Appeals

• Media Law
• Commercial Litigation

As a preeminent appellate attorney, Joel R. White has a long record of success at all levels of the Texas and federal court systems. Board certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, he has successfully handled dozens of appeals, beginning early in his career when he represented the State of Texas in twenty felony cases. He is licensed in all Texas state and federal courts, the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

He has won three writs of mandamus and two writs of habeas corpus.

His published cases include:

• Stroman Realty, Inc. v. Antt, 528 F.3d 382(5th Cir.) cert. denied,__U.S.__(2008). A Texas Corporation cannot bring a 1983 action alleging commerce clause violations against California and FLorida officials in Texas. The Fifth Circuit rejected the plaintiff's assertion, accepted by the trial court, that jurisdiction was proper because the states conducted business in Texas.
• Houston Chronicle v. League City, 488 F.3d 613 (5th Cir. 2008), declaring unconstitutional laws which prevented newspaper vendors from selling at public streets and roadways.
• Hearst Corp. v. Skeen,159 S.W.3d 633 (Tex. 2005). An elected district attorney and two prosecutors could not prove actual malice with evidence that they had refuted the defamatory allegations in letters to the newspaper before publication.
• Associated Press v. Cook, 17 S.W.3d 447 (Tex. App. - Houston [1st Dist.] 2000, no pet.). The Chief of the Texas Rangers law enforcement agency could not recover for libel when he was accused of “taking the Fifth” in a perjury investigation and being a “blight on law enforcement.”
• Houston Chronicle Pub. Co. v. Edwards, 956 S.W.2d 813 (Tex. App. – Beaumont 1997, orig. proceeding). Granted a writ of mandamus against a trial judge for sealing search warrant affidavits in a homicide case.
• Houston Chronicle v. Woods, 949 S.W.2d 492 (Tex. App.—Beaumont 1997, orig. proceeding). Mandamus granted against trial judge for refusing to grant access to search warrant affidavits.
• Houston Chronicle v. Crapitto, 907 S.W.2d 99 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1995, orig. proceeding). Mandamus granted to force trial judge to open jury selection to the public in a highly publicized criminal case.
• Barbouti v. Hearst Corp., 927 S.W.2d 37 (Tex. App. - Houston [1st Dist.] 1996, writ denied)(en banc). An article alleging that the plaintiff had been investigated by the Defense Intelligence Agency for exporting dual purpose technology to the Middle East was held to be substantially true, when in fact he had been investigated by a grand jury and had lost a civil trial.
• Lenhart v. Thomas, 944 F. Supp. 525 (S.D. Tex. 1996). Habeas corpus granted for a journalist who refused to disclose confidential sources, overturning her contempt sentence.
• Tackett v. KRIV-TV, 22 Med. L. Rptr. 2092 (S.D. Tex. 1994). Eliminated intentional infliction of emotional distress as a potential claim in defamation actions.
• Glanville v. Glanville, 21 Med. L. Rptr. 1407 (N.D. Ga. 1993). Libel case dismissed against Atlanta Falcons owner Jerry Glanville.