Constitutional Challenge, Employment Law, Retaliation, Sec. 1983

Employee unable to establish terminating supervisor was aware of First Amendment activity, so summary judgment for employer was proper

Kristi Dearman v. Stone County School District, 15-60506 (5th Cir. August 11,2016) This is a First Amendment and procedural due process employment case where the U.S. Fifth Circuit affirmed the granting of the employer’s summary judgment motion. Dearman was an employee of
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Constitutional Challenge, Litigation, Procedure, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

No waiver of immunity where County provided pain medication to pretrial detainee before hearing which allegedly caused detainee to misunderstand guilty plea

Loyd Landon Sorrow v. Harris County, Et Al, 14-15-00571-CV (Tex. App— Houston [14th Dist.], August 23,2016) Sorrow was a pretrial detainee housed in the Harris County Jail. Sorrow asserts that during pre-trial detention he received medical treatment that included anti-psychotics and narcotics.
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Constitutional Challenge, Employment Law, Litigation, Mandamus, Procedure, Takings, Whistleblower

Town’s Interlocutory appeal timely under scheduling order, but permissive appeal by Plaintiff was untimely

Sarah Swanson v. Town of Shady Shores, 02-15-00351-CV (Tex.App— Fort Worth, August 18,2016) This is a Texas Whistleblower Act, Texas Open Meetings Act, due process, free speech and Sabine Pilot case, but the main thrust of the appeal is litigation/appellate procedure. So,
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Constitutional Challenge, Declaratory Judgments, Public Works, Sovereign Immunity, Takings

City immune from suit for reverter given language of deed says 4th Court of Appeals

The City of Laredo v. Northtown Development, Inc. and Gateway Centennial Development, Co., 04-15-00736-CV (Tex. App—San Antonio, August 10,2016) This is a takings case based on an alleged reverter in public property where the Fourth Court of Appeals reversed the denial of
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Declaratory Judgments, Religious Freedom, Tax

Neither appraisal district nor religious organization established entitlement to MSJ on tax exemption question regarding elderly housing, so full case remanded says 1st Court of Appeals

National Church Residences of Alief, TX v. Harris County Appraisal District, 01-15-00900-CV (Tex. App- Houston [ 1st Dist.] August 9, 2016) This is a tax exemption case where the First District Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s order denying a religious
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