AUSTIN, TX – Today, former Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Morris Overstreet announced his endorsement of Keith Hampton for Presiding Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals.

“Keith is exactly what the Court needs right now,” Overstreet said. “He has the intelligence, judicial temperament and integrity to mark a new day for the Court.”

Judge Overstreet was the first African-American elected to a statewide office in Texas history when he became a Judge on the Court of Criminal Appeals. A former prosecutor and judge from Amarillo, Overstreet served the Court for eight years, during which he authored over five hundred opinions.

“Keith Hampton will bring a depth and scope of scholarship and experience that will enrich the Court,” Overstreet said. “And I have no doubt he will ensure intellectually honest opinions.”

Hampton is running against Judge Sharon Keller, the incumbent judge who was condemned by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct and punished with the largest fine in Texas history by the Texas Ethics Commission for her actions related to a death penalty case.