Which of the following is a source of authority for courts in Texas?

• A. The Texas Constitution
• B. The United Nations Charter
• C. The Federal Constitution
• D. The Texas Administrative Code

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is where a state’s courts get their power from. In Texas, the judiciary is created and defined by the Texas Constitution. It sets up the structure of the court system, who can serve as judges, the jurisdictions of different courts, and the procedures they follow. Because it is the supreme source of authority for the state’s legal system, Texas courts must operate within its provisions.

The United Nations Charter isn’t a binding source of authority for Texas courts in daily judicial practice. International treaties can influence U.S. law, but they don’t establish the day-to-day power or organization of Texas courts unless Congress has implemented them domestically. The Federal Constitution provides the broad framework for the entire United States, and federal law can preempt state law in certain areas, but the direct source that creates and governs the Texas judiciary is the Texas Constitution. The Texas Administrative Code contains agency rules, not the authority that establishes the courts themselves.