Joe Pool at a glance
- Current role
- District Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Texas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Joe Pool
District Judge · Texas 428th District Court
Biography
Professional career
- The judge for the 428th District Court of Texas, presiding over civil and criminal cases in Hays County
Education
- B.A. in political science and government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1977 and a J.D. in energy and finance law from the University of Texas School of Law in 1980.
Additional information
- Operated his own law firm since 1983
- Elected to this position in 2022 and ran for re-election in the 2026 Democratic primary.
- Pool has actively worked to reduce case backlogs and incarceration costs in Hays County while maintaining public safety.
- His judicial philosophy emphasizes protecting the right to trial by jury and resisting judicial activism.
- He has volunteered with the Austin School of Film for over 25 years and has pursued legal actions to enforce fair election practices and First Amendment rights.
- Before becoming a judge, he practiced civil and criminal law in Hays County for more than 20 years and has experience in federal courts, Texas Courts of Appeal, and the Texas Supreme Court.
- Pool has over 40 years of legal experience.
- Pool has been active in community initiatives and legal advocacy, including efforts to reform campaign finance and protect civil jury rights.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
In civil district and county court proceedings, the court may permit or require electronic participation after appropriate notice; compelled electronic participation for oral-testimony proceedings requires good cause or party agreement, and a jury trial requires party agreement.
Upon appropriate notice by a party or the court, a court may allow or require a participant to appear at a court proceeding by videoconference, teleconference, or other available electronic means, except as otherwise provided in (2).Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings ↗
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Civil district and county trial courts may permit courtroom recording or broadcasting only under Supreme Court guidelines, with the required party and witness consent, or for ceremonial proceedings.
A trial court may permit broadcasting, televising, recording, or photographing of proceedings in the courtroom only in the following circumstances:Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
Texas 428th District Court
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 ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
Texas 428th District Court
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 ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 25, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 10, 2026.
Texas Office of Court Administration official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 25, 2026
View Texas Office of Court Administration official judicial roster ↗Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21d, Appearances at Court Proceedings ↗Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c, Recording and Broadcasting of Court Proceedings ↗Texas 428th District Court official directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked October 11, 2026
View Texas 428th District Court official directory ↗