Overview
- A three-judge panel of the 15th Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a trial court order blocking Ken Paxton’s reporting rules, finding no statutory authority for him to impose ongoing disclosures.
- The injunction is limited to the seven plaintiff jurisdictions—Harris, Dallas, Bexar, Travis, El Paso, Williamson and Fort Bend counties—rather than applying statewide.
- Judges concluded enforcement would cause immediate and irreparable harm, citing testimony about thousands of staff hours, diversion from active prosecutions, and risks to confidential grand jury and victim records.
- The rules targeted counties over 400,000 residents and required initial, quarterly and annual reports including internal emails, case files and office policies, with noncompliance labeled as “official misconduct.”
- The case now returns to the trial court with the injunction intact for the plaintiffs, and local officials praised the ruling while Paxton’s office had not issued a response.