Karen Joyce Green at a glance
- Current role
- Municipal Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Texas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Karen Joyce Green
Municipal Judge · Chico Municipal Court
Biography
Professional career
- She also served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court from 1988 to 1995, including as presiding judge from 1990 to 1995.
Education
- B.A. in psychology from the University of Maryland in 1949 and a J.D. from George Washington University Law School in 1951, graduating as one of only six women in her class.
Additional information
- She passed away on October 10, 2024, at age 95, in Towson, Maryland, due to acute myeloid leukemia.
- Joyce Hens Green (November 13, 1928 – October 10, 2024) was a pioneering American attorney and federal judge whose career spanned nearly five decades, marked by trailblazing work for women in the legal profession and high-profile cases in Washington, D.C.
- Woman Lawyer of the Year (1979, Women’s Bar Association of D.C.)
- In 1979, President Jimmy Carter nominated her to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where she served for over two decades.
- In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson appointed her to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, serving 11 years.
- Green began her career in private practice in Washington, D.C., and Arlington, VA (1951–1968), later partnering with her husband, Samuel Green, in the firm Green & Green.
- She married Samuel Green in 1965 and was a devoted mother and grandmother.
- Recognized for her incisive rulings and a modest, welcoming demeanor on the bench.
- Born in New York City to Swiss immigrant parents, Green overcame early health challenges, including a brief paralysis from polio.
- Intelligence Under Law Award (NSA)
- Edmund J. Randolph Award (DOJ)
- Agency Seal Medallion (CIA)
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
For the specific fine-and-cost hearings governed by Articles 45A.258 and 45A.259, a justice or municipal judge may allow a defendant to appear by telephone or videoconference when an in-person appearance would impose undue hardship.
If the justice or judge determines that requiring a defendant to appear before the justice or judge in person for a hearing under Article 45A.258 or 45A.259 would impose an undue hardship on the defendant, the justice or judge may allow the defendant to appear by telephone or videoconference.Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference
Chico Municipal Court; Runaway Bay Municipal 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 Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference
Chico Municipal Court; Runaway Bay Municipal 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 27, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 10, 2026.
Texas Office of Court Administration official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View Texas Office of Court Administration official judicial roster ↗Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference ↗Runaway Bay Municipal Court official directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked October 11, 2026
View Runaway Bay Municipal Court official directory ↗