Court Updates

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals during January 2025. The summaries are an overview; please review the entire opinion. Subsequent histories are current as of February 10, 2025.  ARBITRATION: Court reverses trial court’s failure to enforce arbitration clause. Design Tech Homes of Tex., LLC v. Siemens, No. 03-23-00735-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Jan.

EVIDENCE ADMISSIBILITY – BREACH OF COMPUTER SECURITY: Evidence found on defendant’s phone by defendant’s wife was inadmissible. State v. Holloway, ___ S.W.3d ___, No. 03-23-00423-CR (Tex. App.—Austin July 26, 2024, no pet.) (designated for publication). Holloway was charged with aggravated sexual assault. Evidence of an extraneous offense was found on Holloway’s phone by his wife. She found the evidence by

This article provides an update for local lawyers on the new Fifteenth Court of Appeals. Historical Foundation The creation of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals marks a milestone in Texas’ judicial evolution.  The foundations of our appellate system date back to 1891 when a constitutional amendment established the Texas Supreme Court as the highest court for civil matters and invited

Here are the Travis County and District Court jury trial verdicts for January 2025.

Austin Bar members delivered oral arguments before the Texas Supreme Court in December ’24 and January ’25.

The following are summaries of selected opinions issued by the Texas Supreme Court in November 2024. These summaries are prepared by court staff as a courtesy and are not a substitute for the actual opinions. The summaries are overviews of the opinions; please review the entire opinions.

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in November and December 2024. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. COMMERCIAL SPEECH: How to apply the Central Hudson test when an activity is legal under state law but prohibited under supreme federal law. Cocroft v. Graham, 2024

The following is a summary of selected criminal opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals from June 2024. The summary is an overview; please review the entire opinions. The subsequent history is current as of January 6, 2024. JURY DELIBERATIONS ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL: Appellate court could not conclude that defendant was denied assistance of counsel during jury deliberations when

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Third Court of Appeals during November and December 2024. The summaries are an overview; please review the entire opinion. Subsequent histories are current as of January 9, 2025. SUPERSEDEAS: Court affirms order increasing bond amount. New Braunfels Stewardship Props., LLC v. Circle F Invests., LP, No. 03-24-00282-CV (Tex. App.—Austin

The following are summaries of selected civil opinions issued by the Fifth Circuit in October 2024. The summaries are overviews of particular aspects of the opinions; please review the entire opinions. TAX: Ordering taxable articles to be shipped to the United States for resale makes one an “importer” under the Internal Revenue Code. Tex. Truck Parts & Tire, Inc. v.