Unpublished decisions per curiam (Jones, Duncan, Douglas) (no oral argument), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam (Clement, Southwick, Oldham) (no oral argument), civil Affirming judgment in favor of defendant, with no description of claims or appeal issues. per curiam (Richman, Willett, Douglas) (oral argument), Willett, J., dissenting in part; vaccine … More October 22, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Willett, J. (Wiener, Willett, Ho), Ho, J., dissenting; criminal, search and seizure Affirming grant of motion to suppress evidence, begrudgingly. The exclusionary rule has long provoked controversy, with critics deriding it as a blunt judicial tool that frees the guilty when police make mistakes. The oft-quoted Cardozo line—“the criminal is to go … More August 29, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Stewart, J. (Stewart, Richman, Higginson), Higginson, J., dissenting in part; First Amendment, mootness Affirming district court’s preliminary injunction allowing plaintiffs access to park for religious ceremonies but declining to enjoin planned tree removal and cormorant rookery management measures. This appeal arose after the Texas Supreme Court answered a certified question, holding that … More August 13, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Duncan, Engelhardt), employment discrimination, COVID-19 Reversing summary judgment in favor of the employer on the plaintiff former employee’s Title VII religious discrimination claim arising from his termination after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccination and the employer failing to grant him a religious exemption, and remanding for further proceedings. … More August 5, 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 Smith, J. (Smith, Graves, Duncan), Equal Protection Clause, Title VI, mootness Affirming dismissal of challenge to University of Texas’s pre-Harvard policy as moot, reversing mootness dismissal of challenge to post-Harvard policy, and remanding for further proceedings. The Fifth Circuit considered whether UT’s revised admissions practices complied with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling … More July 11, 2025, opinions
Designation for publication Jones, J. (Jones, Oldham, Hendrix, by designation), Oldham, J., concurring; governmental immunity, collateral order doctrine Reversing denial of governmental immunity against police detective for investigation against and prosecution of personnel with a business neighboring the business of the detective’s employer in his moonlighting gig. This case concerns Detective Genaro Hernandez of the … More July 3-5, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Stewart, J. (Stewart, Clement, Willett), criminal, sufficiency of evidence, restitution Affirming conviction of operator of compound pharmacy for receiving illegal kickbacks as part of a conspiracy to induce physicians to prescribe highly lucrative prescriptions, and affirming restitution award. Xpress Compounding was a pharmacy focused on maximizing profits through pain cream prescriptions billed … More June 5, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Engelhardt, J. (Graves, Engelhardt, Oldham), Graves, J., dissenting; Americans with Disabilities Act Affirming dismissal of former employee’s ADA claims on the pleadings. The Court held that Turner cannot establish a prima facie case of disability discrimination under the ADA because he failed to demonstrate that he was “qualified” for the job, having … More May 14, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Elrod, Oldham, Wilson), Fair Housing Act, Rule 60(b), notice of appeal Affirming denial of landlord defendant’s Rule 60(b) motion after summary judgment for plaintiff tenant on claims of disability discrimination and retaliation under the Fair Housing Act, finding no abuse of discretion. The Court held that the original summary judgment, … More March 10, 2025, opinions
