Verdict . News

•Wyoming Supreme Court reversed district court's denial of motion to dissolve building permit injunction

Wyoming Supreme Court

Wyoming Supreme Court Reverses Injunction in Laramie Building Permit Case

The Wyoming Supreme Court reversed a district court's denial of a motion to dissolve an injunction against property owners Timothy Hale and Sonja Ringen, who constructed a storage building without permits in Laramie. The high court found the trial court abused its discretion in the December 2025 ruling.

•Property owners attempted multiple times to obtain permits but City of Laramie refused to issue them

•Supreme Court of Guam affirmed SH Enterprises' debarment by Office of Public Accountability

Supreme Court of Guam

Guam Supreme Court Affirms Business Debarment by Public Accountability Office

The Supreme Court of Guam upheld a lower court decision affirming the debarment of SH Enterprises, Inc. by the Office of Public Accountability. The case involves disputes over jurisdiction, due process rights, and allegations of statutory ethical violations in government contracting.

•Company challenged OPA's jurisdiction, due process procedures, and evidence of ethical violations

Supreme Court of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Supreme Court Denies Attorney Suspension Despite Convictions

The Oklahoma Supreme Court denied the Oklahoma Bar Association's request for immediate interim suspension of attorney Spencer Bowen Housley, who was convicted of battery and public intoxication in multiple criminal cases. The court's order came after reviewing certified copies of criminal complaints and judgments spanning from 2023 to 2025.

•Attorney Spencer Bowen Housley was convicted of battery and public intoxication in multiple criminal cases between 2023-2025

•Oklahoma Bar Association sought immediate interim suspension under disciplinary rules but was denied by the state Supreme Court

•Supreme Court of Guam affirmed Joseph Castro Jr.'s convictions on four criminal sexual conduct charges

Supreme Court of Guam

Guam Supreme Court Affirms Castro Sexual Assault Convictions

The Supreme Court of Guam upheld the criminal sexual conduct convictions of Joseph Marc Thomas Duenas Castro, Jr., who was sentenced to 30 years for first-degree charges and concurrent 10-year terms for second-degree counts. Castro's appeal challenged the sufficiency of evidence and whether Guam law permits multiple convictions from the same underlying conduct.

•Castro received 30 years for first-degree sexual penetration and concurrent 10-year terms for three second-degree contact charges

•Texas Supreme Court eliminated requirement for direct TxDOT contracts to claim Section 97.002 immunity

Texas Supreme Court

Texas Supreme Court Expands Contractor Liability Protection in Highway Cases

The Texas Supreme Court ruled that highway construction contractors can claim statutory liability protection without having direct contracts with the Texas Department of Transportation. The decision reverses a lower court ruling that had required contractual privity with TxDOT for immunity from construction-related lawsuits.

•Court held contractors conclusively established they worked 'for' TxDOT performing highway construction

•North Carolina Supreme Court affirmed lower court's denial of motion to dismiss in trust lawsuit

NC Supreme Court Affirms Complex Business Case Ruling in Howard Trust Dispute

The North Carolina Supreme Court affirmed a lower court's denial of a motion to dismiss in a complex business dispute involving the Ronald E. Howard Revocable Trust and technology company MAXISIQ Inc. The December 2025 ruling allows the trust's lawsuit against multiple defendants to proceed.

•Case involves Ronald E. Howard Revocable Trust suing MAXISIQ Inc. and five individual defendants

•Supreme Court reversed Court of Appeals decision that had favored the City of Durham

NC Supreme Court Reverses Durham Zoning Case Over Deficient Notice

The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled in favor of Durham Green Flea Market, reversing a Court of Appeals decision and ordering the City of Durham to dismiss a notice of violation. The state's highest court found that the city's notice failed to adequately describe alleged zoning violations as required by Durham's own Unified Development Ordinance.

•Notice of violation was deemed deficient for failing to describe specific zoning violations

•North Carolina Supreme Court reversed class certification in developer fee challenge case

NC Supreme Court Reverses Class Certification in Developer Fee Challenge

The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that individualized issues predominate over common legal questions in a class action challenging the Town of Apex's recreation fees charged to developers. The court reversed a trial court's certification of a class seeking declarations that the municipal fees are illegal.

•Court found individualized property valuation and cost issues would predominate over common legal questions

•North Carolina Supreme Court clarified joint employment doctrine for workers' compensation cases

NC Supreme Court Clarifies Joint Employment in Workers' Comp Case

The North Carolina Supreme Court issued a December 2025 ruling in *Lassiter v. Robeson County Sheriff's Department* that clarifies the state's joint employment doctrine in workers' compensation cases. The court held that employee Steven Matthew Lassiter does not satisfy the control requirement for joint employment with private contractor Truesdell Corporation.

•Court held that control requirement was not met for joint employment with private contractor