Category Archives: Legal matters

Another way Ken Paxton is costing you money

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He’s something else, this guy. Texas may pay tens of millions of dollars to outside attorneys hired to handle a major lawsuit against Google — money the state did not plan to spend before a scandal enveloped Texas Attorney General … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit bats aside Gohmert appeal

Posted on January 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering… . The Fifth Circuit cuts everything short on the stupid Gohmert suit with these brutal disposition. A very conservative panel btw. — Raffi Melkonian (@RMFifthCircuit) 07:32 PM – 02 January 2021 . I’m sitting here … Continue reading →

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Gohmert lawsuit tossed

Posted on January 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. A judge dismissed a lawsuit from Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, that was aimed at Vice President Mike Pence, seeking to put the authority to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s election win in the vice president’s hands. U.S. District Court … Continue reading →

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Pence asks for deranged Gohmert lawsuit to be dismissed

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Vice President Mike Pence has asked a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit brought against him by Republicans seeking to empower him to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The suit, brought by Rep. … Continue reading →

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TEA still barred from taking over HISD

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Still in a state of limbo. Texas is still temporarily barred from taking over Houston Independent School District, a state appellate court ruled Wednesday, upholding a lower court’s order. In a 2-1 ruling, the Texas Third Court of Appeals upheld … Continue reading →

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Okay, so *this* is the last pointless gesture

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

You can always count on Louie Gohmert to find the stupidest thing possible to do. Vice President Pence was sued Sunday by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and several other Republicans in a far-fetched bid that appeared aimed at overturning President-elect … Continue reading →

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Ken Paxton’s attempted jihad against Harris County

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Attorney General Ken Paxton tried to get the Trump administration to revoke millions in federal COVID relief funding that Harris County budgeted for expanding mail-in voting earlier this year, newly revealed records show. Paxton wrote in a May 21 … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS mostly punts on Census apportionment shenanigans

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

They seem to be hoping that the problem will solve itself, while applying a partisan litmus test to when it is appropriate for them to step in. The Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to Donald Trump’s final sabotage of the … Continue reading →

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TDP asks SCOTUS to review age discrimination claim in mail voting

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, the Texas Democratic Party and voters filed their final brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking its review of the case filed last Spring which challenged the constitutionality of Texas’s law that limits voting by mail, … Continue reading →

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Can Ken Paxton be sanctioned for his seditious lawsuit?

Posted on December 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

One group is going to try. I wish them luck. A national lawyers group on Monday called for professional licensing bodies to investigate what it called a “breach of ethical rules” by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and 17 of … Continue reading →

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Paxton denies whistleblower allegations

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty standard response. The Texas attorney general’s office will pay outside counsel $540 an hour to defend the state agency against accusations that it was retaliating against top aides when it fired them just weeks after they reported their boss, … Continue reading →

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Now we wait on SCOTUS

Posted on December 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The state of Texas filed its reply to the defendants’ responses to its democracy–killing lawsuit, and, well, it’s something. This brings us the Texas AG Ken Paxton’s reply–or, rather, replies, as there are multiple filings, including a motion to enlarge … Continue reading →

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The states respond to Paxton

Posted on December 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Now we wait for SCOTUS. I sure hope they’re quick about it. Each of the four battleground states targeted by a Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn President Donald Trump’s election defeat issued blistering briefs at the Supreme Court on Thursday, with … Continue reading →

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We still have to talk about Paxton’s ridiculous and anti-democratic lawsuit

Posted on December 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

At least for one more day. President Donald Trump on Wednesday latched on to a longshot Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn a presidential election that handed the White House to Joe Biden. Legal experts say Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s … Continue reading →

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Ken Paxton sues other states to overturn their election results

Posted on December 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s as stupid and pernicious as it sounds. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing four battleground states — Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — whose election results handed the White House to President-elect Joe Biden. In the suit, he … Continue reading →

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Birds of a feather

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Sweet. A pro-Trump group that promised to challenge the Nov. 3 election results and expose fraud was sued by a North Carolina money manager who donated $2.5 million to the cause but says he didn’t get his money’s worth. Fred … Continue reading →

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No Walmart liquor stores

Posted on November 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Some non-election litigation news of interest. Texans still won’t be able to purchase liquor at Walmart, after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid by the retail giant that would have allowed the booze to be sold at stores in … Continue reading →

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Felony bail reform lawsuit moves forward

Posted on November 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Pending the next appeal, anyway. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the case challenging Harris County’s felony bail system should proceed to trial. Nineteen felony judges represented by state Attorney General Ken Paxton immediately gave notice they planned to appeal … Continue reading →

