Opinion ID: 2829245
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Fee Shifting

Text: The News also challenges the trial court’s refusal to award attorney’s fees under the PIA and the Uniform Declaratory Judgment Act as an abuse of discretion, based upon language in two sections of the PIA that were in effect at the time of this suit but have subsequently been amended. Tex Gov’t Code §§ 552.323(b), .324. 1 4 The Court did not address the issue at length because the Comptroller prevailed. ___ S.W.3d ___. In my view, the News should prevail, but I would hold that the trial court was correct in exercising its discretion in deciding whether to assess attorney’s fees against the Comptroller. Because the Comptroller had a legitimate concern over privacy issues relating to the disclosure of birth date information under the PIA, she had a reasonable basis in law to refuse disclosure of the information and the litigation was brought in good faith. Accordingly, I concur in the judgment of the Court on the attorney’s fees issue.