The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
The voting rights activist talked about increasing turnout, battling suppression, why a complete census count is so critical and her future plans. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/344eca98b3bc41657a2d8b5ce2777186/Stacy%20Abrams%20REUTERS%20TT.jpg)
The Texas Supreme Court ordered that eviction citations will have to inform renters about the moratorium requirements and include the form needed to apply for protection. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/24b9400ec042bc796c7c36090aa4de87/Texas%20Supreme%20Court%20MG%20TT%2006.jpg)
Groups on both sides of the aisle say it's harder to register voters when you can't go door to door and big public events are canceled. Registration was down 24% in the first seven months of this year, compared with the same period in 2016. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/98e2d223e5b24fd93697209a8abcfbec/Move%20Texas%20Voter%20Registration%20Spurs%20BKR%20TT%20011.jpg)
Cecile Richards, a Texas native, made the comment in an interview during The Texas Tribune Festival that aired Wednesday. Limits on abortion access earlier this year spurred legal battles. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ccc0eb346994d1d624f4b20bee882c4f/Cecile%20Richards%20TTF20.jpg)
Democrats successfully sued last month to remove from the ballot the Green Party nominees for U.S. Senate, Railroad Commission and the 21st Congressional District. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ff98cd99712783bc01a1cea43ed73d1e/Green%20Party%20Shirts%20MS%20TT.jpg)
Last week, President Donald Trump named Cruz and another Texan to a list of potential picks for the U.S. Supreme Court if he gets a second term. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/459993316bc8439377d1d3ab84373b84/07%20Sandeep%20Dhaliwal%20EG%20TT.jpg)
The Texas Democratic Party had challenged the state's age limits on voting by mail, arguing that they violated the 26th Amendment's protections against voting restrictions that discriminate based on age. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ebc4c03df183c4b98f554f25e85b2a71/Mail%20in%20Ballot%20Form%20Voting%20MG%20TT%2007.jpg)
Trump's bid to exclude undocumented immigrants from population counts for redistricting could cost Texas three seats in Congress. Thursday's ruling could still be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/238769a90fe94ab2d9f1406c4cefbecf/Census%20question%20REUTERS%20TT.jpg)
Two civil rights groups and two Texas voters had asked a federal judge to require substantial changes to polling place procedures, including an across-the-board mask mandate and expanded curbside voting. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3570567548ab01c133c9db3827456d87/Super%20Tuesday%20Houston%20MS%20TT%2009.jpg)
Federal Judge Janis Jack hammered state child welfare officials during a two-day hearing over what she called failures to improve Texas' foster care system. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/13c6dc2bbe8b291854587da4d0048960/Texas%20DFPS%20EG%20TT%2012.jpg)
In the first day of a two-day hearing to evaluate progress the state has made toward resolving a long-running foster care lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Janis Jack excoriated Texas child welfare officials. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/39d52dc56083afac3802394368e2a321/Texas%20DFPS%20EG%20TT%2015.jpg)
Texas' most populous county changed its bail practices for misdemeanor defendants last year after a lengthy lawsuit challenging cash bail. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/091354f92971d7100bdec5328c65bdbc/Harris%20Co%20Jail%20MS%20TT%2002.jpg)
A monthslong investigation revealed that Oportun Inc. routinely uses lawsuits to intimidate a vulnerable population into keeping up with high-interest loan payments — even amid COVID-19. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/19508972e7a05032ee34f79d64a275ef/Analleli%20Aguilar%20Loans%20PYH%20TT%2008.jpg)
Justice of the peace courts, where a majority of debt claims are filed in Texas, aren’t required to report case-level information. Here’s how ProPublica and Texas Tribune reporters got around it to reveal one company’s aggressive tactics. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/66f99b4b245a11958e7827d057d59e69/ATX%20Oportun%20AG%20TT%2003.jpg)
A U.S. district judge found Texas is “legally obligated” to allow voters to simultaneously register to vote with every driver's license renewal or change-of-address application, and ordered the state to set up a “fully operable” online system by Sept. 23. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fa3caca708bb1a86a05f29e57f388ad6/Early%20Voting%20Sign%20MKC%20TT.jpg)
Paxton's team had asked that the judge, Jason Luong, be recused from the case because the Texas attorney general's office is representing him — along with about 20 other Houston-area judges — in an unrelated lawsuit. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/21727e695c2fc32f1f4ad3e06c833737/06%20AG%20Ken%20Paxton%20MG%20TT.jpg)
Democrats won legal rulings Wednesday blocking Green Party nominees for U.S. Senate, railroad commissioner and the 21st Congressional District from appearing on the November ballot. Full Story
The decision comes a month after the Barbers Hill Independent School District board of trustees voted to keep the dress code policy, which advocates have deemed racist. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/92c323a987c4c2771b8946ba78e98960/DeAndre%20Arnold%20YT%20TT%2001.jpg)
Paxton was indicted for felony securities fraud in July 2015 but has yet to go to trial as attorneys duke out side battles over venue and prosecutor pay. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f5fdb1dff4d6fd788cba66ebaefe08d0/Paxton_GOP_Convention_2018_BD_TT.jpg)
“The Texas Constitution requires a separation of powers, and that separation leaves policy-making decisions with the Texas Legislature,” argues a lawsuit from five of the Legislature’s most conservative members. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3f5d7404b4f1658d762c67010c457b24/Abbott%20presser%20Corpus%20REUTERS%20TT%2002.jpg)