Judge dismisses Ken Paxton lawsuit challenging State Fair of Texas gun ban
A Dallas County district judge dismissed state Attorney General Ken Paxton's suit against the State Fair of Texas and the City of Dallas, for gun restrictions that were enacted following a 2023 shooting that injured three people at the fairgrounds.
Judge Emily Tobolowsky granted the city and Texas state fair summary judgment and dismissed the case at a June 24 hearing before it could go to trial. The judge had previously denied Paxton's request for a stay on the fair's ability to enact its gun policy in 2024.
The ruling came a day after the 23-year-old gunman, Cameron Turner, pleaded guilty on June 23 to two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and for carrying a weapon in a prohibited space. He will serve a 12- and 10-year sentence concurrently.
An appeals court and the Supreme Court of Texas had also denied Paxton's appeal to stop the gun restrictions from going into effect. The fair previously allowed attendees with valid handgun licenses to carry their weapon as long as it was concealed.
The State Fair of Texas is pleased with the outcome of the case and takes, 'no political position on the complex issues related to the lawful carrying of firearms in Texas,' Karissa Condoianis, a State Fair spokesperson, told the Tribune in a statement.
'Last year the State Fair adopted a comparable policy to that of most all similar events in Texas, such as athletic competitions, concerts, and other fairs and festivals throughout the state. The State Fair of Texas spends millions of dollars each year on safety and security measures,' Condoianis said.
The fair will continue to work with the Dallas Police Department and the fair's safety team, along with active and retired peace officers who are authorized to carry within the fairgrounds, Condoianis said.
The Texas Tribune has reached out to the City of Dallas and the attorney general's office for comment but has not received a response.
Paxton's lawsuit alleged that the city and the State Fair were violating state law and the second amendment rights of Texans by restricting licensed gun owners' ability to carry firearms during the 24-day event.
'Municipalities cannot nullify state law nor can they avoid accountability by contracting official functions to nominally third parties,' Paxton said in a 2024 statement. 'Neither the City of Dallas nor the State Fair of Texas can infringe on Texans' right to self-defense.'
The court's ruling comes after the state Legislature considered Senate Bill 1065, which targeted the State Fair's ability to enact gun restrictions as a contractor with the government. The bill failed to reach the House floor for a vote.
Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer.
Get tickets.
TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sister of U. of Idaho Murder Victim Kaylee Goncalves Slams Plea Deal with Suspect Bryan Kohberger: 'The System Has Failed'
Bryan Koberger is accused of killing University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in November 2022 The former Ph.D student has reportedly accepted a plea deal Goncalves' 18-year-old sister, Aubrie Goncalves, spoke out about the news in a statementKaylee Goncalves' 18-year-old sister, Aubrie Goncalves, is speaking out after her suspected killer, Bryan Kohberger, has reportedly accepted a plea deal. In December 2022, Kohberger was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in connection with the November 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students: Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. Following his indictment by a grand jury in May 2023, a judge reportedly entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf after he exercised his right to remain silent during his arraignment. After waiving his right to a speedy trial in August 2023, the case was delayed indefinitely, pushing his trial to August 2025, per ABC News. According to a letter sent to victims' family members discussing a new plea agreement, cited by the outlet, however, Kohberger is expected to enter a guilty plea on all charges. This means he would be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences plus up to 10 years on the burglary charge. The former Ph.D student, who could have faced the death penalty if convicted, will also waive his appeal rights, per ABC News. Following the news, Goncalves' 18-year-old sister, Aubrie, penned a statement on the Goncalves Family Page on Facebook, stating that she would not stay silent, as what she and the families of the deceased have endured is "beyond comprehension." "From the constant delays to the relocation of proceedings—making it harder for loved ones to attend—the justice system has placed heavy burdens on those already carrying unimaginable grief. Through it all, we have tried to hold on to hope," Aubrie wrote. "We've believed in the process. We've had faith in the system. But at this point, it is impossible not to acknowledge the truth: the system has failed these four innocent victims and their families," she continued. Aubrie wrote that Mogen, Goncalves, Kernodle, and Chapin "deserve to be remembered for who they were in life, not only for the tragedy of their deaths." "But before that can truly happen, they deserve justice. Nothing less. The introduction of this plea deal, just weeks before the scheduled trial, is both shocking and cruel," wrote Aubrie. She said that if a plea deal would have been introduced earlier in the case the family could have had "time to process, discuss, and potentially come to terms with the idea of a life sentence—however difficult that may be. We could have had the time to understand it, to prepare for it emotionally, and perhaps even to find some degree of peace." "But now, with mere weeks left, we are being asked to absorb and respond to life-altering decisions with no room to breathe," wrote Aubrie. The teenager expressed that she feels that their loved ones have been "silenced forever," while Kohberger will "still get to speak, form relationships, and engage with the world," in prison. "That reality stings more deeply when it feels like the system is protecting his future more than honoring the victims' pasts," she said, noting that "this last-minute plea deal feels less like an act of justice and more like an afterthought." