Designated for publication Higginbotham, J. (Elrod, Higginbotham, Southwick), personal tort, Federal Tort Claims Act Affirming judgment in favor of plaintiff in personal injury and death arising from an auto collision with a U.S. Postal Service vehicle that then caused the plaintiff to go forward and collide with his neighbor’s house. The Court analyzed a case … More May 16-18, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Jones, Stewart), criminal, search and seizure Reversing grant of motion to suppress evidence from a house and vehicle, holding that the good-faith exception applied to overcome the bare-bones nature of the affidavit in support of the search warrant, and remanding for further proceedings. Southwick, J. (Southwick, Haynes, Douglas), Equal … More March 3-4, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Davis, Higginson, Douglas), insurance Affirming summary judgment in favor of insurer on bad faith claims under Texas law. Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Higginbotham, Southwick), criminal, search and seizure, Second Amendment Affirming constitutionality of conviction of possessing an unregistered suppressor in violation of the National Firearms Act, and upholding denial of motion … More February 6, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Willett, J. (Jones, Willett, Engelhardt), Administrative Procedures Act Reversing summary judgment in favor of the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and remanding to the district court to enter partial summary judgment in favor of plaintiffs’ APA challenge to OFAC’s inclusion of Tornado Cash’s immutable crypto-mixing smart contracts on the list … More November 26, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Kernodle, J. (Southwick, Duncan, Kernodle, by designation), COVID-19, mootness, standing Reversing district court’s dismissal as moot of challenge to Air Force’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate after Air Force rescinded the mandate, and reversing dismissal for lack of standing of plaintiff who had been separated from service, and remanding for further proceedings. The Court … More September 23, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Wilson, J. (Smith, Graves, Wilson), Graves, J., dissenting; criminal Affirming conviction of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, rejecting argument that the government had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant knew he was unlawfully in the United States when he possessed the firearm. The defendant argued … More February 12, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Southwick, J. (King, Elrod, Southwick), Elrod, J., dissenting; Clean Air Act, administrative law Denying petitions for review of EPA order designating two Texas counties (Rusk and Panola) as in non-attainment for the NAAQS for sulfur dioxide, primarily due to emissions from a coal-burning power plant, and from order denying reconsideration of the … More January 11, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Clement, J. (Jones, Clement, Haynes), insurance, class action Vacating class certification and remanding for further proceedings on claim of undervaluation of total-loss claims due to insurer’s use of valuation system. The Court held that “class certification was only proper if plaintiffs could prove injury—i.e., underpayment—on a class-wide basis,” and rejecting premise that … More December 22, 2023, opinions
Designated for publication Duncan, J. (Higginbotham, Higginson, Duncan), criminal, guilt plea Affirming conviction of attempted interference with commerce by robbery, finding sufficient evidence in the record to support the defendant’s guilty plea. Haynes, J. (Clement, Haynes, Oldham), ERISA Affirming dismissal of ERISA claim against insurance company hired by plan’s sponsor, administrator, and fiduciary to maintain … More December 12-14, 2023, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Smith, Higginson, Willett), attorney discipline Affirming three-judge district court panel’s decision imposing a 12-month suspension from practice in front of that court after substance-abuse-related inappropriate courtroom behavior and failures to show up for clients’ sentencing hearings. The Court rejected the attorney’s argument that only the presiding judge can impose sanctions … More August 11-14, 2023, opinions
