State Court Demands Orderly Process for Annunciation House Case

EL PASO, TEXAS – This morning, the 205th Judicial District Court of El Paso County agreed with Annunciation House. It ruled that an orderly process would be followed to decide what documents are due to the Attorney General under law, and the Attorney General would not be able to enforce his subpoena without court oversight.

The Court retained its jurisdiction and will resolve pending document disputes according to normal civil discovery rules. The Court’s order puts off until a later undetermined time the Attorney General’s motion to begin the process of proving his right to impose penalties on Annunciation House, including closure.

“We’re very pleased with the Court’s ruling regarding Annunciation House. The Court demands that standard civil procedures be followed, which will mean a fair and orderly process for determining what documents the law allows the Attorney General to see,” says Jerome Wesevich, TRLA’s lead counsel on the case.

“Annunciation House needs to collect sensitive information, including health information, concerning its guests, and it is imperative for the safety and well-being of the community that the releasing of this sensitive information be handled with care and the law in mind,” says Wesevich.

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For media inquiries, please contact: 

Sam Rucobo, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Public Relations Manager, srucobo@trla.org  

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid provides free legal services to people who cannot afford an attorney in 68 southwestern counties, including the entire Texas-Mexico border. TRLA attorneys specialize in more than 45 areas of law, including disaster assistance, family, employment, landlord-tenant, housing, education, immigration, farmworker, and civil rights. Our hotline is open from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (CST) Monday - Friday: (956)-996-TRLA (8752) or toll-free at (833) 329-TRLA (8752). 

Annunciation House’s mission is to provide a gospel spirit of service and solidarity, we accompany the migrant, refugee, and economically vulnerable peoples of the border region through hospitality, advocacy, and education. We place ourselves among these poor to live our faith and transform our understanding of what constitutes more just relationships between peoples, countries, and economies.