Category Archives: Legal matters

Paxton versus 404Media

Of interest. In October, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subpoenaed 404 Media, demanding that we hand over confidential information about our reporting and an anonymous source to help the state of Texas in a wholly unrelated case it is pursuing … Continue reading

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Jay-Z added to Buzbee’s lawsuit against Sean Combs

Wow. After Houston attorney Tony Buzbee vowed to bring more than 100 lawsuits in multiple states on behalf of alleged sexual assault victims claiming they were sexually abused or exploited by media mogul Sean Combs, a federal lawsuit was refiled … Continue reading

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The SCOTUS gender affirming care ban case is about much more than that

It’s about equal protection under the law. In a striking echo of how they dispensed with abortion rights, many right-wing justices Wednesday advocated for a “leave it to the states” approach on trans health care, rhetorical cover for a legal … Continue reading

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Buc-ee’s versus Duckees

Our most litigious roadside attraction is at it again. The beloved Texas Buc-ee’s Beaver is making its way into Chiefs Kingdom, but recent court filings show it’s trying to own the convenience store lane. This week, the beaver took a … Continue reading

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Paxton won’t be deposed by the whistleblowers

Alas. Attorney General Ken Paxton will not have to sit for a deposition in a longstanding lawsuit filed by four former senior aides who said he improperly fired them after they reported him to the FBI, the Texas Supreme Court … Continue reading

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Paxton sues Dallas over its marijuana decriminalization law

As expected. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the city of Dallas over the newly approved Proposition R — which decriminalizes up to four ounces of marijuana in the city. The filing names the entire Dallas City Council, Mayor … Continue reading

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Buzbee sued by unnamed celebrity for alleged extortion

Okay then. Tony Buzbee, the prominent Houston attorney representing more than 100 people in a suit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, has been sued in California for allegedly extorting “high profile” individuals, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles County … Continue reading

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Paxton sues second doctor for providing gender affirming care to teens

From before the election. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing a second doctor for allegedly violating state law and providing gender-affirming medical care to minors. Dr. Hector Granados is an El Paso pediatric endocrinologist. Paxton accuses him in the … Continue reading

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Jolt Initiative gets a reprieve from Paxton harassment

Good news for now. A nonprofit focused on increasing Latinos’ civic participation can continue its work without fear of being shut down by the state after a federal judge granted a stay on Oct. 24 in a lawsuit the group … Continue reading

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“Scandal of epic proportions” in the bankruptcy courts

This story is bonkers. Usually confident to the point of coming across self-righteous, Houston Bankruptcy Judge David Jones’ voice quivered as he stated repeatedly, “I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know what is going to happen next. I … Continue reading

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It’s crawl-out-from-under-a-rock season

As predictable as the end of Daylight Saving Time around here. Three Houston-area Republicans have filed a lawsuit alleging that “tens of thousands” of people should be purged from the Harris County voter roll amid a national push to cast … Continue reading

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Uplift Harris 2.0 upheld in district court

This is the opening act. The main event comes later. A judge on Thursday sided with Harris County’s latest iteration of a guaranteed income program, denying Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office’s application for a temporary restraining order aimed at stopping … Continue reading

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Multiple settlements of AstroWorld injury lawsuits

Noted for the record. The start of a trial over injuries suffered during the 2021 Astroworld concert has been delayed until February, after more than 300 of the plaintiffs reached settlements with LiveNation and concert headliner Travis Scott, one of … Continue reading

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Paxton sues doctor for providing gender affirming care to teens

Nothing good will come of this. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against a Dallas pediatrician, accusing her of violating state law by providing gender-transitioning treatments to at least 21 teenage patients. Thursday’s filing is Paxton’s first … Continue reading

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Fifth Circuit pauses vote harvesting injunction

Here they come to do what they do. A federal appeals court has temporarily reinstated portions of Texas’ 2021 voting law regulating ballot handling, ruling that a judge’s previous decision to strike certain rules came too close to the 2024 … Continue reading

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Paxton lawsuit against Travis County over voter registration returned to state court

Is this even still germane? A federal court on Thursday returned a lawsuit to state court that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had filed against Travis County over an effort to register voters before the November election. The federal court … Continue reading

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A further clipping of Paxton’s wings

This could be big. A federal magistrate judge has struck down a 100-plus year old Texas statute authorizing the state’s attorney general to investigate certain businesses and organizations for violating state laws. Judge Mark Lane of the Western District of … Continue reading

