On Thursday, May 21, 2026, the Houston Chronicle reported that Aaron Burdette, a Republican judge presiding over the 486th District Court in Harris County, is stepping down from his position.
Burdette, who was first appointed to the bench by Governor Greg Abbott in 2023, submitted his resignation earlier this month and is scheduled to depart on May 31. He intends to transition into private practice, citing the move as a voluntary decision made to pursue better opportunities for himself and his family.
Burdette’s tenure on the bench followed his initial appointment to help manage a significant backlog of criminal cases that had accumulated during the pandemic. At the time he assumed the role, the court faced a caseload of approximately 1,200 matters. According to county records, that figure had been successfully reduced to roughly 550 by the end of April.
Burdette, who previously served for 14 years at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and as general counsel for U.S. LawShield, won a full four-year term during the 2024 general election.
During his nearly three years as a judge, Burdette oversaw several high-profile proceedings. Most notably, he presided over the trial of Destin Quintero, who received a 50-year prison sentence for a wrong-way crash that resulted in the death of 20-year-old Caleb Rickenbacher and caused injuries to Rickenbacher’s girlfriend.
Additionally, the court is currently handling the murder trial of Aileen Barboza, a former Harris County deputy accused of killing an unarmed man.
Source: Houston Chronicle
