Designated for publication per curiam (Smith, Haynes, Oldham) (no oral argument), criminal, sentencing, guilty plea On remand from U.S. Supreme Court, dismissing appeal of conviction and sentence in light of appeal waiver in plea agreement. Davantae London robbed multiple Wal-Mart stores at gunpoint in the Houston area. As part of his plea agreement, he waived … More August 19-21, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Oldham, J. (Higginbotham, Smith, Oldham) (oral argument), election law, Americans with Disabilities Act, standing Reversing permanent injunction against provisions of Texas SB 1’s imposition of certain elections restrictions under Title II of the ADA. Multiple civil-rights organizations challenged nine provisions of Texas Senate Bill 1 (the Election Protection and Integrity Act of … More August 12, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Duncan, J. (King, Higginson, Duncan) (no oral argument), tax law Granting motion to modify original panel opinion rendered June 8, 2026, and substituting new opinion that likewise affirmed tax court’s judgment upholding imposition of estate-tax liability and assessment of 20% negligence penalty. Anne Milner Fields, a businesswoman diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011, … More July 31, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Willett, J. (Higginson, Willett, Engelhardt) (oral argument at original panel stage), preemption, taking, Contracts Clause Granting petition for panel rehearing and substituting for February 9, 2026, panel opinion, affirming summary judgment for Louisiana on pharmaceutical companies’ and trade group’s challenge to Louisiana statute on drug purchases. Pharmaceutical manufacturers AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and trade … More July 1-7, 2026, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Davis, Jones, Ho) (no oral argument), Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, employment discrimination Affirming dismissal of employment discrimination claims. At issue on appeal was whether a pro se plaintiff’s Title VII and ADEA claims against True Coverage were properly dismissed for failure to exhaust administrative remedies (no EEOC charge … More June 10, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Duncan, J. (King, Higginson, Duncan) (no oral argument), tax law Affirming tax court’s judgment upholding imposition of estate-tax liability and assessment of 20% negligence penalty. As Anne Milner Fields’s health rapidly declined in 2016 due to end-stage Alzheimer’s, her great-nephew and agent Bryan Milner transferred approximately $17 million of her assets into … More June 8, 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
Designated for publication Jones, J. (Jones, Graves, Rodriguez, by designation) (no oral argument), standing, Necessary and Proper Clause, tax Reversing dismissal of some of the individual plaintiffs on standing ground, and affirming (as modified) injunction against enforcement of ban on home distilling under 1868 law. Since 1868, federal law has prohibited the operation of any … More April 10, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Davis, J. (Davis, Jones, Stewart) (no oral argument), criminal Affirming conviction of possession of a firearm by a felon. Lester Landrum pleaded guilty but preserved constitutional challenges to the statute, arguing that it violates the Second Amendment (both facially and as applied), the Equal Protection Clause, the Commerce Clause, and that it … More March 4-5, 2026, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Smith, Higginson, Wilson) (no oral argument), criminal, search and seizure Affirming conviction of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, upholding denial of motion to suppress. per curiam (Richman, Engelhardt, Wilson) (oral argument withdrawn), Title VI, sec. 1983 Affirming dismissal of claims by student dismissed from medical school for unsatisfactory academic performance. … More January 30, 2026, opinions
