Texas Pattern Jury Charges Committees
The Texas Pattern Jury Charges series is widely accepted by attorneys and judges as the most authoritative guide for drafting questions, instructions, and definitions in a broad variety of cases.
Each Texas Pattern Jury Charges volume includes an electronic version with the entire book as a hyperlinked and word-searchable PDF file, also available for purchase separately. All charge language is included as Word files linked to the comments for quick retrieval and assembly of jury charges. Texas case citations are linked to PDF files of the cases and to an online version of the Casemaker Web Library.
Pattern Jury Charges Committees:
Department Contact
Texas Bar Books
(512) 427-1411
books@texasbar.com
texasbarbooks.net
Pattern Jury Charges – Business, Consumer, Insurance & Employment Committee
Created in 1985Purpose
To prepare and periodically revise pattern jury charges for common law and statutory claims encountered in consumer, insurance, business, commercial, and employment litigation. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges, plaintiffs, and defense lawyers with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by this committee.
2020-2021 Projects and Objectives
-
The PJC Business Committee will be publishing its 2020 edition at the end of this calendar year. The committee will be finalizing the remaining updates to be included in this edition and will work with the Oversight committee as needed for final approval of drafts. Once this edition is complete, the committee will begin planning and developing materials for its next edition. As this will be a non-publication year, the committee will use this time to study new topics that should be added and complete a more thorough review of each section for needed updates.
Staff Contact
Elma Garcia
Publications Attorney
(512) 427-1858
2020-2021 Committee Members
| Name | Company | City |
|---|---|---|
William John Chriss (CHAIR) |
The Snapka Law Firm |
Corpus Christi |
Carlos Ramon Soltero (VICE CHAIR) |
Soltero Sapire Murrell, PLLC |
Austin |
Scott A. Brister |
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP |
Austin |
Kiwi Alejandro Camara |
CS Disco Inc. |
Austin |
Luis M. Cardenas |
Escobedo & Cardenas, L.L.P. |
Edinburg |
Tracy Kee Christopher |
14th Court of Appeals |
Houston |
John Griffin |
Marek, Griffin & Knaupp |
Victoria |
Margaret A. Harris |
Butler & Harris |
Houston |
Steven Knowles Hayes |
Law Office of Steven K. Hayes |
Fort Worth |
Brian Patrick Lauten |
Brian Lauten, P.C |
Dallas |
Michael Wayne Massiatte |
DLA Piper |
Plano |
Randall Pulman |
Pulman, Cappuccio & Pullen, LLP |
San Antonio |
D. Todd Smith |
Smith Law Group |
West Lake Hills |
Amy Elizabeth Stewart |
Amy Stewart PC |
Dallas |
Bonnie Sudderth |
Second Court of Appeals |
Fort Worth |
Christopher Dove |
Locke Lord LLP |
Houston |
John V. Jansonius |
Jackson Walker L.L.P. |
Dallas |
Dwaine Morris Massey |
Massey Law Firm PLLC |
Houston |
Philip Maxwell |
Law Offices of Philip K. Maxwell |
Austin |
Stephen Patrick Pate |
Cozen O'Connor |
Houston |
Georgina Benavides |
Thirteenth Court of Appeals |
Edinburg |
David Michael Gunn |
Beck Redden LLP |
Houston |
Scott Edward Lindsey |
Boyd, Powers & Williamson |
Fort Worth |
Rachel McKenna |
Almanza, Blackburn, Dickie & Mitchell LLP |
Austin |
Robert McKnight |
Law Office of Robert E. McKnight, Jr. |
Victoria |
Charles Peckham |
Peckham Martin, PLLC |
Houston |
Jeremy Stone (Advisory) |
Butch Boyd Law Firm |
Houston |
Pattern Jury Charges – Criminal Committee
Created in 2005Purpose
To monitor statutory and case law developments in criminal law and prepare supplementation as needed for Pattern Jury Charges - Criminal. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges and practitioners with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by this committee.
2020-2021 Projects and Objectives
-
Following the fall 2020 release of Texas Criminal Pattern Jury Charges—Crimes Against Persons & Property, this year the committee will focus our efforts on facilitating the online transition of the Texas Criminal Pattern Jury Charges volumes, as well as finalizing new materials and updating existing charges as needed to reflect current statutory and case law. This process will include presenting materials to the Oversight Committee for review and approval.
