Justice John Devine was first elected to the Supreme Court of Texas in November 2012. He previously served for seven years as judge of the 190th State District Court in Harris County and for nine years as an appointed special judge for the Harris County justice of the peace courts.
A native of Indiana, Justice Devine attended Ball State University, graduating in 1980 with a B.S. degree in business administration and marketing. Following graduation, Justice Devine became a Texan and entered the corporate world of Shell Oil Co. in Houston as an analyst and later worked in various corporate and project-oriented positions. While at Shell, he was accepted by South Texas College of Law, graduating with a juris doctorate in 1986. Justice Devine remained with Shell until 1987. The next year Devine went to work for Brown & Root Inc., and again contributed to numerous corporate as well as major international and domestic industrial construction projects.
Justice Devine was elected in 1995 and re-elected in 1998 to the district court. During his tenure, he tried nearly 350 jury trials and presided over more than 500 bench trials. In 1998, he was voted well qualified by the Houston Bar Association. Justice Devine reduced his court’s case backlog by more than 40 percent during his two terms. He was awarded the title of “Texas Size Hero” by Focus on the Family magazine.
In his private litigation practice since 2002, Justice Devine represented both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts. In 2002, he was appointed as a special judge for the Harris County justice courts and served until 2011. Devine was also a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association, the Board of Civil District Judge Mass Torts Committee, Board of Civil District Judges, the Harris County Juvenile Justice Charter School Board and the Harris County Juvenile Board.
Justice Devine has been married since 1989 to Nubia Piedad Gomez, formerly of Venezuela, and the couple have seven children.
Justice Devine was re-elected in 2018. His current term expires December 31, 2024.
