“A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty, 'Hi yo, Silver!' The Lone Ranger! With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early west. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear.”
HOUSTON – A day after Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide mask mandate, state Rep. Briscoe Cain tweeted: “Get fined for not wearing a mask? I will gladly represent you. FOR FREE.”
DALLAS (Legal Newsline) – An attorney gaining a reputation for representing plaintiffs suing social media organizations over claims they aided and abetted terrorists is involved in yet another case against the companies.
On November 4, 2014, when the 51-year-old Ken Paxton was triumphantly elected Attorney General of Texas, defeating his Democrat opponent, the euphoniously named Sam Houston, by over 20 percentage points, the conservative movement in the Lone Star State had a new rising star. Paxton’s enemies were worried; the Tea Party favorite, an impressive University of Virginia law school graduate, seemed bound for the Governor’s mansion, a prospect that made the state’s centrist GOP Establishment aghast. Paxton’s political career had been nothing short of meteoric. First elected to public office in 2002 with the support of grass-roots activists and evangelicals, Paxton represented his suburban Dallas district in the Texas House of Representatives for a decade before winning a coveted promotion to the exclusive 31-member Texas Senate in 2012.
SAN FRANCISCO – A U.S. district court judge has cleared social media outlets in a lawsuit stemming from a 2016 mass shooting in Dallas that left five police officers dead.
During the Gilded Age, so-called “captains of industry” such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan led an industrial revolution that transformed the nation with technological innovation, creating for Americans unparalleled improvements in the average standard of living and amassing great personal fortunes in the process. The spectacular success—and enormous power—of these newly minted tycoons earned them the sobriquet “Robber Baron,” even as their ruthless business tactics, such as Rockefeller’s cartelization of the oil industry through trusts, fostered new laws to regulate anti-competitive business practices, notably the 1890 Sherman Act. These measures are called “antitrust” laws, an often-forgotten tribute to the dynastic Standard Oil Trust, which at its peak controlled the refining of 90 to 95 percent of all oil produced in the United States.
HOUSTON – Not long after Hurricane Harvey crashed upon Texas shores, trial lawyers began publicly urging victims to file insurance claims before Sept. 1 – the date a new law aimed at ending weather-related lawsuit abuse goes into effect.
DALLAS – The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals at Dallas ruled that Erykah Badu’s comments on social media about former manager Paul Levatino were protected free speech, however the case is going back to the trial court for further rulings.
DALLAS – Dallas Police Sgt. Demetrick Pennie has filed a lawsuit against several social media sites including Twitter, Facebook and Google. The suit, which was filed in the wake of his research into trending topics and the ease with which terrorist groups can organize and raise funding, alleges that the popular websites give a platform that promotes terror attacks both domestic and abroad.
The Texas Supreme Court has a unique structure, reflecting the state’s stubbornly independent-minded culture. Most state supreme courts have jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases and have seven (or fewer) members, who are appointed by the governor and face the voters — if at all — only for periodic “retention” elections. The Texas Supreme Court, in contrast, hears only civil appeals (criminal cases are decided by the co-equal Texas Court of Criminal Appeals) and has nine members, all of whom are subject to statewide partisan elections. The last feature is quite unusual; only seven states select judges in this manner. Despite this distinctive design, the Texas Supreme Court succeeds at steering a steady jurisprudential course in a cautious, low-key style.
What are the prospects for constitutionalism and the rule of law under President Donald Trump? In my estimation, quite good. Unlike some of my libertarian (or classical liberal) friends, I didn’t quake at the possibility of Trump’s election (as I explained here). His shortlist of potential Supreme Court candidates was outstanding, and his cabinet picks to date have been first rate. Of course, assessing the success or failure of Trump’s presidency will rest on the actions he takes and the pol
HOUSTON – A Houston-based Asian fusion restaurant and food chain is suing a former employee and her daughter, claiming the pair defamed it on social media.
MARSHALL DIVISION
March 17
Verify Smart Corp. v. Twitter, Inc. 2:16-cv-00235-JRG
Verify Smart Corp. v. USAA 2:16-cv-00236-JRG
Verify Smart Corp. v. Salesforce.com, Inc. 2:16-cv-00237-JRG
Verify Smart Corp. v. Dropbox, Inc. 2:16-cv-00238-JRG
Verify Smart Corp. v. Basecamp, Inc. 2:16-cv-00239-JRG
Social media accounts belonging to the two politicians representing Texas in the U.S. Senate were active Monday with tweets and posts honoring Chris Kyle, the retired Navy SEAL featured in the mega hit movie “American Sniper.”
WASHINGTON -- The American Bar Association, International Bar Association and Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe released a joint publication titled “A Lawyer’s Guide to Detecting and Preventing Money Laundering” during the IBA’s conference in Tokyo Oct. 22.
