Katherine McDaniel appointed 498th Judicial Court judge

Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Katherine McDaniel to the 498th Judicial District Court in Kendall County for a term set to expire at the end of 2026.

The details

According to an Oct. 6 news release, McDaniel is the first assistant district attorney for the Kendall County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, currently serving on the Texas Violent Gang Task Force.

McDaniel is also a member of the Texas District and County Attorneys’ Association Journal Editorial Board, State Bar of Texas, Kendall County Bar Association, Texas Bar College and the Texas Prosecutors’ Society.

The background

In 2023, the 88th Texas Legislature enacted House Bill 3474, creating the 498th Judicial District Court effective October 1, 2025.

The 498th Judicial District Court has concurrent jurisdiction with the 451st Judicial District Court in all civil and criminal matters filed in Kendall County.

McDaniel will be sworn in to her new role Oct. 14. Additional information on Kendall County district courts can be found here.