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Full-Text Articles in Jurisprudence
The Texas Supreme Court's Erroneous Doctrine Of Implied Appellate Jurisdiction., Charles R. Flores
The Texas Supreme Court's Erroneous Doctrine Of Implied Appellate Jurisdiction., Charles R. Flores
St. Mary's Law Journal
A Texas statute gave final appellate jurisdiction over cases not to the state supreme court but to the intermediate courts of appeals. After losing at the appellate level, one of the parties in Eichelberger v. Eichelberger appealed to the state supreme court despite the statute. But because the court of appeals decision conflicted with a United States Supreme Court decision, the Texas Supreme Court held its jurisdiction should be implied. Though legal commentators declared the decision an abrupt departure from standards for judicial decisions, they postulated it would be invoked so infrequently to do no lasting harm to Texas jurisprudence. …
Standefer V. State: The Creation Of The Criminal Defendant's Diminished Right To A Trial By A Fair And Impartial Jury., Esperanza Guzman
Standefer V. State: The Creation Of The Criminal Defendant's Diminished Right To A Trial By A Fair And Impartial Jury., Esperanza Guzman
St. Mary's Law Journal
In Texas, the right of an accused to have an impartial jury is firmly grounded in the voir dire process, the definitive goal of which is to empanel a fair and impartial jury. The right to a fair and impartial jury is bolstered by the voir dire examination. There have been large discrepancies over the types of questions which can be asked during the voir dire process. The court’s attempt to simplify the process of differentiating between proper and improper voir dire questions has “muddied the issue” for court participants and has resulted in the deprivation of a criminal defendant’s …
A Simple Prescription For Texas's Ailing Court System: Stronger Stare Decisis., Andrew T. Solomon
A Simple Prescription For Texas's Ailing Court System: Stronger Stare Decisis., Andrew T. Solomon
St. Mary's Law Journal
Several Texas Supreme Court Justices have recently criticized Texas’s appellate justice system for its failure to provide consistency and the unfairness it produces, namely how litigants are treated differently despite the identical factual circumstances. Despite the warnings of various Texas Justices, neither the Texas Supreme Court nor the Texas Legislature have done much to rectify the lack of uniform justice received by Texas litigants. Most of the proposals to reform the Texas appellate justice systems’ unfairness have focused exclusively on structural changes. While structural changes could help reduce inconsistent “justice”, these reforms fail to address the main substantive problem—Texas’s weak …
Unconstitutional Delegation Of Prosecutorial Discretion In Texas: The Pollution Of Environmental Violation Deterrents., Suzanne M. Jost
Unconstitutional Delegation Of Prosecutorial Discretion In Texas: The Pollution Of Environmental Violation Deterrents., Suzanne M. Jost
St. Mary's Law Journal
The split amongst Texas officials regarding how to address the growing problem of enforcing environmental laws can most clearly be seen in the legislation surrounding environmental crimes. The most notable aspect of the 2003 amendment to the Texas Water Code (TWC) requires permission from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) before criminal charges may be brought against permit holders for criminal violations. The purpose of TCEQ’s administrative penalties is to focus primarily on pushing companies into compliance with the code. Yet, the TWC amendment brings the entire spectrum of polluters, from corporate dumpers to individual litterbugs, under its primary …
Indictments And Informations In Texas: The Conduct/Evidence Pleading Conundrum., Robert R. Barton
Indictments And Informations In Texas: The Conduct/Evidence Pleading Conundrum., Robert R. Barton
St. Mary's Law Journal
In the prosecution of a criminal case in Texas, the State’s primary pleading is an indictment or information. In an indictment or information, there are two basic rules for the charging of an offense. First, the defendant must be given adequate notice to prepare a defense and to plead the judgment from the trial of the case in bar to a subsequent prosecution for the same offense. Second, the State is not required to plead evidentiary matters. The simplicity of these rules exists more in their statement than in their application because circumstances exist which require the State to plead …
Demystifying The Extraordinary Writ: Substantive And Procedural Requirements For The Issuance Of Mandamus., Charles W. Rocky Rhodes
Demystifying The Extraordinary Writ: Substantive And Procedural Requirements For The Issuance Of Mandamus., Charles W. Rocky Rhodes
St. Mary's Law Journal
In Walker v. Packer, the Texas Supreme Court attempted to harmonize Texas jurisprudence regarding the standards for issuing a writ of mandamus. The Walker court initially reiterated the maxim that mandamus will issue “only to correct a clear abuse of discretion or the violation of a duty imposed by law when there is no other adequate remedy by law.” The Court defined “clear abuse of discretion” as “a decision so arbitrary and unreasonable as to amount to a clear and prejudicial error of law.” The Court subsequently reaffirmed the “fundamental tenant” of mandamus practice stating the extraordinary writ is not …
The Texas Tax Relief Act After Twelve Years: Adoption, Implementation &(And) Enforcement., Michael Weiss
The Texas Tax Relief Act After Twelve Years: Adoption, Implementation &(And) Enforcement., Michael Weiss
St. Mary's Law Journal
The Texas Tax Reform Act, an amendment to the Texas constitution, undertook to create and enforce spending limits. The Texas Government first followed the spending limits in the 1982-1983 biennium. The threat of veto from Governor Clemments forced the legislature to adopt a budget below the limit. Unfortunately, Texas taxpayers did not see the savings of 1982 repeated in subsequent years. Meaning, the amendment, which passed by an eighty-four percent majority, failed in its purpose for limiting the government growth and spending. The noncompliance of the LBB is in contravention of the people’s will and the laws established to set …