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More on the Luhnow lawsuit

Posted on November 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Because I now have the brain space to think about stuff like this again. While baseball fans and courtroom voyeurs might long for a public legal showdown between Astros owner Jim Crane and former general manager Jeff Luhnow, attorneys say … Continue reading →

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Luhnow sues Astros

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be entertaining. Jeff Luhnow sued the Houston Astros for breach of contract on Sunday, alleging that Astros owner Jim Crane and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred negotiated penalties for the sign-stealing scandal that enabled the team … Continue reading →

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Federal judge denies Hotze petition

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully, this will be the end of this particular nonsense. A federal judge Monday rejected a request by a conservative activist and three Republican candidates to toss out nearly 127,000 votes cast at drive-thru polling sites in Texas’ most populous, … Continue reading →

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SCOTX rejects Hotze petition to throw out drive through votes

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

One piece of good news. A legal cloud hanging over nearly 127,000 votes already cast in Harris County was at least temporarily lifted Sunday when the Texas Supreme Court rejected a request by several conservative Republican activists and candidates to … Continue reading →

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Astros ticketholder lawsuit update

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I share because I care. The Astros have asked the state 14th Court of Appeals to dismiss a consolidated lawsuit filed by three groups of disgruntled ticketholders, repeating many of the same arguments in favor of dismissal that they presented … Continue reading →

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Hotze and Woodfill take their fight against drive-thru voting to federal court

Posted on November 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just another quiet Saturday… . Judge Hanen has already scheduled an emergency hearing for Monday morning—without even giving Harris County a chance to file a response brief. This, too, is extremely concerning. It looks like he may be rushing to … Continue reading →

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There’s still a lot of work to be done to make it easier to vote

Posted on November 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The ease of access for disabled voters is still a huge unaddressed issue. Val Vera finally cast his ballot after sitting for two hours in his van outside a Denton County polling place. He wasn’t waiting on people in line … Continue reading →

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Paxton trial move back to Collin County on hold

Posted on November 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Delay is the natural state of being in this saga. I don’t know why we’d ever expect anything else. A Houston appeals court has pressed pause on a ruling that would have allowed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to stand … Continue reading →

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One last, desperate attempt to kill drive-though voting

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

These guys really suck. Not much more can be said. A new challenge to Harris County’s drive-thru voting sites, filed by two GOP candidates and a Republican member of the Texas House, asks the state Supreme Court to void ballots … Continue reading →

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SCOTX upholds Abbott’s limit on mail ballot dropoff locations

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m shocked, I tell you, shocked. In what’s expected to be the final ruling on the matter, the Texas Supreme Court has upheld Gov. Greg Abbott’s order limiting Texas counties to only one drop-off location for voters to hand deliver … Continue reading →

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Try not to get sick before Election Day

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

If you suffer a late illness that prevents you from getting to a polling place, you will need a doctor’s note to get an absentee ballot. Texas voters who get sick shortly before Election Day and can’t go to the … Continue reading →

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SCOTX reinstates Abbott’s mail ballot dropoff location limit

Posted on October 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

They can move fast when they want to, that’s for sure. Gov. Greg Abbott’s controversial order to limit Texas counties to one mail-ballot drop-off site was allowed to remain in effect Saturday by the Texas Supreme Court. The court blocked … Continue reading →

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Abbott’s order limiting mail ballot dropoff sites blocked again

Posted on October 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

But that’s not the end of the story, so hang on. A Texas appellate court on Friday stepped in to block Gov. Greg Abbott’s order limiting counties to just one mail-ballot dropoff site, but Harris County officials said they will … Continue reading →

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Judge sends Paxton case back to Collin County

Posted on October 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Pending appeal, of course. A Harris County judge on Friday moved Attorney General Ken Paxton’s criminal case to Collin County, handing Paxton a major win by placing the case in his hometown, where legal experts say he’s more likely to … Continue reading →

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SCOTX rejects challenges to drive-through voting

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Halle-fricking-lujah. Voters in the state’s most populous county can continue casting their ballots for the fall election at 10 drive-thru polling places after the Texas Supreme Court Thursday rejected a last-minute challenge by the Texas and Harris County Republican parties, … Continue reading →

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Hollins calls on Secretary of State to defend drive through voting

Posted on October 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins is seeking assurance from Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs that her office is “committed to defending the votes” cast at the county’s drive-thru voting sites, the subject of two lawsuits currently before the … Continue reading →

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