Texas

10 years after fatal accident, conviction is reversed; GM knew its car was to blame but kept quiet

Convicted of negligent homicide in a fatal 2004 crash that killed her fiance, a Texas woman has lived with guilt and public disapprobation and worried about her limited career options for nearly a decade. But on Monday, almost exactly a decade after the accident, a Van Zandt County judge granted…

Nov 24, 2014 12:05 PM CST

Lawyer handcuffed at ATM sues police for alleged racial profiling

A Houston personal-injury lawyer has filed a suit alleging racial profiling after he was handcuffed at an ATM by police responding to a bank alarm. Lawyer Dennis Spurling, who is black, says he was at the ATM outside the door of his office on Nov. 14 when two men in…

Nov 21, 2014 7:07 AM CST

Think tank sues Winstead for $1M, says firm helped CEO secretly settle with worker by promoting her

A think tank has sued a prominent Texas-based law firm and its chairman emeritus, contending that they helped its then-CEO try to settle an employee’s claim against him at great cost to the organization. At issue was a claim by an assistant to founder and CEO John Goodman of the…

Nov 19, 2014 2:23 PM CST

Adrian Peterson of Vikings suspended without pay for rest of season after plea in child-abuse case

Citing “no meaningful remorse,” among other factors, Commissioner Roger Goodell of the NFL has suspended star Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, without pay, for at least the rest of the regular football season. Peterson pleaded no contest earlier this month to reckless assault for repeatedly striking his 4-year-old son…

Nov 18, 2014 10:25 AM CST

Woman whose 4 pit bulls killed neighbor’s dog, in its own yard, sues neighbor for $1M

Last month, four pit bulls owned by Emerald White reportedly went through a boundary fence between two Texas homes and killed her neighbor’s 10-year-old beagle. Now a lawsuit has been filed—by White—against the owner of the beagle because White says she was injured after she herself went onto her neighbor’s…

Nov 17, 2014 4:25 PM CST

Billionaire’s fraud suit says lawyer transferred $49M for space flight venture to offshore company

A Japanese billionaire has sued a Texas patent and space law attorney, contending that he was defrauded of $49 million that was supposed to pay for a commercial space flight venture. Instead of spending on the planned space project, alleges plaintiff Takafumi Horie, attorney Art Dula transferred the money from…

Nov 14, 2014 3:40 PM CST

ABA president asks Texas governor for stay to consider inmate’s competence for execution

ABA President William C. Hubbard is asking the governor of Texas to stay the execution of a death row inmate to allow for a court evaluation of the prisoner’s mental health. “The American Bar Association is greatly concerned that Texas is poised to execute Scott Panetti, a man who has…

Nov 13, 2014 6:15 AM CST

Lawmaker proposes another University of Texas law school

Reviving a proposal that has been made before, a Texas lawmaker has filed a bill to create a University of Texas law school in the Rio Grande Valley. The proposal by state Rep. Eddie Lucio III (D-San Benito) won’t be considered for some time, because the legislative session hasn’t begun…

Nov 12, 2014 2:55 PM CST

Family of Ebola patient initially not admitted has settled with Dallas hospital

The family of a man whose Ebola wasn’t initially diagnosed by a Texas hospital has settled a potential claim against the facility over his delayed treatment for an undisclosed amount. However, attorney Les Weisbrod, who represents the survivors, called the agreement a “very good deal” that will not only provide…

Nov 12, 2014 1:15 PM CST

Lawmaker wins election, is convicted of lesser counts in barratry case, then wins a mistrial

Over the past seven days, a Texas lawmaker has been tried in a barratry case, won reelection, been convicted on lesser included misdemeanor counts and seen the verdict thrown out due to claimed juror misconduct. On Monday, a lawyer for state Rep. Ron Reynolds expected to begin the sentencing phase.…

Nov 10, 2014 4:05 PM CST

Murder defendant loses jail cell computer over claims he worked on other inmates’ cases

After firing his lawyers and taking on his own defense in a capital murder case earlier this year, James Calvert argued that the prison law library was inadequate and persuaded a Texas judge to provide a laptop computer in his jail cell. Calvert, who once was employed by law firms…

Nov 10, 2014 11:50 AM CST

Threatened patent suits amounted to deceptive tactics, FTC alleges; law firm and client settle

The Federal Trade Commission has settled a complaint against a Texas law firm and its client that alleged their threatened patent suits amounted to false or misleading statements. Law firm Farney Daniels and its client MPHJ Technology Investments agreed in a consent order (PDF) to stop making misrepresentations in letters…

Nov 10, 2014 6:15 AM CST

Willkie Farr plants flag in Houston, its first new US office since 1981

For the first time in more than 30 years, New York City-based Willkie Farr & Gallagher has opened a new U.S. office. The firm announced (PDF) Tuesday that it has planted its flag in the hot Houston market, saying that the move “furthers the firm’s strategy to combine the strengths…

Nov 5, 2014 4:25 PM CST

Dallas County DA known for exposing wrongful convictions loses to GOP challenger

A district attorney who was in the national spotlight for freeing more than 30 inmates said to be wrongfully convicted has lost his re-election bid. Dallas County District Attorney District Attorney Craig Watkins lost in Tuesday’s elections to his Republican challenger, Susan Hawk, report the Dallas Morning News, the Associated…

Nov 5, 2014 7:46 AM CST

Lawyers for death-row inmate say they learned of execution date in news article

Lawyers for a death-row inmate who represented himself at trial dressed in a purple cowboy suit say they learned of his execution date in a newspaper article. An emergency motion for a hearing filed on behalf of Texas inmate Scott Panetti says his lawyers learned of the Dec. 3 execution…

Nov 4, 2014 7:22 AM CST