AUSTIN - Following a loss at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in December, the Institute for Justice said it would continue its efforts to overturn a Texas woman’s wrongful conviction case.
SHERMAN, Texas—Today, a federal jury ruled that Vicki Baker is entitled to $59,656.59 in damages after a SWAT team destroyed her McKinney, Texas, home while pursuing a fleeing fugitive in July 2020. The ruling is a victory for Vicki, who joined forces with the Institute for Justice (IJ) to file a lawsuit in March 2021, after the city refused to pay for the damage that had been caused.
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – Today, the 13th Court of Appeals reversed a ruling denying the city of South Padre Island’s plea to the jurisdiction, dismissing a claim over food truck restrictions.
IJ client Azael Sepulveda can finally open his mechanic's shop in Pasadena, Texas. That's because of a rare temporary injunction we secured yesterday against the city's demand that he build dozens of useless and expensive parking spots.
Kermit Warren, a grandfather and church deacon from the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, will get his hard-earned life savings back, thanks to IJ’s latest victory against civil forfeiture.
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – The 13th Court of Appeals determined yesterday that a lawsuit accusing South Padre Island of keeping Food Trucks from setting up merits oral argument.
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – If the plaintiffs are no longer in the food truck business, a lawsuit accusing South Padre Island of keeping them from setting up shop is moot, a court document states.
McKINNEY – Last summer, a fugitive took refuge in a McKinney home owned by Vicki Baker. When the city’s SWAT team arrived, they launched a “shock and awe” campaign, using gas grenades, explosives and an armored vehicle to utterly destroy the home.
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – On appeal, food truck vendors wanting to set up shop in South Padre Island are arguing the city’s efforts to keep them out are unconstitutional.
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – Limiting the number of food trucks in South Padre Island and requiring them to be green lighted by local restaurants “is reasonable and protects public health,” according to a recently filed appellate brief.
Jose Oliva, a 75-year-old Vietnam veteran and grandfather, spent his life serving his country. After years in the U.S. Air Force, he worked for more than three decades in law enforcement at federal, state, and local agencies. Now, he is fighting for his constitutional rights—and the rights of others like him—after he was violently assaulted by federal police officers.