Staff Contact
Courtney Giesinger
Program Attorney I
(512) 427-1486
2020-2021 Committee Members
| Name | Company | City |
|---|---|---|
Wendell A. Odom (CHAIR) |
Wendell A. Odom, Jr. |
Houston |
Margaret Emily Johnson-Liu (VICE CHAIR) |
Office of State Prosecuting Attorney |
Austin |
George William Aristotelidis |
Law Office of Jorge G. Aristotelidis |
San Antonio |
Judge Robert Edward Cadena |
83rd Judicial District |
Del Rio |
Kenda Culpepper |
Rockwall Co. Criminal District Attorney |
Rockwall |
Andrew Fletcher |
Harris Co. District Attorney's Office |
San Antonio |
Melissa Young Goodwin |
3rd Court of Appeals |
Austin |
Jennifer Laurin |
University Of Texas School Of Law |
Austin |
Elizabeth Ponce |
Ponce Law, PLLC |
Houston |
Benjamin Nelson Smith |
380th Judicial District Court |
McKinney |
Christopher J. Downey |
The Downey Law Firm |
Houston |
Laurie Kathleen Lay English |
112th District Attorney |
Ozona |
Susan Riva Klein |
University Of Texas School Of Law |
Austin |
John Messinger |
Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney |
Austin |
Barbara Hunt Paulissen |
Bexar Co. Criminal Dist. Court Administration |
San Antonio |
Scott Pawgan |
Law Offices of Scott Pawgan |
Windcrest |
Barry Sorrels |
Sorrels Hagood |
Dallas |
Edward Alan Bennett |
|
Waco |
Alan Ketih Curry |
|
Houston |
James Gerard McDermott |
Far West Texas Regional Public Defender |
Alpine |
Edith Schatelowitz |
Law Office of Eve Schatelowitz |
Round Rock |
Thomas Ross |
Dunham and Jones, P.C. |
Houston |
Zackery Wavrusa |
Co./District Attorney Office of Rusk Co. |
Henderson |
Pattern Jury Charges – Family and Probate Committee
Created in 1987Purpose
To monitor statutory and case law developments in family and probate law and prepare supplementation as needed for Pattern Jury Charges - Family and Probate. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges and practitioners with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by this committee.
2020-2021 Projects and Objectives
-
The Committee’s focus is on preliminary work for publication of the next edition, in early 2022. The current emphasis is on the imminent publication of a special supplement to address a recent change to Tex. R. Civ. P. 277, case law affecting modifications of child custody orders, and an update to attorney’s fee award charges in will contests. Longer-term projects include revising jury instructions for reimbursement determinations in divorces; adding jury charges for contempt findings in divorce order enforcement actions; and consideration of possible additional coverage for invasion-of-privacy and breach-of-duty actions in divorces. The Committee continues to look for more opportunities for improvements to the volume.
Staff Contact
James Norman
Attorney I
(512) 427-1460
2020-2021 Committee Members
| Name | Company | City |
|---|---|---|
John Christopher Nickelson (CHAIR) |
Law Office Of Gary L. Nickelson |
Fort Worth |
Cindy Venise Tisdale (VICE CHAIR) |
Law Office of Cindy V. Tisdale, P.L.L.C. |
Granbury |
Thomas Ausley |
GoransonBain Ausley |
Austin |
Becky Beaver |
Law Office of Becky Beaver |
Austin |
Roxie Williams Cluck |
Attorney At Law |
Canton |
Susan Oehl |
Jenkins & Kamin, LLP |
Houston |
James Shipp |
Shipp Ecke, PLLC |
San Antonio |
Kristal Thomson |
Langley & Banack, Inc. |
San Antonio |
Alicia York |
Franklin York Mediations |
Houston |
Kristy Blanchard |
Blanchard & Thomas, LLP |
Ovilla |
Mary C. Burdette |
Burdette Law Firm |
Dallas |
Ryan Cantrell |
Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry |
Houston |
Larry Adrian Flournoy |
Jordan Flournoy LLP |
Dallas |
Kathleene Dennise Garcia |
303rd Judicial District Court |
Dallas |
Jessica Janicek |
KoonsFuller, PC |
Southlake |
Aimee Key |
GoransonBain Ausley |
Dallas |
William Cameron McCulloch |
MacIntyre McCulloch & Stanfield, LLP |
Houston |
Richard Kevin Spencer |
Spencer & Johnson, PLLC |
Dallas |
Robert Christopher Wilmoth |
Farrow-Gillespie Heath Witter LLP |
Dallas |
Sam M. Yates |
Law Office Sam M. (Trey) Yates, III, P. |
Houston |
David G. Balmer |
Balmer Law Firm, PC |
San Antonio |
Kelly Fritsch |
Kelly L. Fritsch, P.C. |
Houston |
Kymberly McMorries |
|
Missouri City |
Caroline W. Jackson (Advisory) |
|
San Antonio |
Pattern Jury Charges – General Negligence, Intentional Personal Torts & Workers’ Compensation Committee
Created in 1984Purpose
To monitor statutory and case law developments in the subject matter of this PJC volume and prepare supplementation as needed. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges, plaintiffs’, and defense lawyers with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by this committee.
