Attorney General Ken Paxton asked his followers to harass Court of Criminal Appeals judges regarding a prior decision. That decision held that the AG cannot prosecute election fraud cases without permission from the local District Attorney. I previously wrote about AG Paxton’s call to arms here. It was an extraordinary call from any elected
employment case
Texas Court of Appeals Questions Indest Decision
The decision in Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth, 524 U.S. 742, 118 S.Ct. 2257, 141 L.ed.2d 633 (1998), set up a framework for employers to avoid liability. An employer can avoid liability for harassment of an employee if the employer has a robust system in place for reporting on-the-job harassment. Once such a reporting…
Less Seniority Not Necessarily Evidence of Bias
Proving discrimination is never easy. Discrimination requires proof of intent. The plaintiff must prove or show what some manager was thinking. In Thompson v. Zinke, 795 Fed. Appdx. 294 (5th Cir. 2/27/2020), the plaintiff alleged he was discriminated against when he was passed over for promotion. Mr. Thompson noted that a white applicant with…
Reduced Capacity in Restaurants Covered by Insurance
In a new decision on the issue, a federal judge in Chicago has ruled that reduced seating does amount to an “interruption” in business for purposes of insurance coverage. The insurance carrier, Society Insurance, had submitted a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Judge Edmond Chang said capacity limits can constitute “direct physical loss” for “business…
Fifth Circuit Reverses Summary Judgment
In Union Pacific RR Co. v. American Railway & Airway Supervisors Assoc., No. 18-50110 (5th Cir. 12/16/2020), the Fifth Circuit reversed a grant of summary judgment in favor of the employer. A railroad employee, Roland Beltran, twice tested positive on a drug test. Aided by the union, he appealed to arbitration. He presented evidence…
Trump Lawyer Quits Lawsuit
Lawyer Jerome Marcus has asked to be allowed to withdraw from his lawsuit against the state of Pennsylvania. In that suit, he represents Pres. Trump. The suit alleges voting irregularities. Lawyer Marcus is known for his statement in court several weeks ago that he is alleging “a non-zero” number of Republicans observing the vote tallies.…
Fifth Circuit and “Self-Serving Affidavits”
The Fifth Circuit has resurrected the self-serving affidavit theory. The theory makes no sense. The so-called self-serving affidavit refers to persons who submit testimony in the form of an affidavit. If the affidavit supports the witness, then that testimony carries less weight – or no weight. In Salazar v. Lubbock County Hospital District, No.…
The Legacy of Joe McCarthy
The name Joe McCarthy has been coming up, lately. Who was Joe McCarthy?
Senator McCarthy was a bully. In his zeal to uproot all vestiges of Communism or Communist sympathizers, he bullied, scared and threatened his way across Washington, D.C. Everyone was afraid of Joe McCarthy, because they feared being branded as “soft” on Communism.…
OSHA Fails to Protect Workers From COVID19
One would think that with a pandemic crashing into our society, OSHA would lead the way in protecting U.S workers. But, no. The Occupational Safety Health Administration is taking a few steps backward. Senior OSHA staff had a six page memo prepared and ready to issue in the Spring of 2020, that would institute protections…
Trump Administration Removes Civil Service Protection
The Trump administration issued an Executive Order that changes the classification of top civil servants and makes it easier to fire them. The order targets those in policy-making positions. Experts indicate the move would affect anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands in a workforce of some 2.1 million. The move would affect…