The following is a summary of a selected criminal opinion issued by the Third Court of Appeals from January 2023. The summary is an overview; please review the entire opinion. The subsequent history is current as of May 31, 2023. SEARCH AND SEIZURE – NATURE OF POLICE ENCOUNTER: Trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying DWI defendant’s motion to suppress

Congratulations to the Austin Bar’s new president, Justice Chari Kelly of the Third Court of Appeals, who won the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Texas Young Lawyers Association! Kelly also won this year’s Mentor Award from the Austin Young Lawyers Association. Congratulations to Dominique McLeggan-Brown, attorney adviser at the U.S. Economic Development Administration! McLeggan-Brown won the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award

Three Austin Bar Association members were recently honored by the State Bar of Texas for their writing. The “Stars of Texas Bars” presents several awards each year for outstanding articles published by local bar associations. The Austin Bar submitted articles published in Austin Lawyer between May 2022 and April 2023 to be considered for the awards. (L-R): Former State Bar of Texas

Congratulations to Zach Daniel of Bathaee Dunne for his election to the Austin Black Lawyers Association board of directors! Daniel will serve as treasurer of ABLA. Daniel previously served as ABLA CLE Committee chair. Congratulations to Robynn Fletcher, who was elected to the Austin Black Lawyers Foundation board of directors as both secretary and trustee. Congratulations to Amber Goodwin, assistant

Sarah Harp is an assistant attorney general with the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. She works in the Criminal Appeals Division and was formerly a law clerk with the agency. She obtained her J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma. Prior to moving to Texas, she

The Austin Young Lawyers Association recently won several Awards of Achievement from the Texas Young Lawyers Association. AYLA won the first-place Comprehensive Award. This award was given based on a comprehensive evaluation of the whole range of programming AYLA conducted during the 2022-23 bar year. AYLA won the first-place Single Project – Service to the Public Award. This award was

AYLA: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your law practice. COMBS: I am originally from Odessa, Tex., and came to Austin for law school at UT. I am in my second year of practice at Cagle Pugh, a firm which primarily represents homeowners’ associations withissues involved in the operation and governance of association-governed communities. AYLA: How long have you been involved

At her last board meeting at the helm of the Austin Bar Association, President Amanda Arriaga handed out her awards of recognition. Rachael K. Jones received the President’s Outstanding Committee Chair Award. President-Elect Mary-Ellen King received the President’s Award of Merit. Ciara Parks received the President’s Outstanding Director of the Year Award. Congratulations to these award winners! Current Austin Bar

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals during May 2023. The summaries are an overview; please review the entire opinion. Subsequent histories are current as of June 5, 2023. ADMINISTRATIVE LAW: COURT REVERSES JUDGMENT ON IMMUNITY GROUNDS. Texas Educ. Agency v. Devereux Tex. League City, No. 03-22-00172-CV (Tex. App.—Austin May 10, 2023, no