WOMACK, PAUL LESLIE (1947 ~ 2022). The following is an obituary for Paul Leslie Womack, former judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The obituary was published in the March 22, 2024 edition of the Austin American Statesman. 

The Honorable Paul Leslie Womack died on January 12, 2022, in Hays County, Texas. Private interment was at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin on January 21, 2022, with Judge Womack’s immediate family present.

Paul Womack was preceded in death by his mother, Lynn Womack of Lafayette, Louisiana, and his father, S. A. Womack of Shreveport, Louisiana, his niece, January Boone Gallagher, of Lafayette, Louisiana, and brother-in-law, Gregory F. Ray, of Seguin and San Diego, California.

Paul Womack was born April 1st, 1947 to mother Linmore Florence “Mimi” Owens Womack, and father Solomon Arthur “S.A.” Womack, Jr., in Shreveport, Louisiana. When Paul was ten, his family moved to Lafayette, Louisiana, where his father was the vice president of an oil company.

An exceptionally bright child, family mythology held that Paul could read at age three, read proficiently at four, skipped a grade in elementary school, and no one ever doubted it.

As a student at Lafayette High School, Paul studied speech and debate with celebrated teacher and writer, Novalyne Price Ellis, whom he credited with recognizing and guiding his talent for reasoning and debate which ultimately led to his career as a judge on the highest criminal court in Texas.

After graduating from Lafayette High School, Paul earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and Debate at Louisiana State University (LSU) in 1970. He was admitted to the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, where he and classmate Steve Bush, both first year students, won the annual Moot Court Competition. This was the first time first year students had ever won this competition in the history of UT Law School - or since. Asked why he went to Texas for law school rather than continue at LSU, Paul opined the government and politics in Louisiana were too corrupt, and he knew he would never practice law there.

Immediately out of law school, Paul taught Legal Research and Writing at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, school year 1976-1977, after which he and Mr. Bush opened a partnership law practice, "Bush and Womack," in San Antonio.

In 1979 Paul was selected to be Research Assistant to Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, Truman Roberts. This was the second year after the Texas Legislature had expanded

the Court of Criminal Appeals from five judges to nine, and the Court was newly authorized by law to exercise "Discretionary Review" jurisdiction of criminal cases, rather than required to consider and dispose of every direct appeal, from every criminal case, from every county in Texas, as before.

The Court was also just receiving the first "Petitions for Discretionary Review" since the law had changed. Also at that time the Court was receiving the first cases that had been tried under the "New" Texas Penal Code (1974), which had replaced the "Old" Penal Code in effect since the 1800's. Paul wrote hundreds, if not thousands of recommendations for review, legal research memoranda, and proposed opinions for Judge Roberts, which dramatically impacted the correct interpretation of the modern criminal law and procedure in Texas, still in effect today. During this time, Paul was certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in Criminal Law.

It was during these years working for the Court that Paul met and worked with Research Assistant to Judge Sam Houston Clinton, Sally Ray. Paul and Sally were married on Sadie Hawkins Day in 1984. This event realized Paul's mother's worst fear and parting admonition as he left Louisiana for law school: "I'm afraid you're going to marry a Texas girl!" Their daughter, Millie, was born in April, 1985.

When Judge Roberts retired from the Court in 1982, Paul was appointed Assistant District Attorney in Travis County. During this time, he became chief felony prosecutor in the District Court presided by the Honorable John Wisser, and later, in the Court of the venerable Mace Thurman, for whom the Travis County Courts Building is named. Throughout Sally's pregnancy with Millie, Judge Thurman insisted Paul and Sally should name their new baby, "Macey Paulette." Judge Thurman continued to refer to Millie as "Macey Paulette" for the rest of the judge's remarkable life.

In 1987, Paul was appointed First Assistant District Attorney in Williamson County, and he, Sally and Millie moved to Georgetown. Paul stayed with the Williamson County DA's Office until he ran for and was elected to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 1996. He was re-elected in 2002, and again in 2008. He retired when his third term was completed, at the end of 2014.

