Category Archives: Legal matters

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

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

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 →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Providers’ federal lawsuit against SB8 is officially buried

Posted on May 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From last week. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ended a legal challenge to Texas’ nearly total ban on abortion brought by providers across the state, closing out a contentious court battle that reached the U.S. Supreme … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Debtors’ court

Posted on May 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is not good. In this court and others in Bexar County, debt collection lawsuits more than doubled from 2012 to 2020. “I’m trying to manage this behemoth, but there are some guidelines I have to follow as well,” said … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Debtors’ court

A roundup of border and lawsuit stories

Posted on April 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Too much news, not enough time… New federal lawsuit seeks to halt Texas’ border trespassing arrests, give more than $5 million to illegally detained migrants. In a new challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott’s controversial border security crackdown, a lawsuit filed … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The “That’s right, you’re not from Texas” legal gambit

Posted on April 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Tony Buzbee, y’all. The legal trouble that Deshaun Watson is facing in Houston already is threatening to get in the way of his new job in Cleveland. Lawyers for the 22 women who are suing Watson last week filed a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The “That’s right, you’re not from Texas” legal gambit

We finally see that Manfred letter to the Yankees

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron headline is blaring, but I kind of think we already knew most of this stuff. Major League Baseball fined the New York Yankees $100,000 in 2017 for using their replay room and dugout phone to steal their opponent’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We finally see that Manfred letter to the Yankees

Abbott and Patrick ask SCOTx to take up Paxton’s whistleblower appeal

Posted on April 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

They sort of have a point, but they should still butt out. Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Monday urged the Supreme Court of Texas to take up Attorney General Ken Paxton’s appeal to throw out a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbott and Patrick ask SCOTx to take up Paxton’s whistleblower appeal

Looks like Texas didn’t even have to sue to keep Title 42 from ending

Posted on April 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A different Trump judge already put it in the bag for them. A federal judge in Louisiana plans to temporarily block the Biden administration from ending Title 42, a pandemic-era health order used by federal immigration officials to expel migrants, … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Looks like Texas didn’t even have to sue to keep Title 42 from ending

Lawsuit filed over Llano County libraries

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is going to be something to watch. Seven Llano County residents filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the county judge, commissioners, library board members and library systems director for restricting and banning books from its three-branch public library system. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Texas sues to stop the end of Title 42

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Just another day at the office of destruction for Ken Paxton. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Friday to halt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from lifting Title 42, a pandemic-era … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

New bail bond rules survive initial court challenge

Posted on April 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

There are a couple of stories all rolled into this, so my apologies for any confusion. A ruling by a Harris County judge Friday will allow a recently-approved policy requiring bail bond agents to charge some defendants a 10 percent … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on New bail bond rules survive initial court challenge

Courts keep turning the Yankees down

Posted on April 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Time to give up and move on, y’all. The New York Yankees keep taking losses in court. A federal appeals court has denied the team’s latest attempt to keep a 2017 letter from Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred detailing … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Biden administration to appeal airplane mask mandate order

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration said on Tuesday it would appeal a judge’s ruling ending a mask mandate on airplanes if public health officials deem it necessary to stem the spread of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Biden administration to appeal airplane mask mandate order

Wendy Davis sues over SB8

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Former Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis, best known for her 13-hour filibuster of a 2013 abortion bill, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Texas’ recent abortion law. The suit claims the law is “blatantly unconstitutional” and written to “make … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Paxton threatens HISD over its COVID sick leave policy

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We live in such stupid times. Attorney General Ken Paxton and Republicans in the Legislature are taking aim at Houston ISD, arguing that the district’s COVID sick day policy violates state law. This academic year, Houston ISD is offering 10 … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Second lawsuit filed over Galveston redistricting

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Similar grounds, different plaintiffs. A coalition of civil rights groups in Texas filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Galveston County, alleging that the county’s redistricting plan intentionally discriminates against a growing minority population in the Gulf Coast community. The complaint, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Second lawsuit filed over Galveston redistricting

Trump judge tosses longstanding law allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Crappy ruling from an activist judge. A federal judge has ruled that the University of North Texas can’t charge out-of-state American students higher tuition than undocumented Texans who qualify for lower in-state tuition under a 2001 Texas law. UNT lawyers … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Trump judge tosses longstanding law allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students

Texans added to Brian Flores’ discrimination suit against the NFL

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Of note. Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores amended his class action racial discrimination lawsuit Thursday to include allegations that the Texans retaliated against him by removing him from consideration for their head coach vacancy because he sued the NFL and … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texans added to Brian Flores’ discrimination suit against the NFL

