Michelle Mangum-Merendino at a glance
- Current role
- District Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Texas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Michelle Mangum-Merendino
District Judge · Texas 75th District Court
Biography
Professional career
- Legal Practice: Since 2002, has maintained a private law practice in Liberty County
- Michelle Mangum‐Merendino is the appointed Judge of the 75th Judicial District Court in Liberty County, Texas, serving a term through December 31, 2026
- Governor Greg Abbott appointed Michelle Mangum‐Merendino as Judge of the 75th District Court in Liberty County in August 2025
- Judge Mangum‐Merendino’s chambers are in Liberty, TX, and she is active in the court’s official roster
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Houston–Clear Lake
- South Texas College of Law, Summa Cum Laude, top 1% of her class — J.D.
Additional information
- A Liberty County resident since 1979, she is married to Jared Merendino, a 30‐year veteran math teacher at Hardin High School, and has three children and two grandchildren.
- Early Career: held a position as a tax manager for Clear Channel before law school.
- Strict constructionist, meaning she interprets the law as written rather than creating new rules from the bench
- focusing on applying U.S. and Texas Constitutional standards to each case.
- The 75th District Court covers Liberty County, Texas.
- Cases from this court appeal to the Ninth Court of Appeals.
- handling civil and criminal matters, juvenile law, family law, child protective services, criminal defense, mental health, wills, estates, torts, real estate, and bankruptcy.
- Over three decades in law, tried cases in 18 Texas counties, handled thousands of matters across federal, state, county, and municipal courts, and carried hundreds of cases to jury verdict.
- Judicial Service: President and Vice President of the Liberty County Bar Association; member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Texas Family Law Foundation, and Liberty Police Department Advisory Board.
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 75th 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 75th 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 ↗