Paxton v. American Oversight

American Oversight filed a petition for a writ of mandamus in Travis County district court against the Governor and the Attorney General under section 552.321 of the Public Information Act (PIA). The district court denied the State’s pleas to the jurisdiction, and the State filed an interlocutory appeal. The court of appeals affirmed the district court’s jurisdiction, holding that section 552.321(b) authorized district courts to issue mandamus relief against constitutional executive officers. The State petitioned for review, and the Supreme Court of Texas held that the Legislature has not provided express statutory authorization for district courts to issue writs of mandamus against constitutional executive officers, as required by precedent in A & T Consultants, Inc. v. Sharp.