Travis County on Texas Appeals Journalhttps://texasappeals.org/topics/travis-county/Clinical descriptions of the Texas appellate decisions drawing the most press coverage.Hugo -- gohugo.ioen-usMon, 09 Feb 2026 07:00:00 -0600Court of Criminal Appeals Grants Actual-Innocence Relief to Carmen Mejia in Travis County Felony-Murder Casehttps://texasappeals.org/2026/02/ex-parte-mejia-actual-innocence/Mon, 09 Feb 2026 07:00:00 -0600https://texasappeals.org/2026/02/ex-parte-mejia-actual-innocence/In a brief per curiam opinion with no stated analysis, the court agreed that Mejia established actual innocence, set aside her three convictions, and remanded her to the custody of the Travis County sheriff to answer the indictment. Judge Finley, joined by Judge Parker, agreed she is entitled to relief but would have granted it under Article 11.073 rather than on actual-innocence grounds.Fifteenth Court of Appeals Affirms Temporary Injunction Against Attorney General’s Prosecutor-Reporting Rules as to Named Plaintiffs, Reverses It as to Nonpartieshttps://texasappeals.org/2026/01/paxton-v-garza-local-prosecutors/Mon, 05 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0600https://texasappeals.org/2026/01/paxton-v-garza-local-prosecutors/The court held that Section 41.006 of the Government Code does not confer rulemaking authority on the Attorney General, so the suing prosecutors showed a probable right to relief against rules requiring reports from large-county district and county attorneys. It limited the injunction to the named plaintiffs and remanded.Third Court of Appeals Dismisses Cities’ Challenge to Texas Regulatory Consistency Act for Lack of Standinghttps://texasappeals.org/2025/08/state-v-city-of-houston-hb-2127/Mon, 04 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0500https://texasappeals.org/2025/08/state-v-city-of-houston-hb-2127/The court held that Houston, San Antonio and El Paso did not plead an injury-in-fact or an injury traceable to the State of Texas, reversed a trial-court judgment declaring House Bill 2127 unconstitutional, and dismissed the suit without prejudice. The court did not decide whether the Act is constitutional.Court of Criminal Appeals Vacates Travis County Restraining Order That Had Blocked Robert Roberson’s Executionhttps://texasappeals.org/2024/11/in-re-tdcj-ex-rel-paxton-roberson-subpoena/Mon, 11 Nov 2024 07:00:00 -0600https://texasappeals.org/2024/11/in-re-tdcj-ex-rel-paxton-roberson-subpoena/In a per curiam opinion, the court held that a district court’s temporary restraining order enjoining the Texas Department of Criminal Justice from carrying out a death warrant had the effect of staying a scheduled execution and was subject to the court’s mandamus authority. The court vacated the order itself. Four judges dissented.