Attorney General Ken Paxton today praised Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to appoint his General Counsel, Jimmy Blacklock, to fill the vacancy on the Texas Supreme Court Justice Don R. Willett will create if confirmed by the Senate for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

“I am proud of Jimmy’s tireless legacy of defending the liberty of Texans at the Office of the Governor and the Office of the Attorney General,” Attorney General Paxton said. “He is a constitutional conservative who will faithfully apply the law and not bend to the desire to rewrite it from the bench. That devotion is absolutely vital for a court that handles so many of Texas’ most important cases.”

Blacklock, like Justice Willett, served as deputy attorney general for legal counsel under former Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. Blacklock also clerked for 5th Circuit Judge Jerry Smith and served as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice.