John Hill (Texas politician)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see John Hill (disambiguation).
John Luke Hill Jr.
Texas Secretary of State
In office
March 12, 1966 – January 22, 1968
GovernorJohn Connally
Preceded byCrawford Martin
Succeeded byRoy Barerra, Sr.
Personal details
Born(1923-10-09)October 9, 1923
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Resting placeGlenwood Cemetery
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseBitsy Hill
Children3
Alma materKilgore College
University of Texas School of Law
ProfessionLawyer
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Battles/warsWorld War II

John Luke Hill Jr. (October 9, 1923 – July 9, 2007) was an American lawyer,

Texas Supreme Court.[1]

Early life

He was born in

oil fields.[1]

Career

Legal career

After attending

Houston which gave him experience in trial work. In 1951, he founded his own Houston-based firm specializing in plaintiff's trial work. He was considered one of the top lawyers in Texas.[1]

Hill won $3.5 million from

Braniff in lawsuits during the early 1960s. He was known for mastering his brief and for his down-to-earth style as an advocate.[1]

Political career

Hill's career in politics started as a county campaign manager for

gubernatorial campaign. Connally appointed him Secretary of State in 1966 and he served until 1968.[1]

In 1972, Hill was nominated as attorney general when he upset the

Legislature of Texas to support a deceptive trade practices act providing triple damages
for victims of unfair trade practices.

In 1976, he successfully argued the case of

Jurek v. Texas before the U.S. Supreme Court, where the Court upheld Texas's death penalty law.[3]

He also played a leading role in closing down the Chicken Ranch in Fayette County, the inspiration for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Hill had a subordinate leak material to reporter Marvin Zindler who ran a week-long series of special reports on The Chicken Ranch putting pressure on Governor Dolph Briscoe. After Briscoe turned to him for advice, Hill suggested that Briscoe call the sheriff of Fayette County who closed down the Chicken Ranch.[1] Hill served as Attorney General until 1979.

Hill challenged Briscoe in 1978 in the Democratic primary and was successful but lost in the general election to Republican Bill Clements.[1] Hill was the first Texas Democrat since 1869 to lose a gubernatorial general election to a Republican nominee.

Chief Justice of Texas

Hill practiced law until 1984 when he was elected as Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice to succeed the retiring Jack Pope. During this period, there were concerns about ethics of the courts which brought about a legislative committee investigation. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct chastized two justices and CBS's 60 Minutes offered a story on lawyers who practice in the courts making large donations to campaigns. Hill championed reform of the partisan election of judges and argued that judges should be selected based on merit, similar to the system used at the federal level.[1]

Later life

In 1997, Governor

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
in Houston.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Houston Chronicle "Former Texas Supreme Court Justice John Hill dies" July 9, 2007
  2. ^ "John L. Hill, Jr".
  3. Jurek v. Texas, 428 U.S. 262
    , 264 (1976).

External links
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Texas
1978 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of State of Texas
1966–1968 		Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by
Attorney General of Texas

January 1, 1973 – January 19, 1979 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Texas Supreme Court Justice,
Chief Justice

1985–1988 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Hill_(Texas_politician)&oldid=1221257775"