Ryan Autullo

Texas courts reporter @blaw. Type 2 fun. News or parenting tips? DM me or email [email protected].

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

This all comes after four of Lehrmann's GOP colleagues lost their benches to Democrats last week.

Before the election, the court was 9-0 Republicans.

Now, 5 Republicans, 4 Democrats.

Dems would take majority if Lehrmann leaves early because Hinojosa would fill vacancy.

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

New: Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann (R) won't rule out retiring before end of her term.

Her exit would give appointment to Gov Gina Hinojosa, flipping court majority to Dems.

“I have to make a decision by early summer,” she told me. #txlege

https://t.co/Mx6XbXKtxx

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

Lehrmann said in deciding whether to step down early she won’t consider political split with Hinojosa or potential for Republicans to surrender majority to Democrats.

“I have faith the Governor is going to appoint a good jurist,” she said. “She has the reasons to want to do it.”

[Jasper Scherer @jaspscherer]

What things looked like the last year Dems won a U.S. Senate election in Texas

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

Thinking about @chiproytx and @KHancock4TX.

Each lost GOP primary because they were insufficiently loyal to President Trump.

Then they watched the candidates who beat them lose the general because of their loyalty to President Trump.

Politics moves fast. #txlege

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

Went on KXAN with @willdupreetv to discuss the results of the Texas judicial elections and what we can expect from the courts under Gov. Gina Hinojosa. #txlege

https://t.co/NNnhsGN0cw via @YouTube

[Jasper Scherer @jaspscherer]

Some of the voter blocs in Texas that swung hardest to the left, per 2024 and 2026 Senate exit polls

Age 18-24: D+65 margin swing
(From Allred 49-47 to Talarico 83-16)

Asian: D+56
(From Cruz 55-42 to Talarico 71-28)

Latino men: D+52
(From Cruz 62-37 to Talarico 63-36)

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

Field: “We know we can’t get the opinion out for cases orally argued before the end of the year so we don’t want to waste the lawyers’ time with an argument if there’s a chance the new court will also want to hear argument."

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

New: Texas appeals court that flipped to Dem from GOP cancels Dec. 8 argument in challenge to state smokable THC ban.

Decision will be left to Dem replacements.

Justice Scott Field tells me court will spend time left on cases already argued. #txlege

https://t.co/AvnnqxOZQx

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

Field: “We know we can’t get the opinion out for cases orally argued before the end of the year so we don’t want to waste the lawyers’ time with an argument if there’s a chance the new court will also want to hear argument."

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

Ellis also wants to rescind order that judges can refrain from marrying same-sex couples for religious reasons without violating judicial conduct code.

“It was an attack on the LGBTQ community,” Ellis said.

Changes require five votes, a majority. There will be four Democrats.

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

New: Next chief justice of Texas SC, Maggie Ellis (D), wants state to again let American Bar Association accredit law schools, she tells me.

All-GOP court ended that decades long relationship over ABA's DEI practices.

#txlege

https://t.co/ZEf61ogxKx

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

New: James Sullivan of Texas Supreme Court interviewed for a federal district court bench on Oct. 14 - days before early voting started, @jacq_thomsen says.

He lost race to keep his bench.

White House now nominating Sully for bench in Austin. #txlege

https://t.co/tm51TPtdar

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

All three Dallas appeals court races were decided 59-41.

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

Observation on Texas appeals court races.

GOP incumbents statewide on SCOTX, Court of Criminal Appeals & 15th Court lost by strikingly similar margins.

Dems won 52-48 or 53-47. Exception: 3-candidate CCA race with Libertarian.

Voters see generic R or D candidates. #txlege

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

New: AG-elect Johnson might end Paxton's Tylenol/autism lawsuit.

“Sounds to me like some partisan bullshit they did to get attention,” he told @BLaw.

Johnson also to scrutinize outside contracts.

Paxton impeachment lawyer @TonyBuzbee2 has 4. #txlege

https://t.co/3vCo1hN9BL

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

@TylerTalbert Hate that the camera points down. It revealed to me a bald spot I didn't know I had.

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

Four GOP justices on Texas Supreme Court showed up to oral arguments after they lost their jobs in stunning election losses.

Stopped by and wrote on state of judiciary and what results mean for political & business environments.

No paywall. #txlege

https://t.co/d72Oi7o5m9

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

Kratovil said big election shifts in all three branches of the state government could lead to an uncertain business environment.

“All of that is now in flux,” he said. “Concerned is too strong, but there’s a lot of uncertainty.”

[Ryan Autullo @RyanAutullo]

Kratovil called the present makeup of the court the best he’s seen in his 25 years practicing law.

“As someone who interacts with the Texas appellate bar extensively, that’s an almost universal sentiment,” he said.