The Texas Supreme Court is weighing whether to force Nueces County District Attorney James Granberry to release the names of grand jurors his office sealed away from public view just before a court order required him to turn them over.
Remnant Law—a non-profit firm dedicated to preserving religious liberty, First Amendment rights, and constitutional freedoms—objected to the DA’s move. “No official may evade a binding ruling by shuffling public records to another court for sealing,” said Jonathan Hullihan, president and general counsel of Remnant Law.
The case traces back to a Public Information Act request filed by Julie Shodrok, a private citizen, in September 2020. She sought information regarding a grand jury in a case against David Parsons, the city manager of Port Aransas in Nueces County.
A Public Information Act request is a formal request to a government agency for access to public records.
The Texas Attorney General’s office upheld the request three separate times. Former DA Mark Gonzalez sued to block release, but the Third Court of Appeals ruled against him on January 24, holding the names had to be disclosed.
The Texas Supreme Court declined to overrule that decision.
However, two days before the mandate ordering disclosure was set to take effect, Granberry, who had since taken office as DA, asked the 205th District Court in Nueces to take the records into its own custody and seal them as confidential personal information. The court granted his request.
Granberry argued it was now “beyond the power or ability of this office to comply with the requested disclosure.”
Remnant Law’s petition argued that letting this kind of maneuver stand goes against government transparency and against the law.
“If that tactic works, the Public Information Act means nothing,” said Hullihan.
With the support of the attorney general’s office, Remnant Law asked the Third Court of Appeals to reverse the sealing order. The Third Court denied the request, prompting Remnant Law to appeal to the Texas Supreme Court.
“I followed every step the law provides and won at every level, yet the records are still sealed. The public has a right to this information, and I will keep fighting until it is released,” said Shodrok.
Both sides finished filing briefs as of June 17, and it is now up to the Supreme Court to decide whether to hear the case.
