But the cloud is not just over the Texas court.
The Texas court accepted jurisdiction over the matter and heard the case.
Several years later, legal issues would cause litigation in the Texas courts.
All members of the Texas court were Republicans at the time.
The chief justice said the Texas court had handled the case in an appropriate and even "desirable" way.
Texas courts have affirmed this position in the past, they noted.
Civil liberties groups have joined their side, and now the matter may be headed for the Texas courts.
Texaco said it would press its case aggressively in the Texas courts.
All 61 vehicles they were "restoring" have been confiscated by order of a Texas court.
This gives the impression that Texas appellate courts review these cases with care.