Designated for publication per curiam (en banc), habeas corpus, Brady violation, en banc Ordering en banc rehearing of now-vacated March 7, 2025, panel opinion (Higginbotham, J., joined by Higginson, J.; Duncan, J., dissenting) reversing district court’s denial of habeas petition based on prosecution’s failure to disclose witness’s status as confidential informant). Unpublished decisions per curiam … More July 30, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Engelhardt, Guidry, by designation), First Amendment, standing, qualified immunity Reversing dismissal of plaintiff’s First Amendment pre-enforcement challenge to Texas Election Code for lack of standing; affirming dismissal of claims against defendants in individual capacities as barred by qualified immunity; and remanding for further proceedings. The Institute for Free Speech … More July 28-29, 2025, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Jones, Duncan, Douglas), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam (Jones, Duncan, Douglas), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam (Higginbotham, Jones, Oldham), criminal Affirming conviction of possession of a stolen firearm. per curiam (Higginbotham, Jones, Oldham), criminal, new trial Affirming denial of … More July 25, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Hendrix, J. (Jones, Oldham, Hendrix, by designation), takings, trespass Affirming district court’s judgment that property owner was not entitled as part of just compensation for land taken by government for border wall the value of the portion of the wall built outside the easement previously obtained by the government. Mary Bennett owns … More July 24, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Richman, J. (Richman, Willett, Douglas), Douglas, J., dissenting in part; criminal, due process, immigration Affirming conviction of illegal reentry. Ismael Adan Ortiz-Rodriguez was removed from the United States in 2017 following expedited removal proceedings initiated by DHS. In 2023, he was convicted of illegal reentry under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a). Before trial, … More July 23, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Stewart, Clement, Willett), criminal, sentencing Withdrawing prior opinion after petition for rehearing, and substituting new opinion affirming sentence of defendant on issue of intervening amendment to Sentencing Guidelines. Darrell Wickware, previously convicted of robbery under Texas law, was charged in 2021 with unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted … More July 22, 2025, opinions
Richman, J. (Richman, Willett, Douglas), Americans with Disabilities Act, sec. 1983, expert witness Affirming district court’s exclusion of plaintiff’s expert witness and grant of Rule 50 motion dismissing plaintiff’s ADA claim. William Carter, a paraplegic man, was jailed for eight days in the Shreveport City Jail for unauthorized use of 911. Prior to his incarceration, … More July 21, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Jolly, Graves, Wilson), Title IX Affirming summary judgment in favor of school district on middle school student’s Title IX deliberate-indifference sex-discrimination claim arising from bullying of student as “gay” by other students and from suspension of student after a bullying incident. M.K., a student previously homeschooled, entered the Pearl River … More July 18, 2025, decisions
Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Graves, Higginson, Wilson), Age Discrimination in Employment Act, sec. 1983 Affirming dismissal of ADEA claim for failure to exhaust and to respond to a timeliness challenge, and dismissal of sec. 1983 claim for failure to plead a protected property interest in at-will employment. Jose E. Amstutz, a former Harris County … More July 17, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Guidry, J. (Elrod, Enhelhardt, Guidry, by designation), qualified immunity Dismissing appeal of denial of qualified immunity dismissal as an interlocutory appeal. Deputy Jose Nunez responded to a 911 call about a possible home invasion but ended up shooting Stephen Benavides, the unarmed father of the homeowner, upon arrival. Body camera footage showed … More July 16, 2025, opinions
