Just to keep up with the State's evolving criminal jurisprudence and to identify the different approaches of the intermediate courts (especially with so many transferred cases these days), I imagine most appellate attorneys try to keep up with published criminal cases. In our November 5th packet of CCA slip opinions, however, we learned that the opinion service for the CCA and the CAs will cease in December. Apparently the service is no longer financially viable. Of course, we can access the CCA opinions on line -- eventually (it would be great to see them on line at 9:00 a.m. the day they were issued!!). Also some of the CAs do post their opinions on line. But for those of us who read the bundled CA's slip opinions it will be a good deal more difficult to track down and read the opinions from the different courts. Some questions come to mind:
Will all the courts have email prompts (similar to the Tx. S.Ct and 5th CA) to alert us to their published opinions in the future?
Does anyone have a shortcut to access all the CAs' opinions on line?
After Decmeber, how do you plan on monitoring the cases from the different courts?

I do not know of any way to get the CA opinions online except to visit each site individually--I was hoping someone else knew a shortcut.

There is always the Greenwood/Sculman report, which is published by the Texas Independent Bar Association. They put out a pretty good summary of all CCA and CA cases; it usually comes out (via email)on Mondays. Be warned: although Mr. Schulman denies it, I find it quite defense-oriented at times, resulting in some eye-rolling and tooth-gnashing, but it is a quick overview to the cases that came out the previous week. If a case interests you, you can usually get it on the court's website, or off LEXIS.

I have no idea what a subscription costs, but it must be pretty cheap or we wouldn't have it here in the Hidalgo County DA's Office!

You can also go with the State Bar's Criminal Case Digest. Free with your mandatory bar membership, emailed to you. There is a link to the full text with each case. Might not be as utterly fresh as getting slips, but it's free and up to date.

Texas Lawyer provides a daily e-mail service that provides summaries of appellate cases. Probably the quickest, but they don't summarize every court of appeals opinion (thank goodness). They do provide all the Texas SC and CCA cases, along with federal cases (SC and 5th Cir.) Costs about $150/year and includes access to the online version of Texas Lawyer and updates on legal news. There is a link to each case.

John Bradley
District Attorney
Williamson County, Texas

Most appellate courts have already adopted (or will soon complete adoption of) the CaseMail system offered by the Office of Court Administration. CaseMail allows users to be automatically notified when Texas Courts of Appeals, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, or the Texas Supreme Court issue a new opinion.

If you do not already have a user account id and password, create one before attempting to activate the CaseMail feature.

To activate this feature:
1. Go to any court of appeals' website.
2. Scroll your pointer over the "CaseMail" button.
3. Click on "Opinion Watch."
4. Toggle the "Email Icons" of the courts from which you wish to receive opinion notices.

There you go! Good luck.

Andy Porter,
Staff Attorney - 6th Court of Appeals

Andy, thanks for the tip. I didn't know that the casemail system allowed such a global request for notice. The courts should have let us know sooner.

John Bradley
District Attorney
Williamson County, Texas

Thanks for the information on casemail. That was just the tip I was seeking. The problem with most of the written summaries is that they are incomplete and delayed. In time, perhaps, casemail will fully replace the service provided by the soon-to-be late slip opinions.