The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Andy Brown sought to restrict dine-in food and beverage service both indoors and outdoors from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m., starting on New Year’s Eve and ending at 6 a.m. Sunday. The measure allowed restaurants to offer drive-thru, curbside pick-up, take out, or delivery services. Full Story
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A judge ruled Austin and Travis County can restrict on-site dining overnight from Thursday until Sunday. Gov. Greg Abbott says restaurants should ignore the curfew. Full Story
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Several Texas lawmakers said they would not vote to end the system of partisan judicial elections, which critics say allows for the appearance of impropriety if not bias itself. Full Story
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Texas is leading a group of conservative states in a legal battle to have the sprawling health care law struck down. Without it, disabled Texans stand to lose programs that have allowed more people to stay in their homes, rather than state-run institutions. Full Story
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Brugman’s case drew national attention among conservative figures who hailed him for working to secure the U.S. border. Full Story
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The government’s strategy of awarding contracts before acquiring titles to land in Texas has led to millions of dollars in costs for delays. Things could get even more complicated if President-elect Joe Biden stops border wall construction. Full Story
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The move comes after Congress passed a stimulus bill Monday extending the federal moratorium on evictions through the end of January. The moratorium order was set to expire at the end of the year. Full Story
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McClure will replace Judge Michael Keasler, 78, who is retiring at the end of this year. Full Story
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In 2015, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals tossed out Brown’s conviction and death sentence in the 2003 murder of a Houston police officer. Phone records found in the prosecution’s possession, but not shared with the defense at trial, supported Brown’s alibi that he was at his girlfriend’s house during the crime. Full Story
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Attorney General Ken Paxton, battling his own legal troubles, announced the long-anticipated federal lawsuit in a video posted on social media. Nine other states with Republican attorneys general are also plaintiffs in the case. Full Story
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Four former aides sued the agency last month, claiming they were wrongfully terminated after they told law enforcement they believed their boss, Ken Paxton, had broken the law. Full Story
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The lawsuit challenged election results in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. The high court said Texas did not have standing to bring the case. Full Story
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Bernard and Bourgeois were the ninth and 10th people executed by President Donald Trump’s administration this year. Full Story
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Donald Trump's legal team filed to intervene in the Texas lawsuit contesting the election results on Wednesday. The president reportedly asked U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz if he would argue the case before the U.S. Supreme Court, if it agrees to hear it. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block the battleground states from casting "unlawful and constitutionally tainted votes" in the Electoral College. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, experts say. Full Story
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Immigrant rights groups cheered the ruling, which could reopen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants in Texas. Full Story
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Outgoing President Donald Trump's administration wants to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count that determines how many congressional seats each state gets. Texas could lose at least one congressional district under the plan, according to a study. Full Story
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Ryan Vassar, who had served as the deputy attorney general for legal counsel, was one of eight senior aides who told authorities they believed Paxton was breaking the law — a report that has sparked an FBI investigation. Full Story
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Texas is the only state that does not let publicly traded companies, like Walmart, sell liquor. Full Story
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The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday sided with state officials. Planned Parenthood said it will continue to serve patients for now, since the order has not yet taken effect. Full Story
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