Cohoon selected to preside over judicial region encompassing 451st, 498th courts

AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott Friday appointed 451st state District Court Judge Kirsten Cohoon as the presiding judge over the Sixth Administrative Judicial Region for a four-year term. 

The appointment is subject to state Senate confirmation. 

The announcement precedes the debut this fall of the 498th state District Court, a second district court in Kendall County established by the Legislature in 2023 after state Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Austin, filed a bill calling for its creation.  

Troxclair said she spearheaded the effort after realizing the caseload handled by the Kendall County criminal court system had reached an unsustainable level. 

The 498th will debut Oct. 1 and joins the 451st, where Cohoon, a Republican, sits the bench.  

There is no word yet on who will preside over the 498th. 

According to officials, the presiding judge over any of the state’s 11 administrative judicial regions fulfills several important roles to ensure effective court operations. 

“The creation of a new district bench in October 2025 will save our taxpayers millions of dollars over time,” County Judge Shane Stolarczyk said earlier. 

The move came after plans to create a new county court-at-law instead transitioned into a state district court. 

“While conversion of a county court to a district court usually takes years, we were able to expedite this process through the quick actions of Rep. Troxclair and our … General Counsel Matthew Grove, to advocate our position and fight to provide our taxpayers a significant tax savings,” Stolarczyk added. 

The state will pick up much of the cost of a district court, including the judge’s salary. 

The 498th state District Court jurist will hear the same criminal and civil cases heard by the 451st, including felony and misdemeanor charges. 

Cohoon is a Boerne Education Foundation board member and volunteers at Currey Creek Baptist Church.  

She received a bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University and earned her law degree from South Texas College of Law. 

In addition, she is the place seven director of the State Bar of Texas Judicial Section and secretary of the Texas Association of District Judges.