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DACA at the Fifth Circuit

A big week for that terrible court. On Thursday the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in a case to determine the future of “Dreamers” who came to the country as children, including an estimated 27,000 Houstonians. The hearing is the latest … Continue reading

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More of the omnibus voter suppression bill blocked

Better (very) late than never. Certain provisions of Texas’ sweeping 2021 voting law that restrict voter assistance violate the federal Voting Rights Act and cannot be enforced, a federal judge in Texas ruled Friday. Among the rules struck down by … Continue reading

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“Wrongful death” anti-abortion lawsuit dropped

Good. A Texas man who sued three women for allegedly helping his ex-wife obtain a medication abortion, one of the first and most explosive lawsuits after Texas began banning the procedure, has dropped his claims, according to defendants. The wrongful … Continue reading

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Fifth Circuit hears drag ban appeal

Hope for the best as always. A Fifth Circuit panel grappled with questions of free speech and expression on Wednesday as it deliberated whether to uphold a lower court’s ruling that a Texas law dealing with sexually explicit performances and … Continue reading

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Latest lawsuit against Deshaun Watson gets settled

That was quick. The latest sexual assault lawsuit against former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has been settled less than a month after being filed. Houston attorney Tony Buzbee on Monday night confirmed the settlement to Pro Football Talk and the … Continue reading

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SCOTUS leaves Texas anti-EMTALA ruling in place

Another reminder of what the stakes are this election, in case you needed it. The Supreme Court on Monday refused to require doctors in Texas to perform certain emergency abortions when the procedure would conflict with the state’s strict abortion … Continue reading

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Buzbee versus Diddy

The man stays busy. Houston attorney Tony Buzbee on Tuesday afternoon announced plans to bring more than 100 lawsuits in multiple states on behalf of people claiming they were sexually abused or exploited by media mogul Sean Combs. None of … Continue reading

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Vote harvesting provision of omnibus voter suppression law SB1 blocked in federal court

Very timely, even if it took forever to get here. A federal judge ruled on Saturday that part of a Texas law that enacted new voting restrictions violated the U.S. Constitution by being too vague and restricting free speech. The ruling, made by … Continue reading

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Court reform has to be about more than just SCOTUS

Exhibit A. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton returned to court on Thursday to press his case against the Biden administration’s workforce protections for transgender employees. Texas’s lawsuit, filed in federal court on Thursday against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and … Continue reading

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PAC-12 sues Mountain West over exit fees

Realignment season keeps heating up. The Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West over what it calls an unlawful and unenforceable “poaching penalty” that would cost the rebuilding conference more than $40 million for adding Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State … Continue reading

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SCOTx rejects Paxton’s State Fair appeal

Game over, you lose. The Texas Supreme Court denied a request by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block a gun ban by the State Fair of Texas, meaning the fair will go forward this weekend with the gun ban … Continue reading

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Another immigration nonprofit sues Paxton

He just can’t quit harassing them. An El Paso nonprofit that provides legal services to immigrants and migrants has filed a lawsuit that attempts to block an investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has increasingly targeted groups on … Continue reading

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Cards Against Humanity against Elon Musk

We live in such strange times. The game company Cards Against Humanity is suing Elon Musk’s SpaceX for $15 million, accusing the corporation that launches rockets from Texas of illegally trespassing on South Texas land and destroying property. The lawsuit, … Continue reading

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One “Trump Train” defendant found liable

The rest were cleared. An Austin jury cleared all but one of six Donald Trump supporters who were accused of breaking federal law when they surrounded a Joe Biden campaign bus driving down a Texas highway days before the 2020 … Continue reading

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Appeals court rejects Paxton in State Fair gun case

Good. A Texas court of appeals has denied the request by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block a gun ban by the State Fair of Texas. The fair will go forward this weekend with the gun ban in place. … Continue reading

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Paxton appeals State Fair ruling

As expected. Days before the State Fair of Texas is set to begin, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is again seeking to block enforcement of the fair’s new policy banning most people from bringing guns to the fair this year. … Continue reading

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Jury deliberations begin in “Trump Train” lawsuit

Axiously awaiting a verdict. A jury in Texas began to deliberate Friday whether the so-called “Trump Train” that surrounded a Biden-Harris campaign bus days before the 2020 election in a heated highway encounter amounted to political intimidation. “This case is … Continue reading

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