Familias Unidas, an Unincorporated Association, and Irma Torrez v. Dolph Briscoe

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• holding that, -5- No. 22-1054, Saint Michael Academy, Inc v. Hertel because the State of Texas didn’t waive sovereign immunity, it could not be held liable “even for nominal damages under section 1983”
• holding that nominal damages are available for violations of the First Amendment
• recognizing nominal damages under § 1983 (citing Carey, 435 U.S. at 266–67, 98 S. Ct. at 1053–54)
• declaring state statute unconstitutional despite finding county not liable for damages, under Monell, because county official had not acted pursuant to county policy
• noting that elected county officials, such as sheriffs, hold “virtually absolute sway over the particular tasks or areas of responsibility entrusted to [them] by state statute and [are] accountable to no one other than the voters for [their] conduct therein.”
• distinguishing a county judge’s “judicial duties” from his “executive, legislative and administrative chores in the day-to-day governance of the county.”

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).