'Texas Supreme Court' Tagged Posts

'Texas Supreme Court' Tagged Posts

The presiding bishop and president of the House of Deputies stand with us

Both Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the Rev. Gay Jennings, president of the House of Deputies, have sent assurances of their affection, support and prayers. Michael Curry’s letter Curry wrote: Dear Bishop Mayer, Clergy and People of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, I recall with great fondness the time not so long ago when I was blessed to make a pastoral visitation with you. We worshipped God together, visited several of your ministries, had opportunity for conversation and fellowship.…

Texas Supreme Court to review Court of Appeals opinion

On Friday, August 30, 2019, the Texas Supreme Court agreed to hear oral argument on both (1) the breakaway parties’ petition for review the Fort Worth Court of Appeals April 2018 opinion in favor of the loyal Episcopalians of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth as well as (2) our conditional cross-petition for review. The conditional cross-petition asserted additional reasons why we should prevail in this litigation. The oral argument will be held at 9 am December 5, 2019. The time allotted to…

Texas Supreme Court to consider briefing; petitions for review still under consideration

On Friday, February 8, 2019, the Texas Supreme Court said it would like to consider briefing on the merits before deciding whether to take up the breakaways parties’ petition for review of the Fort Worth Court of Appeals April 2018 opinion in favor of the loyal Episcopalians of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth and our conditional cross-petition for review. The conditional cross-petition asserted additional grounds to prevail in the litigation. The petitions for review are still under consideration by the Supreme Court.…

Episcopal Parties File Petition for Review by U.S. Supreme Court

On June 19, 2014, The Episcopal Church and loyal Episcopal parties and congregations of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court. The Fort Worth parties were joined in the filing by the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas and the officials from the continuing Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in San Angelo. In related news, the remand of the case to the 141st District Court in Tarrant County continues; Judge John P. Chupp entered a scheduling order that includes pleading and discovery deadlines and sets the hearing on motions for summary judgment for December 17, 2014.

Bishop High issues statement in wake of Texas Supreme Court action

We found out today the Texas Supreme Court denied our motion to stay issuance of mandate.  Of course, we had hoped they would respond positively to our request.  In the wake of this decision, our legal team is preparing for the hearing next Thursday before Judge John P. Chupp.  We will keep you updated as things  progress. It is a slow process, but we will continue to move forward. +Rayford B. High, Jr.

Letter from Bishop Rayford High on next steps after Texas Supreme Court opinion

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, After a day and a half back in the office, I want to share with you several very important things about our diocese. First, I will be meeting with our legal team and we are actively working on the next steps forward in the litigation. I have heard that some folks think we are giving up. That is not true. We will keep you as informed as possible as these plans unfold while still…

Statement from the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas regarding the Texas Supreme Court opinon in the Masterson case

The Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas and the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd issued this statement on August 31, 2013 following the Texas Supreme Court’s opinion in the Masterson case. In Masterson, a San Angelo trial court and the Austin Court of Appeals both found that breakaway parties had no right to take historic Episcopal Church property that they had sworn to protect, just as the Fort Worth trial court found in our diocesan case. Dear Friends in Christ, We wanted to let you…

A letter from Bishop Rayford High following the opinion from the Texas Supreme Court

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, On August 30, 2013 the Texas Supreme Court issued an opinion that sent our case back to the lower court for reconsideration. While it is a disappointment not to have a definitive decision, as followers of Jesus Christ, we live in hope. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori joins me in acknowledging our disappointment and urging all of us to be gentle with one another during this trying time, with the important goal of continuing…

Update on Oral Arguments Before the Texas Supreme Court

On October 16, 2012 the Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments in our diocesan case involving a faction of former leaders who broke ties with The Episcopal Church but continue to hold themselves out as leaders of the Episcopal Diocese with access to its historic property. Immediately following those arguments, the Court heard arguments in the Masterson case involving a similar breakaway faction from Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, San Angelo. Thomas S. Leatherbury, a partner of Vinson & Elkins, LLP,…

Local Episcopal Parties and Congregations File Motion to Present Most Recent Updates to Texas Supreme Court (Update)

On October 10, 2012 the Local Episcopal Parties and Congregations filed a motion for leave to file an Additional Brief, to address pertinent case law developments and new filings submitted after the parties concluded their briefing. A copy of the brief is here. This summer, there have been several important developments in the case law. The United States Supreme Court denied petitions for writ of certiorari filed by two breakaway factions urging the exact same arguments as the breakaway Defendants…

Episcopal Parties File Additional Brief with Texas Supreme Court

On October 10, 2012 the Local Episcopal Parties filed an additional brief with the Texas Supreme Court, in anticipation of the oral arguments scheduled for Tuesday, October 16, 2012 in Austin in our diocesan case and also the parish case from the Diocese of Northwest Texas. A copy of the brief is here. As a reminder, please call Chancellor Kathleen Wells at 817.709.4207 if you plan to go to Austin to sit in on the arguments live. Also recall that…

More Details on Oral Argument October 16, 2012

We are delighted that the Texas Supreme Court has set oral arguments in the Fort Worth and Northwest Texas (San Angelo) cases for October 16, 2012 to begin at 9:00 a.m. in the Supreme Court’s Courtroom in Austin. General information regarding oral arguments before the Court is posted on the Court’s website at www.supreme.courts.state.tx.us/oralarguments/oa.asp. In the Fort Worth case, general information regarding case events, with direct links to the various pleadings, briefs, and other documents filed in the case, is located…

Texas Supreme Court agrees to hear Fort Worth Episcopal dispute

By Patrick M. Walker of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram The nearly 4-year-old property dispute between the two groups that claim to be the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is heading to the Texas Supreme Court. Justices agreed last week to hear oral arguments Oct. 16, the same day the state’s highest civil court was already set to hear a similar case involving an Episcopal church in San Angelo. A group headed by Bishop Jack Iker made a direct appeal to…

Texas Supreme Court sets date to hear oral arguments

The Texas Supreme Court has set October 16, 2012, as the date to hear oral arguments in the direct appeal by the breakaway defendants of the trial court ruling in the property litigation by the Episcopal Parties, first filed in April 2009. Arguments will begin at 9:00 a.m. and each side will be allotted 20 minutes. This is the same date the Court set previously to hear a similar case involving a church in San Angelo. In Masterson, a San Angelo…

Texas Supreme Court Resets Oral Argument in Northwest Texas Case

On June 22, 2012 the Texas Supreme Court reset the oral argument in the Masterson case, which is the appeal by a breakaway faction seeking to overturn the judgment in favor of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas and the loyal Episcopalians at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in San Angelo. The argument will be heard on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at the 9:00 a.m. docket in the Supreme Court Building in Austin. This case had been set for oral argument…
  • 1
  • 2