Changes

In 1969, Keasler was named assistant district attorney for [[Dallas|Dallas County]], a position which he held until 1981, when he was appointed judge of the 292nd District Court in [[Dallas]] by then [[Governor]] [[Bill Clements]], the first Republican chief executive in Texas since [[Reconstruction]]. He remained on the 292nd trial court until 1998. From 1990 to 1997, Keasler was the dean of continuing judicial education in Texas. In 1993, he instituted the Texas College of Advanced Judicial Studies. In 1992, he became a faculty member at the National Judicial College.<ref name=txcourts/>

In 1969, Keasler was named assistant district attorney for [[Dallas|Dallas County]], a position which he held until 1981, when he was appointed judge of the 292nd District Court in [[Dallas]] by then [[Governor]] [[Bill Clements]], the first Republican chief executive in Texas since [[Reconstruction]]. He remained on the 292nd trial court until 1998. From 1990 to 1997, Keasler was the dean of continuing judicial education in Texas. In 1993, he instituted the Texas College of Advanced Judicial Studies. In 1992, he became a faculty member at the National Judicial College.<ref name=txcourts/>

Keasler lost a bid in 1996 for the Republican nomination for the Court of Criminal Appeals<ref name=ttribune/> but rebounded in the 1998 Republican runoff electio], in which he defeated intraparty challenger, Vicki Barbee Isaacks (born 1957) of Denton County, 130,764 votes  (62.8 percent) to 77,575 (37.2 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican runoff election returns, April 14, 1998.</ref> In the general election, Keasler unseated the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[incumbent]], Charles F. "Charlie" Baird, also of Austin, 1,889,069 votes (54 percent) to 1,611,538 (46 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, General election returns, November 3, 1998./ref> In 2004, Keasler defeated another Democrat, J. R. Molina, 3,990,315 votes (57.9 percent) to 2,906,720 (42.1) percent.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, General election returns, November 2, 2004.</ref></ref> In 2010, Judge Keasler defeated the Democrat Keith Hampton, also of Austin, 2,906,012 votes (60.5 percent) to 1,759,365 (36.6 percent. Another 139,299 votes (2.9 percent) went to the [[Libertarian Party]] candidate.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, General election returns, November 2, 2010.</ref>

Keasler lost a bid in 1996 for the Republican nomination for the Court of Criminal Appeals<ref name=ttribune/> but rebounded in the 1998 Republican runoff electio], in which he defeated intraparty challenger, Vicki Barbee Isaacks (born 1957) of Denton County, 130,764 votes  (62.8 percent) to 77,575 (37.2 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican runoff election returns, April 14, 1998.</ref> In the general election, Keasler unseated the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[incumbent]], Charles F. "Charlie" Baird, also of Austin, 1,889,069 votes (54 percent) to 1,611,538 (46 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, General election returns, November 3, 1998.</ref> In 2004, Keasler defeated another Democrat, J. R. Molina, 3,990,315 votes (57.9 percent) to 2,906,720 (42.1) percent.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, General election returns, November 2, 2004.</ref></ref> In 2010, Judge Keasler defeated the Democrat Keith Hampton, also of Austin, 2,906,012 votes (60.5 percent) to 1,759,365 (36.6 percent. Another 139,299 votes (2.9 percent) went to the [[Libertarian Party]] candidate.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, General election returns, November 2, 2010.</ref>

Keasler, who was age-limited at seventy-eight, left the Court of Criminal Appeals in December 2020, with two years remaining in his term. Governor [[Greg Abbott]] appointed as Keasler's successor Jesse F. McClure, III, an [[African-American]]., who had been defeated for reelection to a [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] district court judgeship in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rrhelections.com/index.php/2020/12/31/january-2021-judiciary-news/|title=January 2021 Judicial News: Texas|publisher=rrhelections.com|accessdate=February 19, 2021}}</ref>

Keasler, who was age-limited at seventy-eight, left the Court of Criminal Appeals in December 2020, with two years remaining in his term. Governor [[Greg Abbott]] appointed as Keasler's successor Jesse F. McClure, III, an [[African-American]]., who had been defeated for reelection to a [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] district court judgeship in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rrhelections.com/index.php/2020/12/31/january-2021-judiciary-news/|title=January 2021 Judicial News: Texas|publisher=rrhelections.com|accessdate=February 19, 2021}}</ref>