Paxton filed at least 30 lawsuits in hand-picked counties after condemning “forum shopping”
A ProPublica and Texas Tribune investigation found Paxton filed at least 30 lawsuits in counties with little connection to the cases, including a Roblox suit in a county of about 200 people and 11 cases in Harrison County. In 2017 he told the U.S. Supreme Court that forum shopping undermines “confidence in the fairness and neutrality” of the courts.
What happened
ProPublica and the Texas Tribune found at least 30 suits filed by Paxton’s office in counties with little tie to the case, including the Tylenol suits in Panola and Bailey counties, the Roblox suit in King County, population about 200, and 11 cases in Harrison County. 01
In a 2017 U.S. Supreme Court brief, Paxton wrote that forum shopping reduces “confidence in the fairness and neutrality” of the justice system. Legal experts told the newsrooms the practice cuts against the Legislature’s venue requirements. 01
Why it matters
Paxton condemned the practice of choosing friendly courts, then built his own caseload on it. 01
Timeline
- Investigation finds Paxton filed at least 30 suits in hand-picked counties after condemning forum shopping
What the sources show
The case count and filing locations come from the newsrooms’ review of court records. 01
Paxton’s response
We found no public response from Paxton to the findings. 01
Sources
- 01Paxton files lawsuits in courts that could have more favorable outcomesProPublica / The Texas Tribune · May 20, 2026
Updates and corrections
- Case file published.