Speaking to members of both chambers at the Texas Capitol Wednesday morning, Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock launched his speech by asking that lawmakers approve an across-the-board 30 percent increase in pay for judges at all levels. That increase would take Texas from having the 48th lowest paid judiciary to the 31st out of 50 states, he said.
Texas Supreme Court Aggressively Quizzes Lawyers in Winter Storm Uri Litigation
For 45 minutes Wednesday, the state’s highest court questioned lawyers on both sides of the dispute about whether the entire litigation should be dismissed or whether it should proceed toward trial.
When it Comes to Ann Saucer, Never Doth the Lady Protest Too Much
Ann Saucer will stand before the Texas Supreme Court Wednesday morning to argue the largest and possibly most important civil litigation dispute the state’s highest court has handled this decade. The Dallas appellate law expert represents 15,000 individuals and small business owners who are asking the Texas justices to allow their Winter Storm Uri-related claims for wrongful death, personal injury and property damage against the largest electric transmission and distribution utilities in Texas to move forward to trial. Combined, the plaintiffs seek billions of dollars in damages from the energy companies.
Winter Storm Uri — Four Years Later, Zero Jury Trials for 30,000 Victims of Historic Storm
The ground had not yet thawed four years ago when the Texas courts were slammed with an avalanche of lawsuits. More than 30,000 individuals and small businesses filed wrongful death, personal injury and property damage lawsuits against ERCOT and the energy companies accusing them of gross negligence that caused much of the power blackouts. A separate class action accused energy companies and financial institutions of using Winter Storm Uri to manipulate prices and generate billions of dollars in profits. Four years later, not a single witness deposition has been taken and not a single case has been set for trial. And a growing number of legal experts predict that none of those cases will ever be heard by a jury of Texas citizens.
New SCOTX Justice Sullivan Once Ran Afoul of the Fifth Circuit for Tone of Rehearing Petition
As an assistant attorney general, James P. Sullivan saw his petition in a habeas case struck for its tone and lack of respect. He says he apologized and learned from the incident. Gov. Abbott in January elevated Sullivan from his general counsel to the Supreme Court. Relatively unknown in the Texas legal community, Sullivan’s judicial application sheds some light on his judicial philosophy. Most of his litigation experience was in federal court, the document shows, with only 20 percent in state appellate courts.
SCOTUS Expands Opportunities to Challenge Agency Action in Corner Post
One of the Supreme Court’s less-heralded decisions from last term promises to have major consequences for businesses affected by federal regulations: Corner Post v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
Removal Waiver Front and Center in En Banc Fifth Circuit Arguments
The en banc oral arguments came in a dispute between Abraham Watkins Nichols Agosto Aziz & Stogner and former associate Edward Festeryga, who the firm alleges tried to take its clients with him when he left. The whole court agreed to hear the dispute after Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan — who sat on the panel that sided with the law firm and affirmed a ruling that sent the case back to state court — called for the move in a July 2024 concurring opinion that said the crux of the court’s 1980 holding in In re Weaver was “incorrect.”
Blacklock Followed Public Sector Path to Lead Texas Judiciary
Some were surprised by Gov. Greg Abbott’s selection of Jimmy Blacklock as Texas Supreme Court Chief justice, but his eyes were always on big questions about the role of the constitution and development of the law. His leadership is likely to continue the court’s conservative rulings.
Panel’s Dismissal of Texas’ Suit Against Google Sets Stage for SCOTX Review
In an 18-page ruling issued Thursday, Chief Justice Jaime Tijerina and Justices Clarissa Silva and Lionel Aron Peña Jr. held that the lawsuit — alleging Google violated state law when it made certain representations about how user location information and browsing history data is collected — cannot proceed in Texas courts.
Jimmy Blacklock Named Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court
Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock has been on the court since 2018 and has been elevated to fill the chief justice position left vacant by Nathan Hecht’s retirement. Hecht had helmed the court since 2013. Also on Monday, the governor named James P. Sullivan as the newest member of the Texas Supreme Court. Both men formerly served as general counsel to the governor.