The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
After several Harris County polling places opened late, a state district judge ordered voting locations there to stay open until 8 p.m. But the state’s highest civil court blocked that ruling. Full Story
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Suzanne Jones is the second professor to settle with the North Texas college over accusations that the school fired her over protected speech in which administrators disagreed. Full Story
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Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office announced that the state is signing on to the $5 billion proposed settlement but hasn’t yet disclosed how its share of the money would be spent if the deal is finalized. Full Story
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Several new studies show that not everyone denied access to abortions in Texas can travel out of state, but more people than ever before are seeking ways to self-manage abortions with medication at home. Full Story
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The high court heard oral arguments Monday in two cases brought by a group led by the same man who previously lost an affirmative action case against the University of Texas at Austin. Full Story
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The ruling came after the conservative voting organization’s leaders failed to provide specifics about the alleged evidence they’ve used to target election vendor Konnech. True the Vote has made vaguely defined accusations about the company for months. Full Story
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Since 2007, Hillcrest residents have sued to challenge plans for a sewage treatment plant in their neighborhood, and then bridge construction. Full Story
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Ron Wilson, a Democrat who served as state representative between 1977 and 2004, pleads guilty to one count of tax evasion after trying to hide some of his income and failing to pay taxes over two decades. Full Story
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Several abortion funds have sued anti-abortion activist Mark Lee Dickson, who called them “criminal organizations,” for defamation. Full Story
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The nine-member Texas Supreme Court has the power to make sweeping decisions that interpret the meaning of the state’s constitution, impacting the lives of Texans across the state. Three seats are on the ballot this year. Full Story
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Attorney General Ken Paxton pursued charges against Rogers, who was on parole when he voted in the 2020 primary election. But a judge tossed the case after a higher court said Paxton can’t unilaterally prosecute election crimes. Full Story
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Residential treatment centers are meant to be a last resort for children in the state’s care, reserved for those with histories of severe trauma caused by neglect or abuse. Full Story
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The state is looking at whether FTX is selling unregistered securities to Texans. The firm’s CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, is a major donor to Beto O’Rourke’s campaign. Full Story
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The award is the largest the Texas conspiracy theorist has been ordered to pay as part of three defamation lawsuits against him for falsely claiming that the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, was a hoax. Full Story
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Thomas’ attorneys appealed saying that some members of the jury that sentenced him had expressed racist views. In their dissent, the court’s three liberal justices wrote that Thomas’ conviction and death sentence were unconstitutional. Full Story
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Mistakes and backbiting have engulfed the El Paso County district attorney’s office. Some question whether she is competent to handle one of the most high-profile death penalty cases in recent Texas history. Full Story
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The Texas nonprofit has spread voter fraud conspiracy theories for years. Konnech Inc. accuses the organization of defamation and computer fraud in a lawsuit. Full Story
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Watchdog groups fear the film will fuel chaos in the upcoming midterm elections and could be a pretext for more restrictive voting laws in the future. Full Story
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Among other issues, the court will consider whether a law that updated the education code last year has any bearing on TEA Commissioner Mike Morath’s attempt to replace HISD’s board members over low academic scores. Full Story
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Ruling in a suit brought by Texas, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk vacated guidance on gender-affirming care for children and pronouns, dress and bathroom protections for LGBTQ workers. Full Story
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