Skip to main content

Morgan Smith

Morgan Smith’s staff photo

Morgan Smith was a reporter at the Tribune from 2009 to 2018, covering politics, public education and inequality. In 2013, she received a National Education Writers Association award for “Death of a District,” a series on school closures. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from Wellesley College, she moved to Austin in 2008 to enter law school at the University of Texas. A San Antonio native, her work has also appeared in Slate, where she spent a year as an editorial intern in Washington D.C.

Past Contributions

  • Sup. Ct. 3: Green on Top, but Runoff Certain

    By Morgan Smith

    As of early Wednesday morning, Rick Green has barely broken from the crowd of six GOP candidates vying for the open spot on the High Court, and a runoff is guaranteed. What's unclear is who his opponent will be — Rebecca Simmons, Jim Moseley, and Debra Lehrmann are all hovering close behind. It's likely Jeff Brown, who narrowly trails those three, won't make the cut. The only clear loser of the night is Rick Strange, who didn't keep up with the pack. Full Story 

    (from left to right) Jim Moseley, Rebecca Simmons, Rick Strange and Rick Green

  • 2010: Reyna Redux

    By Morgan Smith

    In a midnight move before tomorrow’s election, 10th Court of Appeals Justice Felipe Reyna fired the opening salvos of a defamation lawsuit against a Longview doctor and two political action committees supporting his GOP primary opponent, Al Scoggins. Full Story 

    Article thumbnail
    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Primary Color: Supreme Court Place 9

    By Morgan Smith

    Rose Vela is no stranger to challenging establishment-backed judicial candidates — and unlike most who run upstart campaigns, she wins. But this year she's taking on Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman, the appointee of a governor with the most formidable political machine in recent Texas history. Full Story 

    Eva Guzman (left), Rose Vela
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • TribBlog: Judges Gone Wild [Updated]

    By Morgan Smith

    In an unexpected reversal, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has thrown out Charles Dean Hood's death sentence on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court appeal and national media attention. Full Story 

    Article thumbnail
    Credit: Supreme Court of the United States