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Case Law Database

Access over workers' compensation decisions, including En Banc, Significant Panel Decisions, and writ-denied cases.

Case No. 05-15-00073-CV
Regular Panel Decision
Apr 16, 2015

Estate of David Anthony Toarmina

This document is an 'Agreed Correction of Reporter’s Record' filed by Danyel Moffett, Appellant, and Vincent Toarmina, Appellee. The parties agree to correct the Reporter’s Record by including two exhibits, Def. Ex. 29 and Def. Ex. 30, which are Charles Vincent Toarmina’s Response to Request for Disclosure and Charles Vincent Toarmina’s First Supplemental Response to Request for Disclosure, respectively. These exhibits were admitted at trial but not included in the original record. The parties agree that these documents are true and correct copies and should be made part of the Reporter’s Record for all purposes.

Appellate ProcedureCorrection of RecordExhibitsDiscoveryTexas Rules of Civil ProcedureProbate CourtEstate LawDisclosure RequestAppellate Court FilingAgreement of Parties
References
7
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Morales v. Ellen

This appeal concerns the application of the Texas Open Records Act (TORA) regarding the disclosure of investigative records pertaining to sexual harassment allegations against John Ellen, a former police lieutenant. The Attorney General challenged a trial court's decision that withheld the names and detailed statements of witnesses, citing privacy concerns, while ordering the release of Ellen's affidavit and the police board's findings. The appellate court affirmed the trial court's judgment, balancing the public's right to information about government affairs against the privacy rights of individuals involved in intimate and embarrassing sexual harassment investigations. It concluded that disclosing witness identities would discourage future reporting and cooperation, thereby upholding the privacy exemption under TORA.

Texas Open Records ActTORASexual HarassmentPrivacy RightsInvestigative RecordsGovernment TransparencyWitness ProtectionPublic OfficialsEctor CountyAppellate Law
References
11
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Jul 26, 2006

Velez v. Daar

In a medical malpractice action, the plaintiff sought damages for psychological and emotional injuries stemming from a failure to diagnose thyroid cancer. The plaintiff engaged in psychotherapy with Dr. Velma Stade and initially limited the disclosure of related notes. However, during a deposition, the plaintiff disclosed that factors beyond the thyroid cancer, such as work environment and family issues, contributed to his psychological symptoms. Consequently, the defendant sought full disclosure of Dr. Stade's notes, arguing that the plaintiff had waived his psychotherapist-client privilege. The Supreme Court reversed the motion court's protective order, determining that the plaintiff had indeed waived the CPLR 4508 social worker-patient confidentiality privilege by placing his psychological condition in controversy, thereby making the disclosure of the sensitive records warranted.

medical malpracticepsychotherapyconfidentiality privilegewaiver of privilegeCPLR 4508psychological injuriesemotional distressthyroid cancerdisclosure of recordssocial worker-patient privilege
References
2
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Hubert v. Harte-Hanks Texas Newspapers, Inc.

Justice Powers dissents from the majority's interpretation of subsection 3(a)(2) of the Texas Open Records Act, arguing that it incorrectly mandates the disclosure of names and qualifications of Texas A&M University presidential candidates. The dissent contends this disclosure constitutes a "clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" by placing individuals in a false light, as many did not consent to be considered and could suffer professional harm. Powers believes the majority's reading renders the subsection superfluous and is legally impermissible due to privacy and constitutional concerns. The dissent advocates for disclosure only of candidates who explicitly applied or consented, proposing a reversal of the trial court's order and a remand for individual assessment.

Open Records ActPublic Information DisclosurePersonal PrivacyFalse Light Invasion of PrivacyPersonnel FilesUniversity Presidential SearchTexas A&M UniversityMandamusStatutory InterpretationDissenting Opinion
References
16
Case No. 03-12-00309-CV
Regular Panel Decision
Aug 08, 2013

Larry F. York// Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation and Greg Abbott, Attorney General for the State of Texas v. Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation And Greg Abbott, Attorney General for the State of Texas// Cross- Larry F. York

This case involves Larry F. York's challenge to an Attorney General's open-records ruling concerning the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation (TGSL). York sought disclosure of various TGSL records, including board meeting minutes, a Strategic Plan, President's Reports, EAS-related documents, and a VFA application. The district court ordered disclosure of the actual minutes and EAS records but allowed TGSL to withhold attachments, the Strategic Plan, President's Reports, and pricing information from the VFA application. The Court of Appeals largely sided with York, affirming the disclosure of minutes and EAS records and reversing to order disclosure of the Strategic Plan, President's Reports, and other minute attachments. However, it affirmed the withholding of VFA pricing information and the denial of attorney's fees to York.

