No. 25-29
Priscilla Villarreal v. Isidro R. Alaniz, et al.
Amici (11)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (7)
Tags: arrest-without-cause civil-rights first-amendment free-speech government-officials qualified-immunity
Latest Conference:
2026-03-20
(distributed 7 times)
Question Presented (from Petition)
1. Whether it obviously violates the First Amendment to arrest someone for asking government officials questions and publishing the information they volunteer.
2. Whether qualified immunity is unavailable to public officials who use a state statute in a way that obviously violates the First Amendment, as decisions from the Sixth, Eighth, and Tenth Circuits have held, or whether qualified immunity shields those officials, as the Fifth Circuit held below.
Question Presented (AI Summary)
Whether it obviously violates the First Amendment to arrest someone for asking government officials questions and publishing the information they volunteer
Docket Entries
2026-03-23
Petition DENIED. Justice Sotomayor, dissenting from the denial of certiorari. (Detached Opinion)
2026-03-16
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/20/2026.
2026-03-12
Electronic record received from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
2026-02-18
Electronic record from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is available on PACER.
2026-02-18
Record Requested.
2026-02-13
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/20/2026.
2026-01-20
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/23/2026.
2026-01-12
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/16/2026.
2026-01-05
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/9/2026.
2025-11-25
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/12/2025.
2025-11-20
Reply of Priscilla Villareal submitted.
2025-11-20
Reply of petitioner Priscilla Villareal filed.
2025-11-07
Brief of respondent Texas in opposition filed.
2025-11-07
Brief of respondents Isidro R. Alaniz, et al. in opposition filed.
2025-11-07
Brief of State of Texas in opposition submitted.
2025-11-07
Brief of Isidro R. Alaniz, et al. in opposition submitted.
2025-09-08
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including November 7, 2025, for all respondents.
2025-09-05
Motion of Claudio Trevino, Jr., et al. to extend the time to file a response from September 24, 2025 to November 7, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
2025-09-05
Motion of Claudio Trevino, Jr., Juan L. Ruiz, Deyanira Villarreal, and Does 1-2 for an extension of time submitted.
2025-08-25
Response Requested. (Due September 24, 2025)
2025-08-20
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
2025-08-08
Brief amici curiae of Independent Journalists filed.
2025-08-08
Brief amici curiae of Journalists David Barstow, et al. filed.
2025-08-08
Brief amicus curiae of Constitutional Accountability Center filed.
2025-08-08
Brief amicus curiae of Cato Institute filed.
2025-08-08
Brief amici curiae of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, et al. filed.
2025-08-08
Brief amicus curiae of First Liberty Institute filed.
2025-08-08
Amicus brief of Journalists David Barstow, Kathleen McElroy, Walter Robinson, John Schwartz, and Jacob Sullum submitted.
2025-08-08
Amicus brief of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 24 News Organizations submitted.
2025-08-08
Amicus brief of Cato Institute submitted.
2025-08-08
Amicus brief of First Liberty Institute submitted.
2025-08-08
Amicus brief of Constitutional Accountability Center submitted.
2025-08-06
Waiver of right of respondent Texas to respond filed.
2025-08-06
Waiver of Claudio Trevino, Jr., Juan L. Ruiz, Deyanira Villarreal, and Does 1-2 of right to respond submitted.
2025-08-06
Waiver of right of respondents Claudio Trevino, Jr., Juan L. Ruiz, Deyanira Villarreal, and Does 1-2 to respond filed.
2025-08-06
Waiver of right of respondents Isidro R. Alaniz, Marisela Jacaman to respond filed.
2025-08-06
Amicus brief of Young America's Foundation and Manhattan Institute submitted.
2025-08-06
Amicus brief of Institute for Justice submitted.
2025-08-06
Amicus brief of Americans for Prosperity Foundation submitted.
2025-08-06
Waiver of State of Texas of right to respond submitted.
2025-08-06
Brief amicus curiae of Institute for Justice filed.
2025-08-06
Brief amicus curiae of Americans for Prosperity Foundation filed.
2025-08-06
Brief amici curiae of Young America's Foundation, et al. filed.
2025-08-05
Brief amicus curiae of Law Enforcement Action Partnership filed.
2025-08-05
Amicus brief of Law Enforcement Action Partnership submitted.
2025-08-04
Brief amicus curiae of Muckrock Foundation filed.
2025-08-04
Amicus brief of Muckrock Foundation submitted.
2025-07-07
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due August 8, 2025)
Attorneys
Americans for Prosperity Foundation
Cato Institute
Thomas Arthur Berry — Cato Institute, Amicus
Claudio Trevino, Jr., Juan L. Ruiz, Deyanira Villarreal, and Does 1-2
Alicia Kara Kreh — Taylor, Olson, Adkins, Sralla & Elam, L.L.P., Respondent
Constitutional Accountability Center
First Liberty Institute
Independent Journalists
Catherine Bukowski Smith — Vinson & Elkins LLP, Amicus
Institute for Justice
Caroline Grace Brothers — Institute for Justice, Amicus
Isidro R. Alaniz, et al.
F. Andrew Hessick — Respondent
Isidro R. Alaniz, Marisela Jacaman
Jason Eric Magee — Allison, Bass & Magee, L.L.P., Respondent
Journalists David Barstow, Kathleen McElroy, Walter Robinson, John Schwartz, and Jacob Sullum
Matthew Aaron Kudzin — Covington & Burling LLP, Amicus
Law Enforcement Action Partnership
David John Debold — Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Amicus
Muckrock Foundation
Aaron S. Jacobs — Prince Lobel Tye LLP, Amicus
Priscilla Villareal
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 24 News Organizations
State of Texas
William Robert Peterson — Office of the Texas Attorney General, Respondent
Young America's Foundation and Manhattan Institute
Rory Thomas Gray — Alliance Defending Freedom, Amicus