Agency, Constitutional Challenge, Mandamus, Sec. 1983, Sovereign Immunity, Uncategorized

Texas Supreme Court holds wrongfully imprisoned man could not bring federal claims after accepting Tim Cole Act funds from Comptroller

Brown v City of Houston, et al., 22-0256 (Tex, February 3, 2023) In response to a U.S. 5th Circuit certified question, the Texas Supreme Court held that under Texas law, a person wrongfully imprisoned cannot maintain a claim if the person receives
Read More

Agency, Declaratory Judgments, Injunction, Litigation, Procedure, Sovereign Immunity

Amarillo Court of Appeals holds AG had no jurisdiction to enforce specific gun sign against county

Waller County, Texas, et al. v. Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General (Tex. App. — Amarillo, August 17, 2022) Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, sued Waller County in 2016 asserting that the County was unlawfully attempting to prohibit licensed handgun owners carrying
Read More

Agency, Civil Service/Collective Bargaining, Declaratory Judgments, Employment Law, Litigation, Procedure

Fort Worth Court of Appeals affirms trial court’s authority under Civil Service Act to vacate a hearing examiner award, remand for a rehearing, and require a separate hearing examiner

Shea O’Neill v. City of Fort Worth, 02-21-00214-CV (Tex. App. – Fort Worth, Feb 3, 2022) This is a civil service case (which has already gone up and down the appellate ladder) where the Fort Worth Court of Appeals affirmed the trial
Read More

Agency, Board of Adjustment, Declaratory Judgments, Injunction, Litigation, Procedure, Zoning

Lubbock Court of Appeals affirmed board of adjustment condition to re-evaluate variance request after a set number of years

MVP Raider Park Garage, LLC. V Zoning Board of Adjustment of City of Lubbock, et al, 07-20-00261-CV (Tex. App. – Lubbock, Jan. 12, 2022) This is a board of adjustment case where the Lubbock Court of Appeals affirmed the BOA’s denial of
Read More

Agency, Declaratory Judgments, Health and Safety, Injunction, Litigation, Sovereign Immunity, Ultra Vires

Fourth Court of Appeals upholds injunction preventing Governor from prohibiting ordinances regulating face masks – Governor’s authority does not extent to local health and safety regulations with separate grants of authority

Greg Abbott, in his Official Capacity as Governor of Texas, and State of Texas v. City of San Antonio and County of Bexar, 04-21-00342-CV (Tex. App. – San Antonino, November 10, 2021). This is a COVID-19 declaratory judgment (ultra vires) action brought
Read More

Agency, Board of Adjustment, Constitutional Challenge, Land Use, Litigation, Procedure, Sovereign Immunity, Zoning

Dallas Court of Appeals holds trial court had jurisdiction for BOA appeal only, but no monetary or constitutional claims could survive the board’s plea

  City of Dallas, et al v. PDT Holdings, Inc., et al. 05-21-00018-CV  (Tex. App. – Dallas, August 24, 2021). This is an appeal from a board of adjustment decision where the Dallas Court of Appeals reversed in part and affirmed in
Read More

Agency, Constitutional Challenge, Declaratory Judgments, Injunction, Sovereign Immunity

Property owners around lake drained by GBRA had no standing to sue as they possessed no particularized injury

Jimmy and Cheryl Williams, et al. v. Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and its Officers and Directors, 04-20-00445-CV, (Tex. App. – San Antonio, July 7, 2021) This is a takings case where the San Antonio Court of Appeals partially reversed and affirmed the trial
Read More

Agency, Constitutional Challenge, Declaratory Judgments, Health and Safety, Nuisance, Takings

Junk vehicle owner failed to establish ownership in municipal court, so was not entitled to sue for taking in later suit

  Jane Vorwerk v. City of Bartlett and John Landry Pack, Mayor, 03-21-00001-CV, (Tex. App – Austin, August 6, 2021) The Bartlett Municipal Court declaring a 1986 Toyota mobile home to be a junk vehicle. The municipal court found that defendant James
Read More