Category Archives: Legal matters

Same sex marriage will have to wait for the Fifth Circuit

Posted on December 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. A federal judge has refused to permit immediate same-sex marriages in Texas, saying he expects they will be allowed some day but he doesn’t want to act precipitously. U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia on Friday rebuffed a request by … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Same sex marriage will have to wait for the Fifth Circuit

Lawsuit filed against Comcast over residential WiFi hotspots

Posted on December 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. Two San Francisco-area residents are suing Comcast for plugging their home’s wireless router into what they call a power-wasting, Internet-clogging, privacy threatening network of public WiFi hot spots. The class-action lawsuit, filed last week in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lawsuit filed against Comcast over residential WiFi hotspots

Microbreweries file lawsuit over distribution rights

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Three Texas breweries filed a lawsuit against the state on Wednesday seeking to to overturn a 2013 law they say violates the Texas Constitution by forcing them to give away their territorial distribution rights for free. In their complaint, … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food, Legal matters, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Microbreweries file lawsuit over distribution rights

Hempstead landfill trial update

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s complicated. For many in the courtroom, a judge’s promise Friday that the Waller County landfill trial would conclude “before Santa Claus comes” was welcome news. Earlier in the week, they had lamented the possibility that the trial – one … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Hempstead landfill trial update

Everyone wants to get in on the fracking fight

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Come on in. National environmental groups joined forces with grassroots activists in Denton on Thursday, seeking to defend in court the first municipal fracking ban adopted in Texas. The Denton Drilling Awareness Group, a citizens group that fought to put … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Everyone wants to get in on the fracking fight

Abbott files his suit

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Leading a 17-state charge up a steep legal hill, Attorney General and soon-to-be-Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Obama administration’s moves to expand legal protections for undocumented immigrants. The lawsuit, the 31st Abbott has … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbott files his suit

What will the clerks do?

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some of Texas’ county clerks are making plans to accommodate same-sex marriage license applicants in the event that federal judge Orlando Garcia lifts the stay on his ruling that tossed out the state’s ban on same-sex nuptials. Some other clerks … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What will the clerks do?

Denton responds to fracking ban lawsuit

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Game on. One day before its first-in-Texas ban on hydraulic fracturing is set to take effect, Denton called the oil and gas extraction technique a “public nuisance” that the North Texas town has the right to regulate. “Those activities have … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Denton responds to fracking ban lawsuit

Voter ID plaintiffs want Fith Circuit to get on with it

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some more unfinished business for the courts. Some plaintiffs challenging Texas’ voter ID law want a federal appeals court to speed up its consideration of the case, looking to sort it out before the next wave of elections in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Voter ID plaintiffs want Fith Circuit to get on with it

Hempstead landfill fight goes to court

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

An update on a story I’ve been following for a few years. For the last two years, Waller County and the city of Hempstead have been pitted against each other in a high-profile legal battle over a proposed landfill in … Continue reading →

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

Abbott responds to motion to lift same-sex marriage ruling

Posted on November 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

He’s against it. Try not to be surprised. Texas officials want a federal judge to uphold the state’s same-sex marriage ban, calling a request by gay couples to be allowed to immediately marry “untimely” and “out of order.” “The plaintiffs … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbott responds to motion to lift same-sex marriage ruling

Bell fundraising lawsuit to be heard in January

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A busy legal calendar just got a little fuller. A judge in January will hear likely mayoral candidate Chris Bell’s request to block Sylvester Turner’s plan to transfer money from his officeholder account to his mayoral account when the fundraising … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bell fundraising lawsuit to be heard in January

Fifth Circuit sets their schedule

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments about the constitutionality of Texas’ tough new abortion restrictions on Jan. 7. The law passed in 2013, known as House Bill 2, banned abortions after 20 weeks … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fifth Circuit sets their schedule

Texas same-sex marriage plaintiffs ask for stay to be lifted

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I wish them luck. Two same-sex couples have asked U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia of San Antonio to allow gay marriages to begin taking place immediately in Texas. On Monday, couples Mark Phariss and Victor Holmes of Plano and Nicole … Continue reading →

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

Supreme Court re-upholds strip club tax

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Technically, they declined to re-review it, but practically speaking I figure it’ll amount to the same thing. The Texas Supreme Court on Friday declined to review whether a $5-per-patron fee at live nude entertainment clubs is an occupation tax in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Supreme Court re-upholds strip club tax

Yet another lawsuit against Texas’ ban on same sex marriage

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

And then there were ten. Texas now has at least 10 pending lawsuits challenging the state’s bans on same-sex marriage — believed to be the most of any state. An Austin lesbian widow is the latest to challenge the marriage … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Yet another lawsuit against Texas’ ban on same sex marriage