2020-2021 Projects and Objectives
-
Complete remaining issues for publication in 2020 Green Book Volume.
-
Begin work on issues identified for purposes of 2022 Green Book Volume publication.
Staff Contact
Vickie Tatum
Publications Attorney
(512) 427-1487
2020-2021 Committee Members
| Name | Company | City |
|---|---|---|
Paula Knippa (CHAIR) |
Knippa Law, PLLC |
Austin |
Daniel Horowitz (VICE CHAIR) |
The Law Office of Daniel D. Horowitz, III, PC |
Houston |
Dustin Benham |
|
Lubbock |
Merritt Clements |
Ray Pena McChristian |
San Antonio |
Linda Marie Dedman |
Dedman Law, PLLC |
Dallas |
Ronald Dean Gresham |
Steckler Gresham Cochran PLLC |
Dallas |
Laura Lee Haley |
Haley Law Firm, PLLC |
Harlingen |
Daniel B. Linebaugh |
The Linebaugh Law Firm, P.C. |
Baytown |
Sharon Sue McCally |
|
Houston |
Daryl L. Moore |
Harris Co. Civil Courthouse |
Houston |
Henry L. Moore |
|
Austin |
Michael L. Sprain |
Sprain Law Firm |
Houston |
Sammy Ford |
Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing |
Houston |
Jose G. Gonzalez |
Watts Guerra LLP |
McAllen |
R.W. (Ricky) Richards |
Richards Penn, LLP |
Jacksonville |
Hyattye O. Simmons |
Hyattye O. Simmons, Attorney at Law |
Dallas |
Gisela Triana |
Third Court of Appeals |
Austin |
Ryan Grant Anderson |
The Law Offices of Ryan G. Anderson, PLLC |
San Antonio |
Alison Colvin |
Colvin, Saenz, Rodriguez & Kennamer L.L.P. |
Brownsville |
Matthew E. Coveler |
Weinstein Tippetts & Little LLP |
Houston |
Elizabeth Herrera |
Colvin, Saenz, Rodriguez & Kennamer, L.L.P. |
Edinburg |
Wm. Randell Johnson |
Law Office of Wm. Randell Johnson |
Plano |
Donald Hamilton Kidd |
Perdue & Kidd |
Houston |
Sean Michael Reagan |
Leyh, Payne & Mallia, PLLC |
Houston |
Rebecca Vela |
Rebecca Vela, PC |
Edinburg |
Tennessee Walker |
Patterson Law Group |
Fort Worth |
Tara Delyce Richardson (Advisory) |
Ketterman Rowland & Westlund |
San Antonio |
Pattern Jury Charges – Malpractice, Premises & Products Committee
Created in 1987Purpose
To monitor statutory and case law developments in the subject matter of this PJC volume and prepare supplementation as needed. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges, plaintiffs, and defense lawyers with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by the committee.
2020-2021 Projects and Objectives
-
The Committee is approving final changes for publication of the 2020 edition later this year and planning for longer-term projects. Revised instructions will be published for preexisting conditions, to include a new eggshell plaintiff instruction. The Committee will continue working on topics such as a possible update to jury questions in the damages PJCs, a joint project with the PJC – General Negligence, Intentional Personal Torts & Workers’ Compensation Committee; expanded commentary for inferential rebuttals; possible revisions to jury charges in premises liability cases involving workers’ compensation subscribers; and more.