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "We are not asking for vengeance. We are asking for accountability. We are asking for dignity for our loved ones. And we are asking—pleading—for a justice system that truly lives up to its name," she said. The Goncalves family also published a follow-up post on Facebook, in which they said they did "talk to the prosecution on Friday about the POSSIBILITY of a plea deal and it was a HARD NO from our family." They said they met with prosecutors again on Monday to "reiterate our views on pushing for the death penalty." However, they continued, "Unfortunately all of our efforts did not matter. We DID OUR BEST! We fought harder then anyone could EVER imagine." Read the original article on People
Associated Press
25 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Philadelphia city workers strike after contract talks fail
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nearly 10,000 city workers in Philadelphia who collect trash, answer 911 calls, maintain city pools and perform other jobs went on strike Tuesday after contract negotiations broke down. District Council 33 President Greg Boulware said the city hadn't agreed to a high enough wage increase, WPVI-TV reported. Mayor Cherelle Parker said the city would suspend residential trash collection, close some city pools and shorten recreation center hours, but vowed to keep the city running. Police and firefighters are not on strike. Parker, a pro-labor Democrat, promised that Fourth of July celebrations in the nation's birthplace would go on as usual. 'Keep your holiday plans. Don't leave the city,' she said at a Monday afternoon news conference that followed hours of last-minute negotiations. City officials urged residents to be patient and not hang up should they need to call either 911 or the city's non-emergency helpline. They said they would open drop-off sites for residential trash. Parker said she had offered raises that amount to 13% over her four-year term and added a fifth step to the pay scale to align with other unionized workers. District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is the largest of four unions representing city workers. 'We believe it's a fair offer and still fiscally responsible for the people of this city,' said Parker, who took office last year. Union leaders, in their initial contract proposal, asked for 8% annual raises each year of the three-year contract, along with cost-of-living hikes and bonuses of up to $5,000 for those who worked through the pandemic. The union also asked the city to pay the full cost of employee health care, or $1,700 per person per month. 'District Council 33's members contribute as much blood, sweat and tears as does anyone else,' they said in a demand letter. 'We all make the city work. Our contract must reflect that reality.' In November, the city transit system averted a strike when the parties agreed to a one-year contract with 5% raises.
CBS News
25 minutes ago
- CBS News
Police use pepper spray to break up large fight on Pittsburgh's South Side
A large fight broke out on Pittsburgh's South Side early Monday morning, prompting police officers to use pepper spray to help control the situation. A spokesperson for Pittsburgh Police says the fight started around 1:30 a.m. along East Carson Street when an Allegheny County Housing Authority officer was called to help remove a man from a bar. The man, identified as Diorr Grier-Phillips, of Penn Hills was tased by an officer, handcuffed, and arrested before being taken to the Allegheny County Jail on assault, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness charges, police said. Police say that when the bar closed and the Grier-Phillips was outside, a number of people started coming out of the bar and a large fight broke out and a security guard was punched in the face. Pittsburgh Police officers deployed pepper spray to help break up a large fight along East Carson Street on the city's South Side in the early-morning hours of June 29, 2025. KDKA Photojournalist Brian Smithmyer While trying to get control of the situation, pepper spray was used by officers, police said. Police say that medics were called to help decontaminate the areas where pepper spray was used. No injuries were reported. Second incident on the South Side in one week Last week, East Carson Street became filled with an unruly crowd of 1,500 to 2,000 people. Pittsburgh Police needed to call in officers from Monroeville, Shaler and Etna to form a line to clear the street. No one was injured and no property was damaged, but before that, the South Side Entertainment Patrol made several arrests. Some were gun-related, others had to do with fights. Citations were given for public intoxication, underage drinking, and public urination. In the wake of the incident last week, the police union says the staffing situation is unprecedented.
