Designated for publication per curiam (Richman, Higginbotham, Southwick), habeas corpus, ineffective assistance of counsel Affirming denial of habeas relief on IAC claims of petitioner convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. per curiam (en banc court), criminal, sufficiency of evidence Ordering en banc rehearing of June 7, 2023, panel opinion that reversed and vacated … More August 30-31, 2023, opinions
Unpublished per curiam (Dennis, Elrod, decided by quorum), intervention Reversing district court’s denial of intervention-of-right to five entities involved in the electric transmission market in case brought to challenge constitutionality of Texas statute providing a regulatory right of first refusal to the owner of an existing utility facility for the connection of new electric transmission … More December 7, 2022, opinions
Designated for publication Jones, J. (Jones, Southwick (Costa had been on panel but resigned before opinion released, so opinion is issued by a quorum of the panel)); bankruptcy Affirming dismissal of avoidance and recovery claims related to payments under a prior settlement agreement, but reversing dismissal of avoidance and recovery claims related to two payments … More October 7, 2022, opinions
(Still in catch-up mode here, so the opinions designated for publication will get the same brief treatment as the unpublished opinions …) Designated for publication Crittindon v. LeBlanc, 20-30304, appeal from M.D. La. Higginbotham, J. (Higginbotham, Costa, Oldham), Oldham, J., dissenting; qualified immunity Affirming in part and reversing in part denial of qualified immunity for … More June 7-12, 2022, opinions
(Note: While normally Take the Fifth provides more detailed summaries for opinions designated for publication and only basic disposition notes and links for unpublished opinions, because this is a catch-up post after two weeks of being away from the blog, we are just providing the links and basic disposition notes for both published and unpublished … More March 19-31, 2022, opinions
Designated for publication DeOtte v. Nevada, 19-10754, appeal from N.D. Tex. Southwick, J. (Higginbotham, Southwick, Engelhardt), Affordable Care Act, Religious Freedom and Restoration Act, mootness, intervention Vacating district court’s injunction of the 2015 rules implementing the contraception mandate of the ACA, in light of Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. … More December 17, 2021, opinions
Designated for publication Official Stanford Investors Committee v. Trustmark National Bank, 19-11131, appeal from N.D. Tex. Southwick, J. (Owen, Davis, Southwick), intervention Affirming the denial of intervention of right by group of Stanford investors into suit brought by original plaintiff group of Stanford investors against defendant who provided banking services to R. Allen Stanford for … More Take the Fifth: Feb. 3, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Richardson v. Hughs, 20-50774, appeal from W.D. Tex. Smith, J. (Higginbotham, Smith, Oldham), intervention, election law Denying motion to intervene on appeal, by plaintiff in similar but separate case. This motion arises from two lawsuits challenging Texas’s signature-verification scheme for absentee ballots. Noting that, “[p]erhaps because there is no rule explicitly allowing … More Take the Fifth: Nov. 12, 2020 opinions
