Texas’s Fifth Court on Judicial Hellholes® Watch List for Fourth Year
AUSTIN, TEXAS–The following statement regarding the inclusion of the Dallas-based Texas Court of Appeals for the Fifth District (“Fifth Court”) in the American Tort Reform Foundation’s 2024-2025 “Judicial Hellholes®” report should be attributed to Robert Wood, spokesperson for Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse (TALA):
“For a state with a long track record of fighting lawsuit abuse and working to help ensure our courts do not impose unnecessary delays and costs on litigants or consumers, Texas’ inclusion in the Judicial Hellholes® Watch List for a fourth straight year is anything but welcome news.
“As the report notes, the Fifth Court has a track record of liability-expanding decisions and fails to follow Texas Supreme Court precedent. Despite the high court’s reversals of the Fifth Court, the lower court’s errors and questionable rulings have effectively burdened litigants with unnecessary costs and delays, which can end up costing all of us as consumers, job seekers, and more.
“Voters clearly paid attention to the court’s questionable rulings, electing a number of new justices during the General Election in November. Voters are signaling that good judges matter, and like voters, we’ll watch to see if the recent election will positively impact the Fifth Court and address the serious concerns raised in the Judicial Hellholes® report.”
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Visit the American Tort Reform Foundation’s “Judicial Hellholes®” website here to read the full report. Click here to explore the report’s Watch List, including the reasons behind Texas’s Fifth Court’s inclusion.
Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse and Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse are the state’s oldest grassroots lawsuit reform education and advocacy organizations. Learn more about our work at tala.com.