Open Meetings ActPublic Information ActGovernment TransparencyStudent LoansGovernmental RecordsCompetitive HarmDeclaratory JudgmentAttorney's FeesStatutory ConstructionAppellate Review
References
62
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Texas State Board of Chiropractic Examiners v. Greg Abbott, Attorney General of the State of Texas

The Texas State Board of Chiropractic Examiners (the Board) sued the Attorney General seeking a declaration that certain chiropractic records were exempt from disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act (PIA). The records were part of the Board's investigation file concerning a complaint, which the Board considered confidential under Occupations Code section 201.206(a). The Attorney General's Open Records Division (ORD) initially opined that patient access provisions (sections 201.404 and 201.405) created an exception, requiring disclosure with proper consent. The trial court granted summary judgment for the Attorney General, mandating disclosure. On appeal, the court reversed, holding that the patient access provisions did not create an exception to the confidentiality afforded the Board's investigation files, thus the documents were exempt from mandatory disclosure.

Public Information ActConfidentialityChiropractic RecordsInvestigation FilesStatutory ConstructionSummary JudgmentPatient AccessGovernmental BodyAttorney General OpinionAppellate Review
References
48
Case No. Motion sequence Nos. 002 and 005
Regular Panel Decision

UMG Recordings, Inc. v. Escape Media Group, Inc.

UMG Recordings, Inc. sued Escape Media Group, Inc. for common-law copyright infringement and unfair competition. Escape asserted DMCA safe harbor and CDA preemption defenses, along with Donnelly Act and tortious interference counterclaims. The court denied UMG's motion to dismiss the DMCA safe harbor defense, ruling it applies to pre-1972 recordings. However, the court granted UMG's motion to dismiss the CDA preemption defense, clarifying that the CDA's intellectual property exemption covers both federal and state laws. Additionally, Escape's Donnelly Act counterclaim was dismissed, but UMG's motions to dismiss the tortious interference counterclaims were denied, rejecting defenses like the Noerr-Pennington doctrine and economic interest.

Copyright InfringementDMCA Safe HarborPre-1972 RecordingsUnfair CompetitionCommunications Decency ActTortious InterferenceDonnelly ActNew York Common LawInternet Service ProvidersAntitrust
References
34
Case No. M2012-00341-COA-R3-CV
Regular Panel Decision
Jan 17, 2013

Martin D. Red Patterson, as a Citizen of the State of Tennessee, and as Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 369 v. The Convention Center Authority of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson Co.

This case addresses whether the residential addresses of employees of third-party contractors, found in payroll records submitted to the Convention Center Authority (CCA), are exempt from disclosure under the Tennessee Public Records Act (TPRA). Petitioners, Martin D. Patterson and Wayne Wells, sought these records to investigate compliance with prevailing wage laws and local hiring commitments for a public construction project. The CCA had redacted employee home addresses and social security numbers, citing privacy rights and exemptions under state and federal law. The trial court ruled that home addresses were not exempt and ordered their disclosure, though it denied attorney's fees to the petitioners. The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court's judgment, holding that the TPRA does not explicitly or implicitly exempt such addresses from disclosure, and federal FOIA balancing tests are not applicable to the TPRA's framework. The appellate court further upheld the denial of attorney's fees, acknowledging the CCA's good faith in resisting disclosure.

Public Records ActEmployee PrivacyStatutory InterpretationGovernment ContractsPrevailing WageDisclosure LawsAppellate DecisionTennessee LawFOIA ComparisonAttorney Fee Discretion
References
39
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Envoy Medical Systems, L.L.C. v. State

Envoy Medical Systems, L.L.C. and Independent Review Incorporated, both Independent Review Organizations (IROs), appealed a trial court's judgment denying their request to exempt certain records from disclosure under the Public Information Act (PIA). They sought to prevent the release of information pertaining to their reviewers, reviewer contracts, and compensation terms, arguing that this information was either 'confidential by law' or fell under the commercial or financial information exception of the PIA. The Texas Department of Insurance, having received the initial information request, had interpreted its rules to protect patient-specific data provided *to* IROs, not data provided *by* IROs as part of their certification application. The appellate court affirmed the trial court's judgment, concluding that the appellants failed to demonstrate that any exception to public disclosure applied to the disputed information.

Public Information ActOpen Records ActConfidentiality ExemptionCommercial InformationFinancial InformationIndependent Review OrganizationsIRO CertificationMedical NecessityUtilization ReviewTrade Secrets
References
12
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Zimmer v. Cathedral School of St. Mary & St. Paul

This case involves an appeal concerning discovery in a personal injury action between plaintiff Michael Zimmer and defendant David Zoni, stemming from an altercation. Zoni sought disclosure of Zimmer's psychiatric, social worker, and tax records, arguing relevance to the extent of injuries and the identity of the aggressor. The Supreme Court, Nassau County, initially compelled disclosure. However, the Appellate Division reversed this decision, ruling that Zimmer's alleged violent propensity was not in issue, thereby protecting his psychiatric and social worker records under privilege. The court also found Zoni failed to demonstrate a strong showing of necessity for Zimmer's tax records, thus denying their disclosure.

personal injurydiscovery disputeprotective ordermedical records privilegepsychiatric recordssocial worker recordstax recordsdisclosurewaiver of privilegeappellate reversal
References
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