Texas Government Code - GOV'T § 30.00142. Special Appellate Judge

(a) If the appellate judge is unable to act, the governing body of the city may appoint a person, or the appellant and the city attorney in a particular case may agree on a person, to serve as the special appellate judge.  The special appellate judge has the powers and duties of the office and is entitled to receive the same compensation as the regular appellate judge for serving as a special appellate judge.

(b) A municipal judge or associate municipal judge may not be appointed or selected as a special appellate judge.

(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), an appointment of a special appellate judge automatically terminates when the regular appellate judge returns to duty.

(d) If an appellate judge is disqualified from hearing a particular case, the governing body of the city may appoint a person, or the appellant and the city attorney may agree on a person, to serve as the special appellate judge.  A special appellate judge appointed or selected under this subsection is entitled to receive the same daily compensation as the regular appellate judge for each day he works on the case he was appointed or selected to hear.  An appointment automatically terminates at the time the mandate or mandates issue in the case he was appointed to hear.

(e) A special appellate judge must have the qualifications required of the regular appellate judge and shall, before he begins serving as a special appellate judge, take the oath of office required for a municipal judge.