Burt Carnes, Judge of the 368th Judicial District Court, was born on March 1, 1949, to Bob and Louise Carnes, both fourth generation Texans. His family has a tradition of public service through law enforcement that began with an ancestor who served the Texas Republic as a Texas Ranger. The family history includes a Texas Ranger ambushed and killed in the line of duty; a Border Patrol Agent killed in the line of duty; the Judge's grandfather, who was Wilson County Sheriff for twenty years; and, his father, who was an FBI Special Agent for twenty-six years.

Upon graduating from U.T. Law School in 1976, Judge Carnes served as an Assistant District Attorney in Dallas County and then as Chief of Trial Courts in the Travis County District Attorney's Office. After ten years in private practice in Williamson County, he was appointed by Governor Clements to the newly created 368th District Court and was sworn in on September 1,1989.

Judge Carnes is a former President of the Williamson County Bar Association and has been a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation since 1985. Judge Carnes' family includes his wife, Susan, a retired elementary school teacher; a son, Seth, and his three children Tyler, Allison and Trace, who live in Williamson County; and, a daughter, Jennifer who lives in Williamson County with her husband, John, and their two children, Camryn and Oakley.