Constitutional Challenge, Declaratory Judgments, Litigation, Procedure, Takings

The plaintiff failed to show that damages were insufficient in a condemnation case where there was sufficient evidence supporting the judgment of the trial court.  

  Special contributing author Laura Mueller, City Attorney for Dripping Springs Castellanos v. Harris County, Texas and City of Baytown, Texas., No. 01-20-00414-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Oct 7, 2021) (mem. op.). In this appeal from a trial court’s judgment in a
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Constitutional Challenge, Declaratory Judgments, Voting Rights

A charter election proposition that receives more votes than a second charter proposition on the same ballot can invalidate a second charter proposition if proper notice is given. 

Special contributing author Laura Mueller, City Attorney for Dripping Springs Hotze v. Sylvestor Turner, Mayor  and City of Houston, Texas., No. 14-19-00959-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Oct 12, 2021). In this appeal from a trial court’s summary judgment in favor of the
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Discrimination, Employment Law, Litigation, Procedure

Tyler Court of Appeals holds EEOC complainant’s deadline to file suit begins to run when his complaint is received by the EEOC, not when the appeal is perfected

  Gunter P. Coffey v. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 12-21-00015-CV, (Tex. App – Tyler, Oct. 6, 2021) This is an employment discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation claim in which the Tyler Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s order granting
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Constitutional Challenge, Declaratory Judgments, Litigation

U.S. Fifth Circuit holds standing for First Amendment violation can be shown through chilled speech without the need for actual arrest or citation.

    Special contributing author Laura Mueller, City Attorney for Dripping Springs Anthony Barilla v. City of Houston, Tex., No. 20-20535 (5th Cir. Sept. 10, 2021). In this appeal for dismissal for lack of standing by the district court, the U.S. Fifth
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Constitutional Challenge, Declaratory Judgments, Injunction, Litigation, Procedure, Sign Regulation, Sovereign Immunity, Structural Standards

Tyler Court of Appeals holds a motion for new trial did not extend the time to perfect an accelerated appeal

SignAd, Ltd. V. The City of Hudson, 12-21-00056-CV, (Tex. App – Tyler, Sept. 15, 2021) This case is mainly procedural, and the Tyler Court of Appeals held SignAd failed to timely file its notice of appeal, either as an interlocutory appeal or
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Constitutional Challenge, Declaratory Judgments, Finance, Injunction, Litigation, Procedure, Sovereign Immunity, Tax, TOMA

13th Court of Appeals holds City sufficiently complied with TOMA and Tax Code in 2019 when it adopted its annual tax rate

Leftwich v City of Harlingen, 13-20-00110-CV (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi, Sep. 9, 2021). This is a declaratory judgment suit to declare the city violated procedural requirements when it adopted its tax rate in 2019. The Thirteenth Court of Appeals held no
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Litigation, Procedure, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

Trial court’s granting of City’s plea to the jurisdiction considered void because it should have issued its order in the separate case created by the plaintiff’s bill of review

 Clayton Richter, Dorothy Richter, and Jonathan Richter v. City of Waelder, Texas,13-20-00494-CV and 13-20-00495-CV, (Tex. App – Corpus Christi – Edinburg, August 12, 2021) This is a flooding case, but the opinion focused entirely on procedural problems where the Corpus Christi Court
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