Texas

No new wave of election lawsuits emerged Tuesday; which pending cases could make a difference?

A wave of Election Day litigation did not materialize Tuesday, even as President Donald Trump vowed to take voting cases to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Nov 4, 2020 10:44 AM CST

Armies of lawyers ready for election disputes; will unclear postmarks become ‘dimpled chads’ of 2020?

Hundreds of lawyers have been assembled to fight legal battles across the nation over which ballots can be counted and how the process should unfold.

Nov 3, 2020 10:23 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Texas courts allow count of drive-thru votes; 8th Circuit questions extended ballot deadline

Drive-thru votes can be counted in Texas, 2 courts say The Texas Supreme Court and a federal judge in Houston have refused to stop the counting of nearly 127,000 votes cast in drive-thru voting in Harris County, Texas. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen of the Southern District of Texas said…

Nov 2, 2020 4:36 PM CST

Inmate is entitled to sue over claim his cell had ‘massive amounts’ of feces, SCOTUS rules

Prison officials don’t have qualified immunity from a lawsuit by an inmate who claims that he was held in a cell covered in “massive amounts” of feces, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday in a per curiam opinion.

Nov 2, 2020 3:04 PM CST

Judge will be compelled to rule on 7 motions unless she acts by Nov. 3, appeals court says

A Texas judge must rule on seven outstanding motions by Nov. 3 or she will be compelled to do so, a state appeals court has ruled. The Texas Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas said in an Oct. 15 opinion that trial judges must rule on the pending motions within…

Oct 30, 2020 10:50 AM CDT

5th Circuit judge blasts abortion procedure as ‘barbaric’ in dissent

Judge Don Willett of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans has made clear his distaste for the most common second-trimester abortion procedure in a dissent filed last week.

Oct 26, 2020 3:05 PM CDT

Posthumous bar admission granted in case of Black man who sought law license in 1882

A Black man who sought to become a lawyer in Dallas in 1882 after reading the law has been granted bar admission posthumously, thanks to the work of two appeals judges who did the historical research.

Oct 26, 2020 12:24 PM CDT

In written answers, Barrett notes ‘3 hurdles’ to overturning Affordable Care Act but avoids specifics

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett mentioned “three hurdles” to overturning the Affordable Care Act when she provided written answers Tuesday to follow-up questions from Senate Judiciary Committee members.

Oct 22, 2020 2:47 PM CDT

BigLaw partner settles suit alleging rape by bartender

A Mayer Brown partner has settled a lawsuit against Brennan’s of Houston for an alleged October 2015 rape by a bartender who worked there.

Oct 21, 2020 4:30 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Texas attorney general’s aides seek probe of possible wrongdoing; legal industry gains jobs

7 aides to Texas attorney general seek probe for potential crimes Seven aides to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have asked law enforcement to investigate whether Paxton violated bans on improper influence, abuse of office and bribery. Paxton denied the allegations and said they were made “to impede an ongoing…

Oct 5, 2020 4:21 PM CDT

Texas judge reprimanded for showing handgun during argument

A Texas justice of the peace has received a public reprimand for showing his gun in an argument over his driving speed.

Oct 1, 2020 10:52 AM CDT

Judges remain skeptical of GOP ballot fraud arguments; litigation keeps rules in flux

Judges have been “broadly skeptical” of GOP arguments of voter fraud, according to a Washington Post review of nearly 90 state and federal voting lawsuits.

Sep 29, 2020 3:54 PM CDT

Bar exam in hotel rooms offered test-takers social distancing and private bathrooms

Among the many worries for people taking recent in-person bar exams during the COVID-19 pandemic, some were logistical: How could they maintain social distancing during the test? Would public restrooms be germ magnets? Could they safely eat with others? Hotel rooms could be the answer to those concerns.

Sep 22, 2020 1:56 PM CDT

Assistant attorney general loses job after reports surfaced of racist social media posts

An assistant attorney general in Texas lost his job last week after reports surfaced that he referred to Black Lives Matter protesters as “terrorists” and promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory on Twitter.

Sep 8, 2020 10:28 AM CDT

Insurers rack up early wins in lawsuits over COVID-19 ‘business interruption’ coverage

Court decisions on "business interruption" coverage are so far favoring insurers as they fight claims for lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 2, 2020 1:11 PM CDT