Paul was known throughout the criminal law community for "never taking a dime," or any other campaign contribution of any amount from any lawyer, despite running for statewide office three times, because he considered it a clear conflict of interest and unethical.

From 1983 to 2014, Paul was also an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law, where he taught criminal procedure. It was there that he delighted, as he influenced and edified, hundreds of law students over more than 30 years with his dry, irreverent wit. He wrote the textbook, "Texas Criminal Procedure: Trial and Beyond," and used the Christmas holidays every year to meticulously update it, much to his family's chagrin. He also authored the article on the Texas Judiciary for The New Handbook of Texas. He taught dozens of continuing education seminars and classes throughout his career on criminal law and procedure, and on recent authoritative appellate court decisions. He also wrote and produced the written materials and outlines for trainees to take with them. These trainings were for lawyers, police, judges, investigators, prosecutors, DPS officers and Texas Rangers, as well as municipal court staff, and too many others to name, all as service to the Texas criminal law community.

Judge Womack was a voracious lifelong reader who was endlessly curious. He would often read up to three books in a weekend, and he amassed a substantial library. Outwardly formal and serious, he possessed a sharp wit, and often, a cheeky but subtle sense of humor. He had an easy ability to distill things others found complicated, to simple, clear, and logical conclusions. He had a soft spot for children and cats. He loved his daughter, Millie, profoundly, beyond words, and repeatedly declared her birth to be the best thing that ever happened in his entire Life.

Next to Millie sitting on his lap as he read to her every night, from the day she was born until she had other, most important pre-teen things to do, nothing was better than a weekend at home, sitting in his "lair," by the big window, with a book in his hands, and a cat on his lap. (His beloved cats in lifetime order: Buford, Pearlie, Possum, Wilbur, Mango, Niblet, Maynard, and Taiji.)

He volunteered at the Neonatal ICU at St. David’s Hospital, where he rocked the tiniest, or sickest, impaired newborns, to calm and soothe them. He was known to don a red hat and suit one day every December, to the delight of the children at Judge Mike Keasler's church. He volunteered at "Learning Ally," (formerly "Reading for the Blind," then, "Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic,"), while he was a law student, and again, during his retirement.

Paul, Sally, and Millie drove thousands of miles together visiting the small towns, state parks, courthouses, national parks, archeological sites, museums, and natural wonders of Texas, Mexico, and the western half of the US, among others.

Paul loved observing nature from his living room, and on walks, and most especially, he loved drives through the beautiful, pastoral countryside of the Texas Hill Country.

Paul Womack is survived by his wife, Sally Louise Ray, of Seguin, and daughter, Milicent Ray Womack of Phoenix, Arizona, his sister, Laura Lynn Gallagher, of Lafayette, Louisiana, grand nephew, Gabriel James Breaux of Church Point, Louisiana, his brother, Bryan Hunter (Mary) Womack of Carencro, Louisiana, niece, Brooke Womack of Denver, Colorado, nephew, Brad (Carrie) Womack, and grands, Natalie and Nicholas Womack, all of Metairie, Louisiana. Also his cousin Owen (Patricia) Fory of Spring Branch,Texas, and brother-in-law, Robert S. "Bob" Ray, Jr., of Austin.

Paul is also survived by many beloved friends, colleagues, law clerks, and students, who inspired him every day to share his many gifts for the betterment of humankind, without fear or favor.

On October 16, 2023, The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, in session, held a memorial service honoring Judge Womack, followed by a reception.

Paul's family welcomes memorial offerings in Paul's honor to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St David's Hospital, Austin, Texas, and to Learning Ally, of Austin, Texas, or to any charity of the donor's choice. Messages to the family, remarks, stories, and memories of Paul are very welcome, at PaulWomack@aol.com.