John Council

January 16, 2006 | Texas Lawyer

The insurance bar is wondering if the Texas Supreme Court will back off its findings in Excess Underwriters at Lloyd's, London, et al. v. Frank's Casing Crew & Rental Tools Inc., a major insurance coverage opinion released on May 27, 2005. The court has agreed to rehear that case.

By John Council

6 minute read

December 23, 2003 | Law.com

A lively case of first impression that recently went before the Texas Supreme Court may determine whether satire is a protected form of speech. At issue is a Dallas Observer mock story with made-up quotations attributed to public officials. Lawyers for the Observer argued that the article was free speech protected by the First Amendment, while two public officials alleged libel because some readers believed the article to be true.

By John Council

4 minute read

February 03, 2003 | Texas Lawyer

El Paso has been on the cutting edge of appointing lawyers to indigent defendants since 1987, when the county's leaders crafted a pragmatic solution to the city's bulging county jail population. That solution accomplishes the main mandate of Texas' one-year-old Fair Defense Act: the timely appointment of qualified counsel to indigent defendants. Indigent defendants in El Paso usually speak with an experienced attorney within 24 hours

By John Council

13 minute read

October 18, 2010 | Texas Lawyer

Although Republicans have won every statewide race in Texas since 1996, each of the GOP incumbents in the races for attorney general and the state's two highest courts face challengers in the Nov. 2 general election. Senior reporters Mary Alice Robbins and John Council pose one question to those running for Texas attorney general and for seats on the Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals. All candidates received at least two telephone calls each requesting interviews.

By Mary Alice Robbins and John Council

10 minute read

May 03, 2010 | Texas Lawyer

Regardless of whether lawyers win a $100 million verdict, close a huge international deal or fight the good fight in the criminal justice system, there is one person most attorneys should thank for their legal accomplishments: mom. Assistant Williamson County Attorney Melissa Hervey is pictured at left as a child with her mother Barbara Barbara in 1984. Barbara Hervey is now a judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

By John Council and Mary Alice Robbins

23 minute read

October 27, 2008 | Texas Lawyer

With record voter turnout expected in a state that's not looking as red as it once did, lawyers who follow politics are asking: Can a Democratic candidate break through and win a seat on the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court? Three Republican incumbents on the Supreme Court will face off against three Democrats and three Libertarians in this year's Nov. 4 general election.

By John Council and Mary Alice Robbins

19 minute read

January 03, 2005 | Texas Lawyer

So you want a quick ruling on a motion filed in a U.S. District Court in Texas? No problem. How about a timely trial date? Done. That's the good news to be taken from Texas Lawyer's annual Slowpoke Report on the 52 U.S. District judges in Texas.

By John Council

11 minute read

January 11, 2010 | Texas Lawyer

Eva Guzman made history on Oct. 8 when she became the first Latina appointed to the Texas Supreme Court. But Rose Vela wants to be the first Latina elected to the high court and is challenging Guzman in what promises to be a politically intriguing and historic Republican primary race. Texas will have one of the most crowded appellate court campaign seasons in recent memory.

By John Council and Mary Alice Robbins

20 minute read

March 13, 2006 | Texas Lawyer

A former Court of Criminal Appeals judge will face off against a current CCA law clerk in the November battle for a trial court bench in the state capital.

By Mary Alice Robbins, John Council, Miriam Rozen and Mark Donald

15 minute read

November 07, 2005 | Texas Lawyer

Most of the prosecutors, criminal-defense lawyers and defendants involved in Travis County DA Ronnie Earle's prosecution of public officials � before the Tom DeLay investigation � come to the same conclusion: Politics had little � if anything � to do with Earle's reasons for prosecuting politicians.

By John Council and Mary Alice Robbins

28 minute read