Judge committee says peers wrong in OR case

BRYAN — Three months after a group of local judges banded together to refuse an open records request by The Eagle, a special committee of their peers has decided that they were wrong in doing so.

In a recent ruling, the committee ordered 85th District Judge J.D. Langley, 361st District Judge Steve Smith, County Court at Law No. 2 Judge Jim Locke and former County Court at Law

Harrison was appointed to the part-time judgeship last November after a unanimous vote by the county’s juvenile board, despite criticism that she had a history of alcohol-related arrests.

She declined the job offer later that month, just days after The Eagle filed what would be the first of several open records requests.

LaMarque meeting won’t be pursued

LA MARQUE — A La Marque school board meeting open to only a small group of people violated state law but the Galveston County district attorney will not prosecute the case.

The Galveston County Daily News reported that in a letter sent to the school trustees, District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk said the Feb. 16 closed-door session failed to comply with the Open Meetings Ac. Five people who had registered to present complaints to the board in open session were invited into the closed session.

Lubbock improperly discusses city structure

LUBBOCK — The Lubbock City Council likely violated the state’s open meeting laws by discussing city departments in closed session, a state Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas lawyer told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

The council met in executive session under the heading of discussing personnel matters. Then in open session the council voted 5-0 to transfer the duties of the city council office and public information office from city secretary to city manager.

Dairy suit settlement terms finally released

WACO — A Waco federal court finally unsealed a confidential legal settlement between the city of Waco and six upstream dairies, revealing terms the dairy defendants view as favorable.

Both parties had agreed to make the settlement confidential, but the Waco Tribune-Herald has been seeking the information through the Texas Public Information Act.

The city paid two law firms nearly $3.1 million to pursue and settle lawsuits against 14 dairies accused of polluting the North Bosque River

76 sue AG in ’05

AUSTIN — Governments and businesses that disagree with Texas attorney general rulings to release documents may sue to keep the information from the public. Here is a snapshot of the number of lawsuits filed by year:

2000 — 37

2001 — 37

2002 — 55

2003 — 45

2004 — 64

2005 — 76

2006* — 11 *Through February

Source: Texas attorney general’s office via Austin American-Statesman