Official/Qualified Immunity, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

Dallas Court of Appeals holdd officer did not establish official immunity because of fact question exists as to whether a reasonable officer would look both ways before entering an intersection

  City of Dallas v. Matthew A. Lamb, 05-16-01506-CV (Tex. App. – Dallas, December 4, 2017). This is an interlocutory appeal from the denial of the City’s plea to the jurisdiction in a police auto-accident case. The Dallas Court of Appeals affirmed
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Discrimination, Employment Law, Litigation, Procedure, Retaliation, Sovereign Immunity

Austin Court of Appeals holds ex-professor properly alleged disability and age discrimination claim even where there is no legal obligation to renew a term contract

  Texas State University v. Dr. Kathleen Quinn 03-16-00548-CV (Tex.App—— Austin, Texas November 29,2017) This is an interlocutory appeal from the denial of a plea to the jurisdiction in an employment-discrimination dispute where the Austin Court of Appeals affirmed the denial. Quinn
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Litigation, Procedure, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

Since officer’s affidavit did not detail his evaluation as he approached intersection, 4th Court of Appeals holds city did not establish emergency response application to tort suit

City of San Antonio v. Patrick Torres and Johnnie Dears 04-17-00309-CV (Tex.app —— San Antonio, Texas November 15, 2017) This is a Texas Tort Claims Act (“TTCA”) case involving a vehicle accident where the San Antonio Court of Appeals affirmed the denying
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Litigation, Public Works, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

City immune from suit for traffic light displaying “walk” signal at same time as green “turn arrow” says 13th Court of Appeals

City of Edinburg v. Melinda Balli  13-17-00183-CV (Tex.App–, Corpus Christi, November 9, 2017) This is a Texas Tort Claims Act case where the Corpus Christi Court of Appeals reversed the denial of the City’s plea to the jurisdiction and dismissed the Plaintiff’s
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Declaratory Judgments, Employment Law, Sovereign Immunity, TOMA, Whistleblower

TOMA posting inside City Hall with a “cancelled” stamp on an agenda controlled, regardless of other agendas says 13th Court of Appeals

City of Donna, Texas, David Simmons, Jose Garza, Simon Sauceda, Irene Munoz and Sonia Gallegos v. Oscar Ramirez 13-16-00619-CV (Tex.App— Corpus Christi, November 9, 2017) This is a Texas Whistleblower Act case where the Corpus Christi Court of Appeals affirmed the denial
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Litigation, Procedure, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

Court considered statements made by bus driver within onboard system as creating a fact issue on “actual notice” of fault in death of student

La Joya Independent School District v. Tanya Gonzalez, Individually and A/N/F of Josue Rogelio Uranga, Deceased Minor 13-16-00426-CV (Tex.App—- Corpus Christi & Edinburg, Texas November 2, 2017) This is an appeal in a Texas Tort Claims Act student/bus case where the 13th Court
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Discrimination, Employment Law, Litigation, Procedure, Retaliation, Sovereign Immunity

Notice of non-renewal letter triggered date for EEOC complaint filing, not the date internal grievance was completed says San Antonio Court of Appeals

Alamo Community College District d/b/a Alamo Colleges v. Douglas Ryan 04-17-00196-CV (Tex.App– San Antonio, Texas November 1, 2017) This is an interlocutory appeal in an employment discrimination case where the San Antonio  Court of Appeals reversed the denial of the District’s jurisdictional
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Contracts, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

Amarillo Court of Appeals holds private company contracted to run city buses did not establish it was entitled to derivative immunity

Charles Brown v. Waco Transit System 07-16-00258-CV (Tex.App—- Amarillo, October 27, 2017)  The Amarillo Court of Appeals reversed an order granting a plea to the jurisdiction by the Waco Transit System, Inc. (“WTSI”). Brown alleges he suffered personal injuries while riding a
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Constitutional Challenge, Declaratory Judgments, Eminent Domain, Injunction, Litigation, Procedure, Sovereign Immunity, Takings

Texas Supreme Court rules court of appeals has interlocutory jurisdiction for denied MSJ even though plea was denied months earlier

City of Magnolia 4A Economic Development Corporation and City of Magnolia 4B Community Development Corporation v. David Smedley, 16-0718 (Tex. October 27, 2017). This is a flooding case, however, the issue for the Supreme Court is a litigation procedural one. The Court
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Litigation, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

Under TTCA, the integral safety component doctrine turns on entity negligently providing personal property missing an integral safety component, not the non-use of property.

City of Houston v. Frank Gutkowski, Individually, Frank Gutkowski, as Representative for the Estate of Patricia Gutkowski, Deceased, Tammie Rene Gutkowski and Carl Gutkowski  14-17-00234-CV  (Tex. App—— Houston [14th Dist.], October 17, 2017) This is an interlocutory appeal from the denial of a
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