Karen Sage at a glance
- Current role
- District Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Texas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Karen Sage
District Judge · Texas 299th District Court
Biography
Professional career
- Karen R. Sage is the presiding judge of the 299th Criminal District Court in Travis County, Texas, a position she has held since 2010 and re‐elected in 2014, 2018, and 2022
- Associate at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles
- Judicial clerk to Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw, Central District of California
- Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, specializing in white‐collar crime
Education
- University of Minnesota Law School and was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in — J.D. (2006)
Additional information
- In 2023, she was elected President of the National Association of Women Judges, the first Texan to hold the role in 20 years.
- Chief counsel to Mayor Richard Riordan of Los Angeles
- Political affiliation: Registered Democrat
- Before joining the bench, Judge Sage held the role of Assistant District Attorney for Travis County, where she created the county’s first felony mental health docket and collaborated on the first SAFPF Re‐Entry Docket in Central Texas.
- Judge Sage has taught criminal law ethics at the University of Texas School of Law and is a member of the Austin Bar Association, American Bar Association, and National Association of Women Judges.
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 299th 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 299th 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 299th District Court official directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked October 11, 2026
View Texas 299th District Court official directory ↗