'legal news' Tagged Posts
Bishop High’s statement on decision of 141st District Court
On Tuesday, March 2, 2015, the Hon. John P. Chupp of the 141st District Court, Tarrant County, Texas, denied the Local Episcopal Parties’ and The Episcopal Church’s Motions for Summary Judgments. He granted the breakaway parties’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, except as to the claims of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Fort Worth. Order on Motions for Partial Summary Judgment “We are disappointed with this decision but quite hopeful for the future. This sacred property was built up over 170…
Episcopal parties file reply to response on motion for summary judgment
On January 23, 2015, the Episcopal Parties filed their final objections to the arguments and evidence cited by the ACNA parties and a reply to the arguments the ACNA parties raised in opposition to the motion for summary judgment. Objections to and Motion to Strike Defendants’ Supplemental Summary Judgment Affidavits 012415 Reply in Support of Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment 012315 The schedule for the summary judgment motions in the 141st District Court of Tarrant County is as follows: December…
Episcopal Parties file Response to Defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment
On Monday, December 22, 2014, Plaintiffs The Episcopal Church and the Local Episcopal Parties and Congregations filed their Response to the breakaway Defendants’ motion for partial summary judgment in the 141st Civil District Court of Tarrant County, the Honorable Judge John P. Chupp presiding. Read the Response to Defendants’ Second Motion for Partial Summary Judgment – PDF The Rt. Rev. Rayford B. High, Jr., bishop of the diocese and one of the named plaintiffs in the case, expressed his confidence that…
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.
Diocesan litigation moves forward in two courts
At a hearing on Thursday, April 24, 2014, Judge John P. Chupp of the 141st District Court denied the Episcopal Parties’ motion to stay, or stop, proceedings in the diocesan case in the district court and granted the breakaway ACNA parties’ motion to set aside the supersedeas order that had imposed conditions for the ACNA parties to maintain possession of the church property during appeal. The breakaway parties agreed to give notice before selling any church property in their possession. This ruling…
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…
Orange County Court grants two Los Angeles properties to diocese, Episcopal Church
[The Episcopal News, Los Angeles] Final Judgments in favor of the Diocese of Los Angeles and the Episcopal Church in cases regarding Long Beach and North Hollywood property disputes have been entered by the Orange County Superior Court. “The judgments conclude the trial court portion of the cases and declare that the diocese holds the properties in trust for the current and future mission of the Episcopal Church,” said diocesan attorney John R. Shiner. “It is ordered, adjudged and decreed…
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…