Category Archives: Legal matters

New lawsuit filed to stop DFPS “investigation” of trans kids and their families

From the inbox: The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, and the ACLU of Texas, along with Texas-based law firm Baker Botts LLP, today filed a new lawsuit in Texas state court on behalf of PFLAG National and three Texas … Continue reading

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The NYT takes a closer look at the Deshaun Watson situation

It’s even worse than it looks. It is time, Watson and his representatives say, for everyone to move on. Yet a New York Times examination of records, including depositions and evidence for civil lawsuits as well as interviews of some … Continue reading

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Is he Elon Musk’s lawyer now?

Someone please explain this to me. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Monday he is investigating Twitter over its reporting of how many accounts on the platform are from bots and fake users, saying the company may be misrepresenting the … Continue reading

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Complaint #24 filed against Deshaun Watson

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. A 24th civil lawsuit was filed against former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on Monday, as Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee referenced last week. The lawsuit details another woman’s account of Watson’s alleged predatory behavior during massage therapy sessions, … Continue reading

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Radack drops his redistricting lawsuit

From the inbox: Former Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit he filed against Harris County Commissioners Court alleging Commissioners Court violated the Open Meetings Act during county redistricting. Below is a statement from Harris County Attorney Christian … Continue reading

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Get ready for the Uvalde gun lawsuits

We’ll see if they can get anywhere. A teacher at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde has filed paperwork indicating she intends to sue the gun manufacturer who made the assault-style rifle the gunman used to massacre 19 children and two teachers. Don Flanary, a lawyer … Continue reading

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Now I know the difference between those two Army Corps of Engineers lawsuits

Some good timing for me here. A federal appellate court on Thursday reversed an earlier decision that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was not to blame for flooding homes downstream of the Addicks and Barker reservoirs after Hurricane Harvey. The ruling brought new … Continue reading

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What does the Army Corps of Engineers owe reservoir flooding victims?

We’ll soon find out. Christina Micu sat on the witness stand and tearfully explained how she’d made a list of everything she lost when Hurricane Harvey flooded her four-bedroom home. Her son’s toys. Her kitchen stove. A rocking chair her … Continue reading

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Maybe this is finally the end of that zombie same sex employee lawsuit

I dream a dream. The Texas Supreme Court has declined to consider a challenge aimed at preventing the city of Houston from offering benefits to employees’ same-sex spouses. The ruling is the latest blow to two Houston residents’ prolonged fight … Continue reading

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23rd lawsuit filed against Deshaun Watson

That may not be the end as well. A 23rd lawsuit has been filed against former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. The latest suit, filed Tuesday by a massage therapist, says Watson sexually assaulted her during three sessions in 2020. The … Continue reading

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SCOTUS puts Texas’ stupid social media censorship law back on hold

Good. The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked a Texas law that prohibits large social media companies, such as Facebook or Twitter, from banning or removing users’ posts based on political viewpoints. The justices, in a 5-4 vote, granted NetChoice … Continue reading

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Watson accusers get their say

You can see them saying it. The $230 million contract the Cleveland Browns gave to former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was a “big screw you” to the 22 women who have accused him of sexual misconduct. After Houston traded Watson … Continue reading

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State Bar finally files that professional misconduct lawsuit against Paxton

We’ve been eagerly awaiting this. A disciplinary committee for the State Bar of Texas on Wednesday filed a professional misconduct lawsuit against Attorney General Ken Paxton for his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential elections in four … Continue reading

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Treatments for trans youth at Dallas hospital can continue until April

More good news. A Dallas County judge has granted a nearly one-year injunction against Children’s Medical Center Dallas that will allow doctors there to continue intake of transgender youth seeking certain medical treatments. Judge Melissa Bellan signed a temporary injunction … Continue reading

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Florida’s stupid social media censorship law knocked down by appeals court

With an opinion from a Trump judge, no less. A Florida law intended to punish social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment, a federal appeals court ruled Monday, dealing a major … Continue reading

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The coming fight over medical abortion

Sure is a good thing SCOTUS will leave this up to the states, isn’t it? Republican-led states are moving swiftly to restrict access to medication abortion. The efforts so far have focused on regulations around the pills, such as banning … Continue reading

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Paxton seeks to intervene in GENECIS case

This is what I was worried about. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants the state to intervene in a court battle over medical care for transgender youth at a Dallas hospital. Paxton filed a petition in a Dallas County court … Continue reading

