The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
The Refuge, which closed Friday, said it fired an employee accused of coercing the victims to sell nude photos as soon as it found out. The Bastrop-based shelter has not addressed the other eight staff members also accused of causing harm to the girls. Full Story
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The children were sexually abused and neglected while at The Refuge, a facility located in Bastrop contracted by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, according to a report from a current employee. Full Story
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Texas is worried it could lose over a billion dollars in federal funding over Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive requiring medical professionals to report gender-affirming care for minors as child abuse. Full Story
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The appeals court’s decision allows a lower court to hold a hearing on whether Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to investigate certain gender-affirming care as child abuse can stand. Full Story
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Paxton is accused of professional misconduct for suing to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Full Story
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The professor alleges the school violated his First Amendment rights when he advocated for the removal of Confederate statues and criticized the college’s COVID-19 plans. Full Story
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Guy Reffitt of Wylie was found guilty of five felonies committed during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Full Story
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Ever since Gov. Greg Abbott directed the state’s child welfare agency to investigate parents who provide gender-affirming care to their children, LGBTQ-affirming family lawyers statewide have been deluged with calls. Full Story
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In opening statements for the first trial related to the 2021 riot, prosecutors said Guy Wesley Reffitt, a member of Texas Three Percenters, spearheaded those near him to charge police. His defense said he was engaging in “hyperbole.” Full Story
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The ACLU suit looks to block Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive that the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services investigate parents seeking gender-affirming care for their transgender children. Full Story
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President Joe Biden announced Jackson as his appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday morning. If confirmed, she’d be the nation’s first Black woman to sit on the high court. Full Story
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Around 40% of the foster children in the state’s care who are ages 5 and older have not received a COVID-19 vaccine despite being eligible. Full Story
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Abortion providers are trying to find a legal avenue that will allow them to directly challenge new restrictions that have effectively banned the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy. Full Story
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Abbott’s move is the latest in a long clash between Texas Republicans and Austin-area officials over policing — and comes as the push for reform in the Texas capital enters a more complex and uncertain chapter. Full Story
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Merritt is licensed in Pennsylvania. The state constitution doesn’t require the attorney general to be a licensed lawyer, but Merritt’s opponent has criticized his legal record. Full Story
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Indictments released Tuesday accuse 19 officers of using deadly weapons to injure 11 demonstrators during protests against racial injustice and police violence two years ago. Full Story
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Justin Berry is among 19 Austin law enforcement officers indicted and accused of using excessive force on anti-police brutality protesters in 2020. Full Story
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The Austin police officer is one of four Republicans seeking their party’s nomination for Texas House District 19, west of Austin. Full Story
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The lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, is the latest in a string of measures to limit coronavirus safety measures. Full Story
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On this first day of early voting in the Democratic and Republican primaries, take a moment to think through the issues — whether the candidates are talking about them or not — before you cast your ballot. Full Story
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