Staff Contact
James Norman
Attorney I
(512) 427-1460
2020-2021 Committee Members
| Name | Company | City |
|---|---|---|
Laura M. Trenaman (CHAIR) |
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP |
Houston |
Alexander B. Klein (VICE CHAIR) |
The Klein Law Firm |
Houston |
Reschard Alexander |
Big Rig Bull Texas Truck Accident Lawyer |
Houston |
Charles David Brown |
Brown, Christie & Green |
Houston |
Daniel M. Downey |
Dan Downey, P.C. |
Austin |
Frederick Leighton Durham |
Kelly, Durham & Pittard LLP |
Dallas |
William R. Edwards |
The Edwards Law Firm |
Corpus Christi |
Erin E. Lunceford |
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP |
Houston |
Brent Ryan Walker |
Aldous\Walker LLP |
Dallas |
Melody M. Wilkinson |
17th District Court |
Fort Worth |
Curry L. Cooksey |
Cooksey, Marcin & Huston, PLLC |
The Woodlands |
John Alex Huddleston |
Clark Hill Strasburger |
Dallas |
Coyt Johnston |
Johnston Tobey Baruch, P.C. |
Dallas |
Amanda McKinzie |
Bowman and Brooke LLP |
Plano |
Andrew Payne |
Payne Mitchell Law Group |
Dallas |
Andrew Cavazos |
Poulos & Coates LLP |
El Paso |
Iain Kennedy |
Nathan Sommers Jacobs |
Houston |
Matthew Kita |
|
Dallas |
John Brandon Martinez |
Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP |
Corpus Christi |
Timothy Dennis Riley |
Riley Law Firm |
Houston |
Randell C. Roberts |
Roberts & Roberts |
Tyler |
Cynthia Villanueva |
US Attorney's Office |
McAllen |
Jack E. McGehee (Advisory) |
McGehee Chang, Landgraf |
Houston |
Michelle Elaine Robberson (Advisory) |
Cooper & Scully PC |
Dallas |
Pattern Jury Charges – Oil and Gas Committee
Created in 2013Purpose
To monitor statutory and case law developments in the subject matter for this PJC volume and prepare supplementation as needed. The committee shall consist of a balance of judges, and practitioners with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice under review by the committee.
2020-2021 Projects and Objectives
-
The committee is spending the initial part of this Bar year finalizing materials for inclusion in the 2020 PJC Volume, which will be published at the end of this year.
-
The committee is working closely with the PJC Business volume to review and update contracts materials included in both volumes.
-
Additionally, the committee will also work with the PJC Oversight committee for review and approval of new materials to be published. Following the publication of the 2020 volume, the committee will begin to research and develop materials for the 2022 edition.
-
The committee intends to work with the PJC General Negligence committee to conduct a thorough review and to update the materials on nuisance, which will be included in the 2022 PJC Oil and Gas edition.
-
Similarly, the committee will work closely with the Business volume to consider additional updates to the current contracts materials appearing in both books.
-
Additionally, the Committee will review and update charges as needed to reflect new statutory and case law. The Committee will work closely with PJC Oversight and the other PJC committees as needed to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Staff Contact
Elma Garcia
Publications Attorney
(512) 427-1858
2020-2021 Committee Members
| Name | Company | City |
|---|---|---|
Ricardo E. Morales (CHAIR) |
Person, Whitworth, Borchers & Morales, L.L.P. |
Laredo |
Laura H. Burney (VICE CHAIR) |
|
San Antonio |
Joseph Gunter |
Bracewell |
Houston |
Kyla Gunter |
Gunter Law Group, PLLC |
Fort Worth |
Craig A. Haynes |
Thompson & Knight LLP |
Dallas |
Christopher Hogan |
Hogan Thompson LLP |
Houston |
Isaiah Jackson |
IRJ LAW, a PLLC |
Midland |
Timothy Conway Shelby |
Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing |
Houston |
Scott Patrick Stolley |
Stolley Law, P.C. |
Dallas |
Patricia Long-Weaver |
Long-Weaver & Manning LLP |
Midland |
Daniel Charest |
Burns Charest LLP |
Dallas |
Allen D. Cummings |
Attorney at Law |
Austin |
Heriberto Montalvo |
Reed Smith LLP |
Houston |
Karen Precella |
Haynes and Boone, LLP |
Fort Worth |
Susan Rafferty Richardson |
Susan R. Richardson |
Midland |
Patricia O’Connell Alvarez |
Fourth Court of Appeals |
San Antonio |
Charles W. Gordon |
