Based in San Antonio, the Fourth Court of Appeals is a seven-judge body that hears appellate cases from 32 counties in the Hill Country and South Texas. Valenzuela was appointed to the court in 2021 by Gov. Greg Abbott. A graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law, she presided over the 437th District Court in Bexar County beginning in 2009. She also co-founded a Felony Veterans Treatment Court.
