Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Richman, Higginson, Douglas) (no oral argument), qualified immunity Affirming qualified immunity summary judgment dismissal of claim against officer on excessive force claim. On April 27, 2022, Houston police pursued Jalen Randle to execute three felony warrants (aggravated assault, felon in possession of a firearm, and evading arrest). After an immobilization … More July 8-9, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Willett, J. (Smith, Willett, Ramirez) (oral argument), criminal, sentencing Affirming sentence on “mutiny” conviction for immigration detainee. Six detainees at an ICE facility in El Paso knotted bed sheets, towels, and shirts into a makeshift rope and climbed onto an unrailed canopy roof approximately two stories high. For more than three and … More June 29, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Richman, Willett) (oral argument), Title VII, employment discrimination Affirming summary judgment dismissal of race/national-origin discrimination and retaliation claims; ADA disability-discrimination, interference, and failure-to-accommodate claims; but reversing summary judgment dismissal of hostile-work-environment claims; and remanding for further proceedings. Brenda Brenyah, a Black woman and naturalized U.S. citizen born in Ghana, … More June 23, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Jones, J. (Jones, Stewart, Willett) (oral argument), maritime law, attorneys’ fees Affirming district court’s finding of valid maritime liens and denial of attorneys’ fees. Louisiana International Marine (“LIM”) provided towage services via two tugboats to barges owned by Trailer Bridge and chartered to a third party, Work Cat. Work Cat paid only … More June 17, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Douglas, J. (Southwick, Higginson, Douglas) (oral argument), trade secrets, RICO Reversing dismissal of plaintiff’s RICO/theft-of-trade-secrets claim, and remanding for further proceedings. EnvTech, Inc. is a company that developed a confidential proprietary one-step chemical formula and cleaning process for hydrofluoric acid alkylation (“HF alky”) units in oil refineries, controlling roughly 80% of the … More June 9 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Smith, Haynes, Oldham) (no oral argument at motion stage), Haynes, J., concurring in order only (w/o op.); First Amendment, vagueness, injunctions Granting defendant Texas’s motion for stay of preliminary injunction pending appeal regarding SB 2420, which placed age and parental-guidance regulations on app stores and in-app purchases. The Texas Legislature … More June 4, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Clement, J. (Clement, Southwick, Engelhardt) (no oral argument), qualified immunity, appellate jurisdiction Vacating judgment denying dismissal and failing to mention qualified immunity defense, and remanding for further proceedings. Plaintiffs Patricia Anna Wertenbroch and Kulwant Singh Atwal sued Clint Hardeman, the City Manager of Pittsburg, Texas, under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging he … More June 3, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Willett, Wilson) (oral argument), criminal, sentencing, Sixth Amendment Affirming application of career-criminal sentencing enhancement even though he had no trained interpreter available during the prior criminal proceedings on which the enhancement was based. Heraclio Duran-Gonzalez had two prior federal convictions for conspiring to possess marijuana with intent to distribute … More June 2, 2026, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Stewart, Willett, Wilson) (no oral argument), habeas corpus Dismissing as frivolous appeal from dismissal of § 2244 petition challenging convictions for receipt and possession of child pornography, and whether his actual-innocence claim satisfied the savings clause of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(e). Relying on Jones v. Hendrix, 599 U.S. 465 (2023), the … More May 19, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Engelhardt, J. (Jones, Engelhardt, Summerhays, by designation) (oral argument), Jones, J., dissenting; international child custody, Hague Convention Affirming order to return children to custodial parent in Canada; vacating preliminary injunction enjoining Texas courts from conducting further proceedings and ordering Canadian courts to adjudicate custody. Sarah Moreau and Andrew White married and lived … More May 15, 2026, opinions