Porter, Rogers, Dahlman & Gordon, P.C. |
Corpus Christi |
Ezra Johnson |
Railroad Commission of Texas |
Austin |
Michael D. Jones |
Jones Gill LLP |
Houston |
Lisa Lumley |
Lisa Lumley Law |
Fort Worth |
Benjamin Robertson |
Santoyo Wehmeyer P.C. |
San Antonio |
Paul F. Simpson |
McGinnis Lochridge & Kilgore LLP |
Houston |
James Martin Truss |
Dykema Gossett PLLC |
San Antonio |
Judge Russell Wilson |
218th District Court |
Jourdanton |
Judge Monica Z. Notzon (Advisory) |
111th District Court |
Laredo |
George Shires (Advisory) |
Cotton, Bledsoe, Tighe & Dawson, PC |
Midland |
Pattern Jury Charges – Oversight Committee
Created in 2003Purpose
To set appropriate policies and standards, to act as an oversight and coordinating committee for the PJC committees, and to concern itself with the study and formulation of the form of charges submitted for publication through the Books and Systems Department. The membership of the PJC - Oversight Committee shall consist of two ex-officio members of the Texas Supreme Court as designated by the Supreme Court, a balance of district and appellate court judges, and a balance of lawyers with demonstrated expertise in the various areas of practice, including plaintiffs and defense lawyers, and general member appointments.
2020-2021 Projects and Objectives
-
The Oversight committee will spend the initial part of this Bar year reviewing and approving any outstanding materials that will be published in 2020. More specifically, the Oversight Committee will work with the PJC Family Law volume to produce a supplement that reflects updates resulting from the recent amendments to TRCP 277. Outstanding revisions from the PJC Business volume relating to Control Person Liability and “justifiable reliance” will also be finalized. The PJC Oil and Gas Volume is in discussions with the General Negligence volume on potential revisions for Nuisance. The PJC General Negligence and Malpractice volumes are similarly discussing potential revisions to ‘aggravation of existing injury” and the “eggshell” plaintiff. The Oversight Committee has scheduled meetings through December to complete work on these materials and to review and finalize any other materials as needed. Once work for the 2020 editions has been completed, the Oversight committee will begin working with the volumes to consider projects for the 2022 editions. The Oversight committee will work with the volumes to develop new materials and to facilitate work on materials impacting more than one volume to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Staff Contact
Elma Garcia
Publications Attorney
(512) 427-1858
2020-2021 Committee Members
| Name | Company | City |
|---|---|---|
Daniel Earle Hinde (CHAIR) |
Schiffer Hicks Johnson PLLC |
Houston |
Anahid Elizabeth Estevez (VICE CHAIR) |
251st District Judge |
Amarillo |
Brock C. Akers |
The Akers Firm |
Houston |
Mary Taylor Henderson |
Office of the Attorney General |
Austin |
Jeffrey S. Levinger |
Levinger PC |
Dallas |
LaDawn Nandrasy |
Amy Stewart PC |
Dallas |
Daniel Pozza |
Pozza and Whyte, PLLC |
San Antonio |
Michael L. Slack |
Slack Davis Sanger LLP |
Austin |
Catherine M. Stone |
Langley & Banack, Inc. |
San Antonio |
Timothy M. Sulak |
353rd District Court |
Austin |
Scott Armstrong |
Armstrong & Lee LLP |
Houston |
Jane Bland |
Supreme Court of Texas |
Austin |
James Christopher Dean |
J. Christopher Dean Law Firm PLLC |
Houston |
Michael W. Eady |
Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, L.L.P. |
Austin |
Clyde Jackson |
Burford Perry LLP |
Houston |
Joyce W. Moore |
Langley & Banack |
San Antonio |
Robert Shaffer |
152nd District Court |
Houston |
Kirsten M. Castaneda |
Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP |
Dallas |
Stewart W. Gagnon |
Norton Rose Fulbright, LLP |
Houston |
David Charles Kent |
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP |
Dallas |
Brian Charles Miller |
Royston Rayzor Vickery & Williams LLP |
Corpus Christi |
Emily Miskel |
470th District Court |
McKinney |
Lana Myers |
Fifth District Court Of Appeals |
Dallas |
Andrew Wright |
Harris Co. Criminal Court at Law No. 7 |
Houston |
John Blaise Gsanger (Advisory) |
The Ammons Law Firm, LLP |
Corpus Christi |
