Casar ordered to pay Pressley legal costs (which means Pressley wins her election integrity case)

UPDATE: (4:14 p.m.) A separate court document indicates the amount of the legal costs Casar must pay may be a significantly lower amount than previously reported. We will update this post when the actual amount is determined.

From Dr. Laura Pressley's new election integrity advocacy group True Texas Elections:

AUSTIN — In the Texas Supreme Court, costs are awarded to the prevailing party and Austin City Council member Greg Casar has been ordered by the highest Court in Texas to pay Dr. Laura Pressley ... [for] costs incurred in her landmark Supreme Court election integrity case.  

Straight out of the gate, Casar deceptively claimed victory which led to erroneous headlines in Austin-area media outlets that the Texas Supreme Court had "rejected" Pressley's appeal in its entirety. Casar’s and the Austin media’s reporting were factually incorrect because the Court actually chose to not consider either side of the specific election contest because the 2014 term of office had expired.  

Yet, what the highest Court in Texas did rule on was to reverse the lower courts’ sanctions of Pressley of more than $100,000.  According to the Court’s unanimous opinion, the sanctions were reversed because of “abuse of discretion” of a lower court and because her claims of electronic tabulation irregularities and illegalities actually had “legal merit.” 

The January opinion by the Texas Supreme Court, Pressley v. Casar, has opened the door for future legal challenges over electronic vote counting irregularities and illegalities — all based on important questions raised by the 2014 election results in which Pressley ordered a recount in her District 4 City Council race in Travis County.  

The Texas Supreme Court ruling gives a green light to future candidates to challenge electronic tabulation of election results without the fear of being financially sanctioned for simply raising the issues.  The January Court opinion boldly stated "The election activities that Dr. Pressley complains about could create a perception of impropriety, and such impropriety might make the election results unknowable."  

“We are grateful that the Texas Supreme Court’s precedent sets the tone for election reforms for future candidates that raise claims for electronic vote counting illegalities in Texas and around the country,” Pressley responded. 

Background on Pressley v. Casar: 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pressley-prevails-texas-supreme-court-affirms-vote-tabulation-irregularities-have-legal-merit-300789960.html 

About Dr. Laura Pressley

Dr. Laura Pressley is the Founder of True Texas Elections, LLC., a company whose mission is to ensure transparency and accuracy in the counting of our votes. For more information, contact Pressley at (512) 762-3825 or LauraPressley@Startmail.com.