)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.txcourts.gov/8thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-gina-m-palafox/)
- [Official roster](https://www.txcourts.gov/8thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-gina-m-palafox/)
- [Texas Judicial Branch official judicial roster](https://www.txcourts.gov/8thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-gina-m-palafox/)
- [Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1461885/texas-rules-of-appellate-procedure.pdf)

## JSON-LD

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gina-m-palafox-tx-8th-court-appeals",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gina-m-palafox-tx-8th-court-appeals",
      "name": "Gina M. Palafox | KnowJudges",
      "description": "Gina M. Palafox, Texas 8th Court of Appeals. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.",
      "dateModified": "2026-07-27",
      "isPartOf": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website"
      },
      "mainEntity": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gina-m-palafox-tx-8th-court-appeals#judge"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gina-m-palafox-tx-8th-court-appeals#judge",
      "name": "Gina M. Palafox",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gina-m-palafox-tx-8th-court-appeals",
      "jobTitle": "Court of Appeals Justice",
      "worksFor": {
        "@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
        "name": "Texas 8th Court of Appeals"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.txcourts.gov/8thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-gina-m-palafox/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "itemListElement": [
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 1,
          "name": "KnowJudges",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 2,
          "name": "Texas",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/texas"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 3,
          "name": "Gina M. Palafox",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gina-m-palafox-tx-8th-court-appeals"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

## Biography

### Professional career

- Democratic Party judge serving Place 3 on the Texas Eighth Court of Appeals since January 3, 2017, with her current term ending December 31, 2030
- Healthcare management: Worked for the University Medical Center of El Paso (a public safety‐net institution) and a private physician practice
- Ethics commission: held the role of commissioner and later reviewing attorney for the El Paso County Ethics Commission

### Education

- B.S. in Accounting from Sever College of Pepperdine University

### Additional information

- She was re‐elected in 2018 and again in the general election on November 5, 2024, winning 100% of the vote in the Democratic primary and the general election.
- Elected in November 2016 and began her service on January 3, 2017.
- Law practice: Solo practitioner focusing on civil and business matters, family law, and civil rights cases.
- Her position is based in El Paso, Texas, and she handles appellate cases within the Eighth Court of Appeals jurisdiction.
- her base salary as a judge is $192,500.
- Her judicial record, as reviewed by Docket Audit, shows a mix of case outcomes, with many opinions scoring “PASS” under the LTRS Standard, though some cases were rated “WATCH” or “FAIL” depending on adherence to statutory text and legal reasoning.
- Academia: Adjunct lecturer at the University of Texas at El Paso, teaching business law and ethics to undergraduate and MBA students.



## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-e966a5411b2587c600cf3508) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim.  Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1461885/texas-rules-of-appellate-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26.