Dallas judge awards State Fair of Texas more than $200k in open records lawsuit
A Dallas judge on Wednesday awarded the State Fair of Texas more than $208,000 after dismissing an open records lawsuit against the nonprofit.
The suit, filed by Austin-based law firm Riggs & Ray, P.C., alleged that the State Fair should be considered a governmental body and was therefore subject to the state's public information laws. State Fair officials say they don't receive any public subsidies and are merely a nonprofit that has a contract with the city of Dallas.
State District Judge Tonya Parker sided with the State Fair, allowing the entity known for its chatty animatronic cowboy Big Tex to remain silent on public disclosure.
Jennifer Riggs said in a written statement that her firm remains "concerned that the tactics of the State Fair will have a significant chilling effect on anyone who seeks transparency from government funded entities, and particularly on the willingness of attorneys to represent those who seek that information."
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/fair-park/2017/10/19/dallas-judge-awards-state-fair-texas-200k-open-records-lawsuit