Empower Texans, Inc. v. Nodolf
Empower Texans, Inc. v. Nodolf
Opinion of the Court
BEFORE THE COURT is Plaintiff Empower Texans, Inc.'s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order-treated as a Motion for Preliminary Injunction. (Doc. 2). After due consideration, the Court determines it lacks jurisdiction over this case. Accordingly, the Court DENIES Plaintiff's Motion and DISMISSES Plaintiff's Complaint. Id. The Court DENIES all other pending motions as MOOT .
I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND
Plaintiff is a non-profit corporation with the "principal purpose of educating and inspiring Texans to exercise effective citizenship." (Doc. 2 at 2). "Using research, reporting, and advocacy, [Plaintiff] empowers *964taxpayers to advocate for good governance and to hold their elected officials accountable." Id. Plaintiff uses mail, email, and social media to spread its message to Texas citizens. Id.
On January 26, 2018, Plaintiff filed an assumed name certificate with the Texas Secretary of State for the name "Texas Ethics Disclosure Board." Id. According to Plaintiff, there is no public servant or public office called the Texas Ethics Disclosure Board. Id.
Subsequently, Plaintiff created notices that it sent to voters in Tarrant County, Texas regarding the 2018 Republican Primary. Id. The notices featured the Texas Ethics Disclosure Board name and listed a Post Office box owned by Plaintiff as the return address. (Docs. 1-2 at 2-3; 2 at 2; 12-1).
The notices identified State Representative Charles L. Geren and Mindy R. Ellmer, who the notices classified as a lobbyist and Representative Geren's spouse. Id. The notices state:
This notice from the Texas Ethics Disclosure Board is directed to voters in HOUSE DISTRICT 99 concerning a candidate for office who must disclose a relationship with a registered lobbyist pursuant to Tex. Gov't Code § 572.0531.
Id. Further, the notices warn that obstructing the delivery of the notices could result in a fine and imprisonment under
After distributing the notices, members of the media notified Plaintiff about a complaint filed by a Tarrant County voter with the Travis County District Attorney's Office. (Doc. 2 at 2). The complaint alleged that Plaintiff's notices and use of the name Texas Ethics Disclosure Board constituted a violation of Texas Penal Code § 37.11.
Plaintiff filed its Complaint and Motion for Temporary Restraining Order on February 28, 2018. (Docs. 1, 2). Plaintiff seeks to continue using the Texas Ethics Disclosure Board name, but fears prosecution under § 37.11. (Doc. 2 at 2-3). Plaintiff claims violations of its First and Fourteenth Amendment rights and contends the "fear of prosecution has had a chilling effect on Plaintiff's speech, causing Plaintiff damages."
The Court held a hearing on Plaintiff's Motion for Temporary Restraining Order on March 14, 2018. (Doc. 9); (See Tr.). After ensuring that each party received *965adequate notice of the hearing, the Court treated the application for the temporary restraining order as an application for a preliminary injunction. See Dilworth v. Riner ,
II. LEGAL STANDARD
"Federal district courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, and may only exercise such jurisdiction as is expressly conferred by the Constitution and federal statute." Empower Texans, Inc. v. Tex. Ethics Comm'n , A-14-CA-172-SS,
"Article III of the Constitution limits the jurisdiction of federal courts to 'Cases' and 'Controversies.' " Susan B. Anthony List v. Driehaus , 573 U.S. ----,
III. DISCUSSION
"[A] plaintiff satisfies the injury-in-fact requirement where he alleges 'an intention to engage in a course of conduct arguably affected with a constitutional interest, but proscribed by a statute, and there exists a credible threat of prosecution thereunder.' " Susan B. Anthony List ,
1. Plaintiff's Intended Future Conduct Is Affected with a Constitutional Interest Because Plaintiff Intends to Engage in Political Speech.
When a political organization intends to engage in political speech, the organization's conduct is "certainly 'affected with a constitutional interest.' " Id. at 2344 (quoting Babbitt ,
2. There Is No Indication that Plaintiff's Intended Future Conduct Is Arguably Proscribed by Texas Penal Code § 37.11.
Plaintiff contends, "none of Plaintiff's activities under the name Texas Ethics *966Disclosure Board in any way violates Texas Penal Code § 37.11." Id. at 3. The Court acknowledges that Plaintiff is not required to confess that it will violate the law in order to challenge the constitutionality of the law. See Susan B. Anthony List ,
Turning to Defendants' arguments, Defendants do not confirm or deny that § 37.11 proscribes Plaintiff's intended conduct. (Tr. at 69). Instead, Defendants state only that the Tarrant County voter's complaint is "under review."
The Court reviews other cases for guidance. In Susan B. Anthony List , the challenged statute clearly covered the subject of petitioners' intended speech. See
In Steffel , police officers threatened to arrest petitioner for distributing handbills protesting the Vietnam War. Steffel v. Thompson ,
In Babbitt , the law "on its face proscribe[d] dishonest, unartful, and deceptive publicity."
