News from January 2015
Beaumont attorney sentenced for failing to file taxes
Trying to avoid paying his income taxes has resulted in a one-year prison sentence for a Beaumont lawyer.
Texas SC rules governmental immunity not applicable to claims brought outside act
Texas government agencies and there employees aren’t shielded with immunity from lawsuits brought outside of the Tort Claims Act, justices on the Texas Supreme Court recently found.
Hammond: 2015 – An agenda for business
Editor's note: The following op-ed originally appeared on the website TribTalk, a publication of the Texas Tribune, on Jan. 13. Reprinted by permission.
CALA: Cruz response to jury duty should be applauded
Editor's note: Sen. Ted Cruz returned to Harris County on Jan. 9 to respond to a jury summons. As a member of the Senate, Cruz could have gotten an exemption from service.
Court affirms 'Whoomp!' copyright royalties
A federal appeals court has finally decided who should get the royalties from the popular 1993 hit song "Whoomp! (There It Is)."
Avenue A wreck results in lawsuit
A Jefferson County man is suing over claims he was injured in a collision with a Hardin County driver.
Woman says she was hurt in collision on Texas 69
A Jefferson County woman is suing over claims she was injured in a collision on state Highway 69.
Woman says city trying to demolish landmark
A Harris County woman is suing over claims the city of Port Arthur is attempting to unlawfully demolish her family's home, deemed a historical landmark by the city.
Mother says daughter was hurt at Walmart
A Jefferson County mother is suing over claims her minor daughter was injured at a Walmart store.
Boundary dispute results in lawsuit
A Jefferson County man is suing in a dispute over a property boundary line.
Doc dismissed a month after med-mal claim brought
A doctor named as a defendant in a suit alleging a faulty medical device caused a woman’s death was dismissed a month after the lawsuit was brought, court records show.
‘Loser pays’ architect says use of new law has been a ‘surprise’
In a recent article in Texas Lawyer, one of the architects behind authoring a tort reform bill passed in 2011 says the use of the “loser pays” component of the law has been a “surprise.”
Man sues ex-wife's attorney over divorce rules
A Galveston County man is suing over claims his ex-wife's attorney withdrew from divorce proceedings without following legal rules.
Man says he was forced to quit sheriff's dept. job
A Panola County man is suing over claims he was unlawfully forced to quit his job in the Panola County Sheriff's Office.
Garza retires from 5th District appeals court; Silsbee cheerleader and UT admissions among notable cases
After serving for more than two decades, Senior Judge Emilio M. Garza has retired from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Continuance sought in suit that accused Motiva for negligently managing traffic
A pair of defendants in a suit first brought against Motiva for not properly managing traffic and preventing a rear-end collision are seeking a continuance.
Pre-trial underway in wrongful death suit against Caterpillar
After more than six years of litigation, pre-trial started Monday in a wrongful death suit alleging a man was killed while operating a bulldozer.
Judge Shuffield does the right thing, finally
One can applaud the decision of 136th District Court Judge Milton Shuffield to set aside a ridiculous million-dollar exemplary damages award against National Security Fire & Casualty and still wonder why he didn't do so sooner.