Oral arguments over the Texas-led challenge to the Affordable Care Act appeared to be an uphill battle for Texas Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins Tuesday. Questions about the Texas arguments, even from the conservative end of the bench, appeared to be “bludgeoning him,” in the words of one observer. Texas Lawbook Supreme Court reporter Tony Mauro explains.
Houston Appellate Races Remain Tight, Process far from Over
Three days after the election and with nearly all the votes counted, the four judicial races in Houston’s First and Fourteenth Court of Appeals are in a photo finish that seems to reflect that two Republican incumbent justices and two Democratic challengers are on the verge of winning.
Like President Donald Trump and Former Vice President Joe Biden, the fate of all eight candidates is still pending as they enter the weekend. One of the candidates has a lead of 0.6%.
“All I can say is we are ahead as of now,” Amparo Monique Guerra, a candidate for the First Court told The Texas Lawbook. Natalie Posgate has all the details.
UPDATED: Houston Appellate Races Tighten Between Red & Blue (Again); Dems Sweep Dallas COA Races
The four races for seats on Houston’s First and Fourteenth courts of appeals are incredibly close. Three incumbent Republican justices are leading their opponents by 1%, while one Democratic candidate is ahead of the GOP incumbent justice by 1%. By contrast, three Democratic district court judges are leading the incumbent Republican justices on the Dallas Court of Appeals by significant margins. Natalie Posgate has the details.
TX Supreme Court Stays Solidly All Republican
At a time when political analysts say Texas is trending blue, the state’s voters overwhelmingly decided to keep the Texas Supreme Court totally Republican. With 90% of the counties reporting, all four incumbent state Supreme Court justices cruised to re-election Tuesday. In fact, all four justices won their races by larger vote margins than did their colleagues in 2018. The Texas Lawbook has the details.
Texas Judicial Election Results
The Texas Lawbook has five journalists tonight – election night – covering the judicial appellate and trial court races and will provide details as the election results are provided.
The Lowdown on Straight-Ticket Voting in Texas
Straight-ticket voting is no more in Texas, but what are the implications? This article explains the history of the voting method and both parties’ attitudes toward it.
Rebeca Huddle Sworn In as Newest Member of Texas Supreme Court
In a live-streamed, fully-masked and socially-distanced ceremony Friday, Rebeca Aizpuru Huddle, a former partner at Baker Botts in Houston, was sworn by Gov. Greg Abbott as the newest justice on the Supreme Court of Texas. Huddle is only the 10th woman to serve as a justice on the court.
Quantum Materials Lawyer Gets Good News from SCOTX During Kansas Trial
Michael Minns was on the last day of a virtual bench trial before a Kansas judge when he found out he prevailed in the Texas Supreme Court against global law firm K&L Gates. Now the Kansas proceeding will prove to be invaluable as the Texas case returns to a Hays County trial court. This article explains the connections.
SCOTX Faces New Questions On Tortfeasor Exemptions From TWC
Less than four months after its controversial “tired trucker” ruling absolved an employer whose employee died after being required to work excessive hours, the Texas Supreme Court is weighing a $43.5 million jury verdict tossed on appeal because of the court’s broadened limits on a worker’s right to sue.
SCOTX Election Overview: Incumbency Has its Privileges
The four races in the Supreme Court of Texas bring notable aspects from both groups of candidates. The incumbents have the advantage of much more campaign finance support from the legal community. The incumbents’ opponents – all women – comprise the most diverse slate of challenger candidates the court has seen.