With today’s order list, the Texas Supreme Court issued four sets of opinions and also granted review in four cases to be heard this fall.

One interesting decision was in Tanner v. Nationwide Mutual, No. 07-0760, a case about whether insurance covers damage caused to bystanders by a person fleeing police in a high-speed chase. Voting 8-1, the Court sided against the insurer, explaining (among other reasons) that the evidence here showed that the person fleeing police at least tried to apply his brakes before impact so did not collide with the victims intentionally. Justice Willett wrote the majority opinion. Justice Brister wrote a dissent, arguing that the Court should have concluded that this driver ought to have known the likely results of fleeing the police, thus freeing his insurer from their duty to third parties.

One of the petitions granted this morning was State v. $281,420 in US Currency, No. 08-0465 (DB), in which the Texas Supreme Court had requested the views of the Solicitor General in a formal CVSG last fall. So, that’s now 1-for-1 on grants when that happens.

I’m blogging on a phone this morning that lacks a physical keyboard or cut-and-paste, so I’ll add more later.