Deshaun Watson must disclose whether he had sex with 18 massage therapists

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a headline for you. NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson now will have to answer whether he had sex with 18 additional therapists who came to his defense about his massage habits last year, according to a ruling Tuesday by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Deshaun Watson must disclose whether he had sex with 18 massage therapists

The dark side of redistricting litigation

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The state of Texas is taking a big swing in defense of its gerrymanders, and if they connect it’s going to be devastating. Beyond the immediate legal fight over whether Texas lawmakers again discriminated against voters of color when drawing … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Paxton accused of creating a hostile workplace for LGBTQ employees at the AG’s office

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

. However, the portion of the letter that detailed the lawyer’s allegations of political taint was redacted by the AG’s office, which provided the letter to us under the Public Information Act. We still hope to see that. — Chuck … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Texas drone law ruled unconstitutional

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I love coming across a story like this and then realizing it’s an update to something I had blogged about a couple of years ago. A Texas law that limits the use of remotely piloted drones to capture images is … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Yankees still fighting to keep that MLB letter under wraps

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, it can’t hurt to ask. The New York Yankees plan to continue to fight the unsealing of a letter from MLB detailing alleged sign-stealing by the organization. The Athletic, citing a source with knowledge of the team’s plans, reported … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Yankees still fighting to keep that MLB letter under wraps

SCOTx declines to save Chick-fil-A

Posted on April 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

But they didn’t kill off the possibility of it being saved, either. Conservative activists suing the City of San Antonio alleging it violated the Texas “Save Chick-fil-a” law have not presented evidence of a violation, the Texas State Supreme Court … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More on the oligarch suing Beto

Posted on April 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From the Observer; I’m picking it up after the initial statements by Beto that got Kelcy Warren’s undies in such a wad: Free-speech advocates and many legal scholars have long decried these sort frivolous lawsuits—known as SLAPPs, or Strategic Lawsuits … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Abortion funds accuse Briscoe Cain of defamation

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be fun. Earlier this month, Republican Texas House lawmaker Briscoe Cain sent Texas abortion funds cease-and-desist letters, threatening the funds, their donors and volunteers with criminal prosecution unless they stopped helping fund abortions in Texas. Now, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Judge rules against Prairie View students in 2018 voting rights case

Posted on March 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

There was a lot of legal activity last week, so it took me a minute to get to this story. A federal judge ruled Thursday that Waller County did not discriminate against student voters at Prairie View A&M University during … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Judge rules against Prairie View students in 2018 voting rights case

Paxton “investigating” pharmaceuticals over puberty blockers

Posted on March 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Also from last week, I don’t know if this is something to worry about or just blowing smoke. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating two pharmaceutical companies — Endo Pharmaceuticals and AbbVie Inc. — for allegedly advertising puberty blockers … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Paxton “investigating” pharmaceuticals over puberty blockers

SCOTUS unanimously rejects Dave Wilson

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Poor baby. The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against former Houston Community College trustee Dave Wilson, finding that he didn’t have an actionable First Amendment claim after suing his colleagues for verbally censuring him in 2018. In a 9-0 … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on SCOTUS unanimously rejects Dave Wilson

Divorce granted in common-law same-sex marriage case

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good result. On March 24, a San Antonio jury returned a verdict in favor of Christopher Hoffman, a gay man who sought to prove a common law marriage existed since 1996 with his former partner, Moises Ortiz. The decision clears … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Divorce granted in common-law same-sex marriage case

First “Trump Train” lawsuit to proceed

Posted on March 26, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Today, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas ruled in favor of plaintiffs in Cervini v. Cisneros, the “Texas Trump Train” lawsuit filed against individuals in a convoy of Trump supporters who conspired to mount … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Justice Department sues over Galveston County Commissioners Court map

Posted on March 26, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good, but remember how the federal courts are these days before getting too optimistic. The Department of Justice on Thursday sued Galveston County over its new redistricting map, accusing Republican county officials of violating the Voting Rights Act last year … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Justice Department sues over Galveston County Commissioners Court map

Paxton appeals to SCOTx to re-allow investigations of trans kids’ families

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he did. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked the state Supreme Court to intervene to allow child abuse investigations into parents of transgender children. His request comes just days after a Texas appeals court reinstated a temporary injunction blocking the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Paxton appeals to SCOTx to re-allow investigations of trans kids’ families

More on the abortion funds’ lawsuits

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good overview in the WaPo. The Texas law has so far withstood multiple court challenges by employing a highly controversial legal strategy: empowering private citizens to sue anyone who helps facilitate an abortion after the legal limit. Abortion rights advocates … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments