Designated for publication Engelhardt, J. (Wiener, Engelhardt, Oldham) (oral argument withdrawn), personal tort, preemption Reversing judgment for defendant on claims arising from fatal truck-auto accident in which one of defendant’s employee’s was the involved truck driver; and remanding for further proceedings. Satnam Singh Lehal’s tractor-trailer jackknifed on the way to Laredo, Texas, crossed into oncoming … More August 3, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Willett, J. (Stewart, Willett, Wilson) (no oral argument), Stewart, J., dissenting in part; mandamus, appellate jurisdiction, voluntary dismissal, school desegregation Dismissing appeal for lack of jurisdiction over judgment that was entered after voluntary dismissal of school desegregation case, and granting mandamus vacating post-dismissal judgment. This school-desegregation case had been pending for more … More July 13-15, 2026, decisions
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. (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
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
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Davis, Jones, Ho) (no oral argument), Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, employment discrimination Affirming dismissal of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 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 per curiam (en banc: Elrod, Stewart, Richman, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Douglas, Ramirez, JJ., voting against rehearing; Jones, Smith, Willett, Ho, Duncan, Engelhardt, Oldham, Wilson, JJ., voting for rehearing) (oral argument at panel stage); election law, standing, sovereign immunity, en banc Denying rehearing en banc of December 31, 2025, panel opinion (Richman, … More June 1, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Smith, J. (Higginbotham, Smith, Oldham) (oral argument), criminal, sentencing, guilty plea Dismissing appeal of supervised release conditions in sentence, on basis that appeal was barred by appeal-waiver in plea agreement. Jamie Hackney pleaded guilty to production and transportation of child pornography. Per his plea agreement, he waived his right to appeal his … More May 26, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Jones, J. (Jones, Duncan, Douglas) (no oral argument), Americans with Disabilities Act Affirming dismissal of ADA claims. Albert Hayes worked as an IT systems administrator for Army contractor GStek at Fort Polk. After COVID-era telework ended and he was required to return to the office, Hayes was diagnosed with Autism, Major Depressive … More May, 8, 11, 12, 2026 opinions
