State of Texas v. Harris County, Texas

ACCEPTED 15-24-00120-CV FIFTEENTH COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 6/20/2025 11:27 AM No. 15-24-00120-CV CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE CLERK FILED IN In the Fifteenth Court of Appeals 15th COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS Austin, Texas 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE Clerk

State of Texas, Appellant, v. Harris County, Texas, et al., Appellees.

On Appeal from the 165th District Court, Harris County, Texas Cause No. 2024-63919, Hon. Ursula Hall, Presiding Judge

Joint Motion to Abate Appeal

Ken Paxton Grant B. Martinez Brent Webster State Bar No. 24104118 Aaron L. Nielson [email protected] Benjamin W. Mendelson Justin P. Tschoepe State Bar No. 24106297 Lily E. Hann [email protected] Yetter Coleman LLP Office of the 811 Main Street, Suite 4100 Attorney General Houston, Texas 77002 P.O. Box 12548 (MC 059) Phone: (713) 632-8000 Austin, Texas 78711 Phone: (512) 936-1700 Counsel for Appellees Counsel for Appellant To the Honorable Fifteenth Court of Appeals: The parties jointly request that the Court abate this appeal for 30 days. The parties are currently discussing options to resolve this case and State v. Harris County, No. 15-24-00061-CV in light of the Harris County Commissioners Court’s recent vote of which the Court is aware.

After the Commissioners Court voted, the parties spoke and agreed on next steps to potentially resolve these cases. The next day, the Court requested supplemental briefing as to whether these cases are moot. The parties believe that they may be able to resolve these cases without burdening the Court with additional briefing.

If the parties cannot reach an agreement within 30 days, they will be prepared to submit supplemental briefs on mootness within fourteen days of the cases’ reinstatement.

Conclusion and Prayer For these reasons, the parties respectfully and jointly request that the Court (a) abate this appeal for 30 days; and (b) set the deadline for supplemental briefs at fourteen days after reinstatement should such briefing be necessary.

-2- Dated: June 20, 2025 Respectfully submitted, /s/ Benjamin W. Mendelson /s/ Grant B. Martinez Ken Paxton Grant B. Martinez Brent Webster State Bar No. 24104118 Aaron Nielson [email protected] Benjamin Mendelson Justin P. Tschoepe State Bar No. 24106297 State Bar 24079480 [email protected] [email protected] Office of the Lily E. Hann Attorney General State Bar No. 24133836 P.O. Box 12548 (MC 059) [email protected] Austin, Texas 78711 Yetter Coleman LLP Phone: (512) 936-1700 811 Main Street, Suite 4100 Houston, Texas 77002 Attorneys for Appellant Phone: (713) 632-8000 Christian D. Menefee Harris County Attorney Tiffany S. Bingham Managing Counsel Affirmative & Special Litigation Division State Bar No. 24012287 [email protected] Edward D. Swidriski III Assistant Harris County Attorney State Bar No. 24083929 [email protected] Office of The Harris County Attorney 1019 Congress Plaza, 15th Floor Houston, Texas 77002 Phone: (713) 274-5101 Attorneys for Appellees

-3- Certificate of Service I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of this document was served on all counsel of record in this case, identified below, on June 20, 2025, electronically through the electronic filing manager in compliance with the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure: Ken Paxton Brent Webster Aaron Nielson Benjamin Mendelson Office of the Attorney General P.O. Box 12548 (MC 059) Austin, Texas 78711 Phone: (512) 936-1700

Counsel for Appellant /s/ Grant B. Martinez Grant B. Martinez

-4- Automated Certificate of eService This automated certificate of service was created by the efiling system.

The filer served this document via email generated by the efiling system on the date and to the persons listed below. The rules governing certificates of service have not changed. Filers must still provide a certificate of service that complies with all applicable rules.

Lisa Prince on behalf of Grant Martinez Bar No. 24104118 [email protected] Envelope ID: 102237914 Filing Code Description: Motion Filing Description: Joint Motion to Abate Appeal Status as of 6/20/2025 11:49 AM CST Case Contacts Name BarNumber Email TimestampSubmitted Status Delonda Dean [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Yetter Coleman [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Christopher Garza 24078543 [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Edward Swidriski 24083929 [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Jonathan Fombonne 24102702 [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Eleanor Matheson 24131490 [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Nicole A.Myette [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Christian Menefee 24088049 [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Nancy Villarreal [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Toni Shah [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Ryan Cooper 24123649 [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Athena Leyton [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Ben Mendelson [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Grant Martinez [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Lily Hann [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT William Farrell [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Andrea Mintzer [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT Lisa Prince [email protected] 6/20/2025 11:27:37 AM SENT