The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
The local party said its locks were filled with super glue, preventing officials from accessing their office. Also, federal officials are sending election monitors to Harris and Waller counties. And Texas is on pace to set a record for voter turnout Tuesday. Full Story
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A handful of GOP activists and candidates had asked the state's highest civil court to rule Harris County's drive-thru voting locations illegal and invalidate votes that have already been cast. The challenge has also been filed in federal court. Full Story
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A conservative activist and three Republican candidates have asked state and federal courts to toss the votes and shut down drive-thru voting in the state's most populous, and largely Democratic, county. Full Story
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Prosecutors had argued they couldn't get a fair trial in Collin County, where Paxton is deeply connected politically. The decision is likely to herald more delays in the five-year-old case. Full Story
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The last of the seven whistleblowers, Ryan Bangert, said he resigned Wednesday. Two others had already resigned, two more were fired last week, and two were put on leave earlier this month. Full Story
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The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a previous ruling that found the exemption to Gov. Greg Abbott’s statewide face mask mandate put a discriminatory burden on Black and Latino voters. Full Story
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The court upheld Gov. Greg Abbott's authority under state law to limit ballot drop-off locations, issuing what is expected to be the final ruling in numerous lawsuits that challenged his order. Full Story
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U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, Republicans of Texas, both voted to confirm Barrett. Full Story
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An aide said Bush has heard from “several donors” who want him to consider running. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, meanwhile, “is absolutely planning on running again,” a spokesman said. Full Story
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Democrats argue the high court's pandemic-related decisions show GOP incumbents should be unseated in November. Republicans say the virus is another argument for sticking with the status quo. Full Story
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A state district court judge had ruled against the longstanding requirement for a doctor's note to ask for an emergency absentee ballot, saying many people who test positive for the coronavirus don’t interact with a physician. Full Story
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The state is continuing to fight a Travis County district court's ruling that overrode Gov. Greg Abbott's order limiting counties to one absentee ballot drop-off location. Full Story
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The Harris County judge’s order reverses a decision that the state’s top lawyer should not face a jury in the North Texas region where he and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, are deeply connected in political circles. Full Story
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Two were fired and two placed on leave — moves employment attorneys say will likely spark a whistleblower lawsuit. A spokesperson for Paxton said the personnel changes were not related to the whistleblower allegations. Full Story
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Blake Brickman and Lacey Mase, two whistleblowers who accused their boss of crimes including bribery and abuse of office, were both fired Tuesday. Full Story
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A last-minute challenge by the Republican parties of Texas and Harris County argued the largely Democratic county's new drive-thru polling places were illegal. Full Story
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Texas' two senators are among the 12 Republicans who participated in the Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Barrett. A vote by the full Senate is scheduled for Monday. Full Story
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About two-thirds of the parents are believed to be somewhere in Central America. Full Story
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The departure "was not voluntary," said Lacey Mase, one of several senior aides who said Attorney General Ken Paxton used his office to serve the interests of a donor. Full Story
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Ian Prior, a Republican operative who promoted the story for the Texas attorney general's campaign, denied that the campaign had paid the Southeast Texas Record to publish it. “Definitive no,” he said. Full Story
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