Travis County has officially launched a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a dispute over how much information the county should share about a program that seeks to give ex-convicts access to jobs. County Attorney David Escamilla filed a six-page brief with the 98th District Court on Wednesday challenging a recent ruling made […]
Courts
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City strikes back on Pilot Knob lawsuit
Though downtown has been almost completely colonized by South by Southwest, a development in the Pilot Knob lawsuit filed by Brian Rodgers last month managed to break through the tech fog Monday. Taking into account the March 22 settlement deadline from Rodgers, it was almost a given that the city would not be settling the […]
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Zimmerman, Troxclair file brief against city
In its response to a lawsuit seeking to change ballot language for the May 7 election on regulations for transportation network companies, the city of Austin is arguing that the Uber supporter who filed the writ of mandamus last Wednesday at the Texas Supreme Court was seeking the wrong remedy and had failed to file […]
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Suit challenges Austin’s ballot language
The city of Austin has until 5 p.m. today, according to a city spokeswoman, to respond to a legal action in the Texas Supreme Court – called a writ of mandamus – challenging the ballot language City Council adopted for the May 7 election on rules for transportation network companies. The lawsuit was filed late […]
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Municipal court judge: Our building is in shambles
Austin Municipal Court is so overcrowded that employees are working in closets throughout the building, which is filled with asbestos and is one technical glitch away from not functioning, according to courthouse staff. Presiding Judge Sherry Statman told City Council on Tuesday that the neglected building, constructed in 1955, cannot be upgraded because of asbestos, a […]
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Rodgers offers to settle Pilot Knob suit with city
Bill Aleshire, who represents civic activist Brian Rodgers in his open meetings lawsuit against the city over the handling of the Pilot Knob case, has offered to settle the suit. Rodgers is asking the city to rescind its action or to sign a final judgment declaring the City Council action void. On Dec. 17, Council […]
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Suit against APD alleges excessive use of force, racial discrimination in jaywalking arrest
From KUT: A local law firm is suing Austin police officers involved in an incident on Sixth Street downtown early in the morning of Nov. 6, 2015. The lawsuit (embedded below) claims that officers used excessive force and singled out African-Americans in arresting people for the misdemeanor offense of jaywalking. A video of the incident […]
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Updated: Rodgers sues city to stop Pilot Knob deal
Civic activist Brian Rodgers has filed suit against the city of Austin over the Pilot Knob deal, claiming violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act when City Council voted to approve the agreement on Dec. 17. In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday by attorney Bill Aleshire, Rodgers asks the court to void Council’s adoption of the […]
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Both sides satisfied as campaign finance trial ends
Federal Judge Lee Yeakel gave no indication of how he might rule at the end of the trial on Tuesday. But he told the lawyers involved in City Council Member Don Zimmerman’s lawsuit against the city of Austin over its campaign finance laws that, regardless of his ruling, it was unlikely to be the last […]
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City campaign law on trial in federal court
On Monday, during the first day of trial in City Council Member Don Zimmerman’s suit against the city, the District 6 Council member told federal Judge Lee Yeakel that his First Amendment rights are being violated by Austin’s campaign finance laws. Zimmerman explained that he needs to start raising money as soon as possible for […]
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Council affirms support for appraisal district suit
With seven members present at a special called meeting on Thursday, City Council unanimously affirmed its commitment to a lawsuit challenging the accuracy of the Travis Central Appraisal District’s appraised values for commercial properties and vacant land. In that lawsuit, the city also sought to declare certain portions of the Texas Tax Code unconstitutional. District […]
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Casa de Luz heads to court
It’s time to add another stanza to the Casa de Luz epic. The parking issues are now moving to district court after a variance request and appeal were denied by the Board of Adjustment. The Board of Adjustment is a quasi-judicial board, and its decisions cannot be appealed to City Council. So the Shambala Corp., […]