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Debtors’ court, part 2

Also not good. One day last September, while trying to pay for groceries, Leslie Alvarez got the shock of her life. All the money in her bank account had disappeared. The Houston single mother called her bank. An employee told … Continue reading

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DFPS to resume investigating families of trans kids

Gross and discouraging. The state of Texas will restart its abuse investigations into families with transgender kids after a recent court ruling that lifted a statewide injunction on such probes. In a statement on Thursday, the Texas Department of Family … Continue reading

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State Bar complaint filed against Ted Cruz

Good. A group of lawyers want the State Bar of Texas to investigate Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz for his “leading” role in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Lawyers with the 65 Project, an organization aiming to … Continue reading

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Texas asks SCOTUS to not block its stupid social media law

As you’d expect. The Supreme Court should allow a sweeping Texas law to remain in effect that restricts the ability of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to moderate their platforms, according to the state’s attorney general. In a filing to the Court … Continue reading

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SCOTUS asked to again block that stupid social media censorship law

Please save us from the lawless Fifth Circuit. Having to make such an ask of this SCOTUS sure is a jaw-grinding experience. Lobbying groups representing Facebook, Twitter, Google and other tech companies filed an emergency request with the U.S. Supreme … Continue reading

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Dallas gender affirming care unit can reopen

Some good news for transgender kids and their families. A Dallas-based program that offers mental health services and hormone treatments to transgender children may resume the therapy for new patients for the first time since November, after a judge on … Continue reading

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SCOTx ponders the questions the Fifth Circuit asked it about SB1

Seems like there’s not that much in dispute, but there’s always something. Texas Supreme Court justices questioned during oral argument if they should answer certified questions from a federal appeals court about challenges to an election law that created penalties … Continue reading

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SCOTx issues mixed ruling on transgender child abuse investigations injunction

We’ll just have to see what happens next. Texas’ child welfare agency remains blocked from investigating the family of a transgender teen that sued the state in March, but can once again investigate other families that provide gender-affirming care after … Continue reading

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That stupid social media censorship law has been unblocked

The Fifth Circuit continues to debase itself. A federal appeals court on Wednesday reinstated a Republican-backed Texas law that prohibits large social media companies from banning users over their political viewpoints. The decision hands a win to Republicans who have … Continue reading

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The injury totals from AstroWorld

A lot of people were seriously hurt at that event. More than 700 people were seriously injured during November’s Astroworld Festival tragedy, according to new court documents filed in Harris County this week. Plaintiffs attorneys Jason Atkin, Richard Mithoff and … Continue reading

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Two judges sanctioned by Judicial Conduct Commission

Not a good look, and really bad timing for one of them. A pair of Harris County civil court judges have been sanctioned for behavior in their courtrooms, with one judge allowing the shackling of attorneys and another erupting into … Continue reading

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More State Bar disciplinary stuff

A new twist, as a new player enters the picture. The Texas State Bar has filed a suit in Williamson County district court against First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster for his involvement in the state’s lawsuit seeking to overturn … Continue reading

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Federal lawsuit filed over Abbott’s border arrest fiasco

Meant to post this last week. Three private defense attorneys, representing 15 migrant men arrested under Gov. Greg Abbott’s border operation, have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to end the governor’s policy of arresting migrants on criminal trespass charges, which … Continue reading

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Paxton whines about the disciplinary process he selected

My head hurts. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the state’s top lawyer, said Friday the state bar was suing him for professional misconduct related to his lawsuit challenging the 2020 presidential election. “I have recently learned that the Texas State … Continue reading

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Abbott sees another opportunity to hurt children

He is definitely making this a habit. Gov. Greg Abbott wants to “resurrect” a court challenge over a 1975 Texas law withholding state funds from school districts for kids who were not “legally admitted” into the United States. That law … Continue reading

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Ken Paxton totally lied about gender affirming care

I know, I’m as shocked as you are. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton relied on false claims, exaggerations and errors to conclude that gender-affirming medical care constitutes child abuse, a report by university-level medical experts has concluded. Paxton’s legal opinion … Continue reading

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I’m just going to say this one thing about the pending evisceration of abortion rights

Chris Tomlinson gets at the issue but doesn’t take it all the way. The Supreme Court’s apparent decision to allow state lawmakers to make women’s health care choices puts chief executives in a tough spot, forcing them to choose between their employees’ rights … Continue reading

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