Over 35 years, Hecht modernized the court, increased access to justice for the poor and saw his conservative views come to dominate the bench.

In his biennial state of the judiciary, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht also warned against politics’ encroachment into the third branch of government.

Justice Paul Green hears arguments at the Texas Supreme Court in 2019. Emree Weaver/The Texas TribuneAfter 15 years as a member of Texas Supreme Court, Republican Justice Paul W. Green said he will retire in August almost two and a half years before his term was set to end. Green is the courts second in seniority and his successor will be chosen by Gov. He has consistently provided steady, insightful and wise counsel to his colleagues and to the judiciary and certainly to me in his role for the past seven years as senior justice, Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht said in a statement. The San Antonio native was reelected in 2016, and his current term ends December 31, 2022.