The Latest Breaking News from Robert Pitman

Texas’ social media law takes another hit with temporary blocks on three more provisions

The new injunction prohibits advertising and age verification restrictions in the SCOPE Act, which aims to make social media safer for teenagers.

The Texas Tribune · Feb 8, 2025

Ken Paxton sues TikTok for violating new Texas social media law

The attorney general argues that the popular short form video app has not complied with a new state law that seeks to protect children who are active online.

The Texas Tribune · Oct 3, 2024

Staffing shortages makes it harder for Texas inmates to deal with extreme indoor heat conditions, critics say

Currently, about 24% of the 24,112 correctional officer positions in Texas prisons are vacant

Latin Times · Sep 12, 2024

A US appeals court will review its prior order that returned banned books to shelves in Texas

A federal appeals court in New Orleans is taking another look at its own recent order requiring a Texas county to keep eight books on public library shelves that deal with subjects including sex, gender identity and racism

The Independent UK · Jul 7, 2024

Austin Judges Shop For Cases With "Mutual Consent"

Cases in the Austin Division of the Western District of Texas are not "randomly" assigned.

Reason · May 16, 2024

Court Denies Plaintiff Pseudonymity in #TheyLied Libel Suit Stemming from Alleged Stealthing by 17-Year-Old

From a decision last week by Judge Robert Pitman in DL v. JS (W.D. Tex.): Plaintiff dated ES from September 2021 to January 2022 when they were both in high school. On December 18, 2021, Plaintiff and ES were having intercourse when Plaintiff removed his condom without ES's knowledge. ES,…

Reason · Nov 28, 2023

Federal judge seems wary of Texas ban on TikTok at public universities

Last year, Texas joined more than 30 other states in banning TikTok on government-issued cell phones and computers. A nationwide coalition of professors are suing the state over the ban, arguing it has limited their ability to teach and research the social media app.

The Texas Tribune · Nov 16, 2023

A Possible Reprieve for the Mentally Ill on Death Row

Scott Panetti was deemed incompetent for execution.

Texas Observer · Oct 12, 2023

Texas death row inmate with 40-year mental illness history ruled not competent to be executed

A federal judge has ruled a Texas death row inmate with a long history of mental illness is not competent to be executed

The Independent UK · Sep 28, 2023

Convicted murderer Scott Panetti isn’t sane enough to be executed, federal judge rules

Panetti murdered his in-laws in 1992. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2007 set new court precedent with his case, raising the bar on the constitutional restriction against executing the insane.

The Texas Tribune · Sep 28, 2023