In Barnes v. Felix, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held that courts evaluating Fourth Amendment excessive-force claims in Section 1983 lawsuits against law enforcement officers must consider the “totality of the...more
5/22/2025
/ Appellate Courts ,
Barnes v Felix ,
Deadly Force ,
Excessive Force ,
Fourth Amendment ,
Law Enforcement ,
Police Brutality ,
Qualified Immunity ,
SCOTUS ,
Texas ,
Vacated
On February 25, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Lackey v. Stinnie that plaintiffs who gain preliminary injunctive relief before an action becomes moot do not qualify as “prevailing parties” for attorney’s fees under 42...more
Effective September 1, 2023, Texas governmental entities have 30 days after the attorney general releases an opinion determining information is public and must be disclosed to release the information or notify the requestor...more
The Texas Legislature approved HB 2127, the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, on May 23, 2023, and the bill is soon expected to be signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott. Upon the Governor’s signature, HB 2127 would go into...more
On May 25, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a Minnesota county’s retention of the excess proceeds from sale of a homeowner’s property to satisfy a tax lien violated the Takings Clause. This decision recognizes that...more
6/2/2023
/ Abandonment ,
Asset Seizure ,
Eminent Domain ,
Fifth Amendment ,
Forfeiture ,
Fourteenth Amendment ,
Property Tax ,
SCOTUS ,
Takings Clause ,
Tax Debt ,
Tax Sales ,
Tyler v Hennepin County Minnesota
On December 30, 2022, the Supreme Court of Texas published its opinion in Gulf Coast Center v. Curry, concluding that the trial court had no jurisdiction to enter an award of $216,000 in a personal injury action against a...more
Regulated energy sector entities routinely submit confidential and proprietary business information to Texas state agencies, including the Railroad Commission (Texas’s incongruously named oil and gas regulator), the General...more