Texas Supreme Court

State Sen. Escorted To Office By DPS After Heated Exoneration Debate

Ryan Poppe — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:41:20 +0000

The Senate Criminal Justice Committee hearing was to be one of the last phases for a bill that would set up the state’s first exoneration commission to examine past wrongful convictions to determine what went wrong.

The hearing began with Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, stating she didn’t feel the Tim Cole Exoneration Commission was a needed item, and then it escalated from there.

Texas Matters: The Story Of Education Funding Turns Another Page

David Martin Davies — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:02:32 +0000

Texas education funding is ruled unconstitutional, and Attorney General Greg Abbott is expected to appeal the case to the Texas Supreme Court. There are opposing views in the legislature on whether to immediately act to address the issue, or wait until the court forces it. Gov. Perry is causing a stir with his radio ads in California that try to lure companies to the Lone Star State, and one columnist from San Francisco says this is generating some interesting conversation.

Van de Putte Says Lawmakers Must Act Now To Fix School Funding

Eileen Pace — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:50:22 +0000

State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, said the recent court ruling declaring Texas school funding unconstitutional is a good indication that lawmakers should take action to fix the problem.

Judge Finds Texas School Funding System Unconstitutional

Shelley Kofler — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:00:17 +0000

District Judge John Dietz has ruled the Texas school finance system, which serves over 5 million public schoolchildren, is unconstitutional.

“The court declares the school finance system is not adequately funded and therefore fails to make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of the system,” Dietz said Monday, explaining one of the reasons he ruled against the state.

It's a Dog's Life: Texas Court Considers Pets' Sentimental Value

Wells Dunbar, KUT News — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:00:18 +0000

Can you put a price tag on man’s best friend?

The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments Thursday morning in a case that could answer that question. An animal shelter employee is appealing a lower court’s ruling that found her accidental euthanasia of a family dog gave the pet’s owners grounds to recover damages related to the dog’s “sentimental or intrinsic value.”

In Judicial Picks, Perry Reaches Past Executive Branch

Ross Ramsey, Texas Tribune — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:24:34 +0000

Jeffrey Boyd will become the newest Texas Supreme Court justice, an appointment that scrunches the foreheads of Rick Perry critics who think it odd that the governor would name his chief of staff to the state’s highest civil court.

It’s the latest brick in a wall Perry has been building for a dozen years — a period that has seen him appoint 224 Texans to state district and appeals court judgeships.

His hold on the executive branch is well documented and regularly noted; Perry has been in office long enough to twice go through the entire cycle of six-year executive appointments.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, But Not In Texas Thanks To State Supreme Court Order

David Martin Davies — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 21:13:45 +0000

If you would like a divorce, but want to avoid the mess, a few new simple forms could be the walking papers you’ve been looking for. The Texas Supreme Court is trying to make it easier by approving divorce forms that don’t need a lawyer.

The new forms can only be used when the divorce is uncontested and the couple doesn't have child custody issues to settle or property to divide.