Lawsuit filed over Pasadena Council districts

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. For 41 years, Alberto Patiño has lived in Pasadena and seen a lot of changes there. Now Hispanics like him make up more than 60 percent of residents and about 40 percent of eligible voters. Patiño wants that reflected … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lawsuit filed over Pasadena Council districts

Lawsuit filed over Houston campaign blackout rules

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Late Tuesday afternoon, Houston City Council candidate Trebor Gordon filed a First Amendment lawsuit challenging a discriminatory Houston ordinance that prevents city candidates from fundraising until February. Gordon is a conservative candidate for Houston City Council at … Continue reading →

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

Fifth Circuit to hear HB2 appeal in January

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Gird your loins. A federal appeals court has scheduled oral arguments about the constitutionality of Texas’ tough new abortion law for the first week of January, setting up a rapid timeline that may accelerate the case’s expected trip to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fifth Circuit to hear HB2 appeal in January

Sixth Circuit stands up for inequality

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It was bound to happen eventually. Remember the big no-decision decision the Supreme Court issued on same-sex marriage just a month ago? The justices were asked — in five separate cases no less — to weigh in on whether same-sex … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sixth Circuit stands up for inequality

Woodfill gets another injunction

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

WTF? A state district judge on Wednesday ordered the city of Houston to stop offering health and life insurance benefits to the same-sex spouses of married employees, but city attorneys say they plan an immediate appeal that, once filed, could … Continue reading →

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

Jared Woodfill sues again

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Dude is obsessed. Former Harris County GOP Chair Jared Woodfill isn’t giving up on his fight to block the city of Houston from providing benefits to the same-sex spouses of employees. After Mayor Annise Parker extended benefits to same-sex spouses … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Jared Woodfill sues again

Another HCC lawsuit

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Hard to keep track of them all. The former top attorney and acting chancellor of Houston Community College filed a lawsuit Monday alleging she was fired because she told the FBI of her suspicions that board members sought to use … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another HCC lawsuit

The Fifth Circuit is in no hurry to rule on same sex marriage

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Such a show of courage on their part. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals tentatively has scheduled oral arguments in the Texas and Louisiana gay marriage cases for early January, disappointing local advocates and possibly delaying until 2016 a hearing … Continue reading →

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

The larger issue on voter ID

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib reminds us that there are bigger questions that remain to be answered in the voter ID litigation. The litigation on the state’s voting district maps for legislative and congressional elections is still underway, and the treatment of minority … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The larger issue on voter ID

What they didn’t tell us about voter ID

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Republicans knew fully well that their voter ID bill would disenfranchise a lot of people. They just didn’t care. Republican state officials working to pass a voter photo ID law in 2011 knew that more than 500,000 of the state’s … Continue reading →

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

It shouldn’t be this hard to get a driver’s license

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

And for most people it isn’t that hard. But for some people, it is. Daniela Parker has two mothers, a circumstance that turned a typically routine matter – scheduling a road test for a Texas driver’s license – into a … Continue reading →

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

Suing for same-sex death benefits

Posted on October 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Married people receive death benefits when their spouses die. Unless your marriage isn’t recognized as legal by the state you live in. That’s the basis of this lawsuit. An Austin woman filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday seeking to halt the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Suing for same-sex death benefits

Abbott’s actions in the Hecht ethics case belie his “just doing my job” evasion

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

More accurately, it’s his lack of action that speaks clearly about his priorities and discretion. Attorney General Greg Abbott, accused of favoritism in his handling of an ethics case involving a Texas Supreme Court justice, says it’s not his duty … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbott’s actions in the Hecht ethics case belie his “just doing my job” evasion

On Greg Abbott and who gets to get married

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As you may have heard, Peggy Fikac got to ask Greg Abbott the obvious question about how exactly the state’s law against same-sex marriage, which Abbott is diligently defending in court, differs from the old laws that once banned interracial … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On Greg Abbott and who gets to get married

SCOTUS declines to intervene on voter ID

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate. The Supreme Court said Saturday that Texas can use its controversial new voter identification law for the November election. A majority of the justices rejected an emergency request from the Justice Department and civil rights groups to prohibit the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SCOTUS declines to intervene on voter ID

City files amended petitions

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: As follow up to a promise made earlier in the week, the City of Houston has revised its subpoenas in the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) repeal petition case. The disputed request has been narrowed to focus … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on City files amended petitions

TPJ files suit against Abbott over Hecht ethics case

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. An Austin legal watchdog group filed suit Wednesday to force action on a $29,000 ethics fine, levied against Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht in 2008, that has languished on appeal for 5½ years. The … Continue reading →

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

Voter ID plaintiffs turn to SCOTUS

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Last train, y’all. Texas plaintiffs on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block the state’s voter photo ID law in November’s election. “The facts of this case, including record evidence, show that significantly more voter confusion will result from … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Voter ID plaintiffs turn to SCOTUS