The State of Texas v. Harris County, Texas

Opinion

ACCEPTED 15-24-00061-CV FIFTEENTH COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 7/23/2025 11:01 AM No. 15-24-00061-CV CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE CLERK FILED IN In the Fifteenth Court of Appeals 15th COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS Austin, Texas 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE Clerk

State of Texas, Appellant, v.

Harris County, Texas, et al., Appellees.

On Appeal from the 165th District Court, Harris County, Texas Cause No. 2024-22320, Hon. Ursula Hall, Presiding Judge

Joint Motion to Vacate and Dismiss

Ken Paxton Grant B. Martinez Brent Webster State Bar No. 24104118 Benjamin W. Mendelson gmartinez@yettercoleman.com State Bar No. 24106297 Justin P. Tschoepe Ben.Mendelson@oag.texas.gov Lily E. Hann Office of the Yetter Coleman LLP Attorney General 811 Main Street, Suite 4100 P.O. Box 12548 (MC 059) Houston, Texas 77002 Austin, Texas 78711 Phone: (713) 632-8000 Phone: (512) 936-1700 Counsel for Appellees Counsel for Appellant To the Honorable Fifteenth Court of Appeals:

Pursuant to Rules of Appellate Procedure 42.1(a)(2)(A) and 43.2(e),

Appellant and Appellees (collectively, the “Parties”) jointly request that the Court

vacate the trial court’s order denying the State’s motion for a temporary injunction

and dismiss the case without prejudice.

On June 12, 2025, the Harris County Commissioners Court voted to terminate

and reallocate funds from Harris County’s Community Prosperity Program, which is

the successor to the Uplift Harris program at issue in this case and which is at issue

in related case No. 15-24-00120-CV. That decision is being implemented, pending

ministerial work. Both Uplift Harris and the Community Prosperity Program will be

closed out and the funds for both programs will be reallocated. As a result, the

cases are potentially moot.

In any event, the Parties have agreed to vacatur of the trial court’s order

denying a temporary injunction and to dismissal of the case without prejudice. The

Parties agree that each side shall bear its respective attorney’s fees and costs.

The Parties respectfully request that the Court reinstate the appeal and

render judgment effectuating the parties’ agreement. Tex. R. App. P. 42.1(a)(2)(A),

43.2(e); see, e.g., Denton Transitional LTCH, L.P. v. Dallas Metro Surgery Ctr., LLC, 2021 WL 388591, at *1 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2021, no pet.) (per curiam)

(vacating trial court’s judgment and dismissing case).

Conclusion & Prayer

For these reasons, the Parties request that the Court reinstate the appeal,

grant this motion, vacate the trial court’s order denying a temporary injunction,

and dismiss the case without prejudice.

-2- Dated: July 23, 2025 Respectfully submitted,

/s/ Benjamin W. Mendelson /s/ Grant B. Martinez Ken Paxton Grant B. Martinez Brent Webster State Bar No. 24104118 Benjamin Mendelson gmartinez@yettercoleman.com State Bar No. 24106297 Justin P. Tschoepe Ben.Mendelson@oag.texas.gov State Bar 24079480 Office of the Attorney General jtschoepe@yettercoleman.com P.O. Box 12548 (MC 059) Lily E. Hann Austin, Texas 78711 State Bar No. 24133836 Phone: (512) 936-1700 lhann@yettercoleman.com Yetter Coleman LLP Attorneys for Appellant 811 Main Street, Suite 4100 Houston, Texas 77002 Phone: (713) 632-8000

Christian D. Menefee Harris County Attorney Tiffany S. Bingham Managing Counsel Affirmative & Special Litigation Division State Bar No. 24012287 Tiffany.Bingham@harriscountytx.gov Edward D. Swidriski III Assistant Harris County Attorney State Bar No. 24083929 Edward.Swidriski@harriscountytx.gov Office of The Harris County Attorney 1019 Congress Plaza, 15th Floor Houston, Texas 77002 Phone: (713) 274-5101

Attorneys for Appellees

-3- Certificate of Service

I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of this document was served on

all counsel of record in this case, identified below, on July 23, 2025, electronically

through the electronic filing manager in compliance with the Texas Rules of

Appellate Procedure:

Grant B. Martinez Tiffany S. Bingham gmartinez@yettercoleman.com Tiffany.Bingham@harriscountytx.gov Justin P. Tschoepe Edward D. Swidriski III jtschoepe@yettercoleman.com Edward.Swidriski@harriscountytx.gov Lily E. Hann Office of The Harris County Attorney lhann@yettercoleman.com 1019 Congress Plaza, 15th Floor Yetter Coleman LLP Houston, Texas 77002 811 Main Street, Suite 4100 Phone: (713) 274-5101 Houston, Texas 77002 Phone: (713) 632-8000

Counsel for Appellees

/s/ Benjamin W. Mendelson Benjamin W. Mendelson

-4- Automated Certificate of eService This automated certificate of service was created by the efiling system. The filer served this document via email generated by the efiling system on the date and to the persons listed below. The rules governing certificates of service have not changed. Filers must still provide a certificate of service that complies with all applicable rules.

Nancy Villarreal on behalf of Ben Mendelson Bar No. 24106297 nancy.villarreal@oag.texas.gov Envelope ID: 103479261 Filing Code Description: Motion Filing Description: 20250723 Uplift Harris joint motion to vacate and dismiss_Final Status as of 7/23/2025 1:26 PM CST

Case Contacts

Name BarNumber Email TimestampSubmitted Status

Delonda Dean ddean@yettercoleman.com 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Lisa Prince lprince@yettercoleman.com 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Athena Leyton athena.leyton@oag.texas.gov 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Nancy Villarreal nancy.villarreal@oag.texas.gov 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Yetter Coleman efile@yettercoleman.com 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Ryan Cooper ryan.cooper@harriscountytx.gov 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

William Farrell biff.farrell@oag.texas.gov 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Andrea Mintzer Andrea.Mintzer@harriscountytx.gov 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Eleanor Matheson Eleanor.matheson@harriscountytx.gov 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Nicole Myette nicole.myette@oag.texas.gov 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Jonathan Fombonne jonathan.fombonne@harriscountytx.gov 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Edward Swidriski Edward.Swidriski@harriscountytx.go 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Justin Tschoepe justin.tschoepe@yettercoleman.com 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM ERROR

Tiffany Bingham tiffany.bingham@harriscountytx.gov 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Associated Case Party: Harris County, Texas

Name BarNumber Email TimestampSubmitted Status

Grant Martinez 24104118 gmartinez@yettercoleman.com 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Lily Hann 24133836 Lhann@yettercoleman.com 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT

Associated Case Party: State of Texas Automated Certificate of eService This automated certificate of service was created by the efiling system. The filer served this document via email generated by the efiling system on the date and to the persons listed below. The rules governing certificates of service have not changed. Filers must still provide a certificate of service that complies with all applicable rules.

Nancy Villarreal on behalf of Ben Mendelson Bar No. 24106297 nancy.villarreal@oag.texas.gov Envelope ID: 103479261 Filing Code Description: Motion Filing Description: 20250723 Uplift Harris joint motion to vacate and dismiss_Final Status as of 7/23/2025 1:26 PM CST

Associated Case Party: State of Texas

Name BarNumber Email TimestampSubmitted Status

Ben Mendelson Ben.Mendelson@oag.texas.gov 7/23/2025 11:01:22 AM SENT