In American Booksellers , the booksellers challenged a statute that read, " '[i]t shall be unlawful for any person ... to knowingly display for commercial purpose in a manner whereby juveniles may examine and peruse' visual or written material that 'depicts sexually explicit nudity, sexual conduct or sadomasochistic abuse and which is harmful to juveniles.' "
*967Virginia v. Am. Booksellers Ass'n, Inc. ,
In these cases, at least one party to the lawsuit established that the challenged statute proscribed, or at least arguably could proscribe, the plaintiff's intended future conduct. In the current case, no party alleges that § 37.11 proscribes, or arguably could proscribe, Plaintiff's intended future conduct. In other words, Plaintiff asks the Court to assume that at least one Defendant will make the future determination that Plaintiff's intended conduct is proscribed by § 37.11, and requests the Court enjoin that Defendant's potential conduct.
3. Plaintiff Does Not Demonstrate a Credible Threat of Prosecution Under Texas Penal Code § 37.11.
Plaintiff claims when it learned the complaint was under review, it immediately ceased sending notices to voters for "fear of prosecution." (Doc. 2 at 2-3). The government's review of a private citizen's complaint does not create a "threat of prosecution" substantial enough to meet the Constitution's injury-in-fact requirement.
In Google , the court determined:
"A preliminary injunction is not appropriate, however, 'unless the party seeking it can demonstrate that "First Amendment interests are either threatened or in fact being impaired at the time relief is sought." ' " [citation omitted] Thus, invocation of the First Amendment cannot substitute for the presence of an imminent, non-speculative irreparable injury. And we cannot say at this early stage of a state investigation that any suit that could follow would necessarily violate the Constitution. [citation omitted]
In sum, as underscored by [the Attorney General's] apparent need to gather considerable information before he can determine whether an enforcement action is warranted, the prospect of one is not sufficiently imminent or defined to justify an injunction. See O'Shea v. Littleton ,414 U.S. 488 , 499,94 S.Ct. 669 ,38 L.Ed.2d 674 (1974) (explaining that enjoining a state's criminal processes is inappropriate absent "a showing of irreparable injury which is 'both great and immediate' "); Boyle v. Landry ,401 U.S. 77 , 81,91 S.Ct. 758 ,27 L.Ed.2d 696 (1971) ("[T]he normal course of state criminal prosecutions cannot be disrupted or blocked on the basis of charges which in the last analysis amount to nothing more than speculation about the future.").
Google, Inc. v. Hood ,
In this case, no party offered evidence of past enforcement of the statute against political organizations in Texas, and Plaintiff cannot show that Defendants took any *968action beyond reviewing the complaint.
IV. CONCLUSION
Plaintiff requests the Court enjoin Defendants "from initiating investigations or prosecutions of Plaintiff for violation of Tex[as] Penal Code § 37.11." (Doc. 2 at 5). To do so, the Court must assume: (1) at least one Defendant will review the complaint and determine Plaintiff's conduct is proscribed by § 37.11, and (2) that the Defendant will then initiate an investigation or prosecution of Plaintiff. Considering the need for these assumptions and the discussion above, it is clear Plaintiff lacks an Article III injury in fact. Without an Article III injury, the Court lacks jurisdiction. Accordingly, the Court DENIES Plaintiff's Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (Preliminary Injunction) for want of jurisdiction. (Doc. 2).
Reviewing Plaintiff's Complaint, Plaintiff requests the Court declare § 37.11 unconstitutional as applied, enjoin Defendants from initiating investigations or prosecutions of Plaintiff under the statute, and grant Plaintiff costs pursuant to
The Court's decision renders all remaining pending motions MOOT .
It is so ORDERED .
(a) A person commits an offense if he: (1) impersonates a public servant with intent to induce another to submit to his pretended official authority or to rely on his pretended official acts; or (2) knowingly purports to exercise any function of a public servant or of a public office, including that of a judge and court, and the position or office through which he purports to exercise a function of a public servant or public office has no lawful existence under the constitution or laws of this state or of the United States. (b) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree. Tex. Penal Code § 37.11.
The statute made it a "crime for any person to '[m]ake a false statement concerning the voting record of a candidate or public official,' ... or to '[p]ost, publish, circulate, distribute, or otherwise disseminate a false statement concerning a candidate, either knowing the same to be false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not ....' " See Susan B. Anthony List ,
The Court acknowledges Plaintiff's past dispute with the State of Texas Ethics Commission regarding state laws governing political action committees and lobbyists, but this dispute does not concern the statute at issue. See Empower Texans, Inc. v. Tex. Ethics Comm'n ,
Defense Counsel for Laura A. Nodolf, District Attorney for Midland County, highlighted this point, "I don't know that there is precedent for a plaintiff coming into a courtroom to say that they have not violated a statute and then [to] ask the counsel representing [the] District Attorneys to develop [by stating whether or not the District Attorneys will prosecute Plaintiff] what would be the imminent harm that gets them to the preliminary injunction." (Tr. at 64.)
Reference
- Full Case Name
- EMPOWER TEXANS, INC. v. Laura A. NODOLF, in her official capacity as District Attorney for Midland County, Texas Margaret Moore, in her official capacity as District Attorney for Travis County, Texas Sharen Wilson, in her official capacity as Criminal District Attorney for Tarrant County, Texas and Ken Paxton, in his official capacity as Attorney General of Texas
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published