⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

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Thomas v. Bruss — 5th Cir. (argued August 4, 2026)

No. 25-20590 Argued August 4, 2026 Published August 12, 2026; updated August 18, 2026

The Fifth Circuit considers whether two Harris County officers can be sued for failing to stop a police dog's prolonged bite. Video showed Kerry Lee Thomas prone on the ground when a canine handler released the dog. The district judge ruled that a jury could find Eric Bruss and Wayne Schultz saw the bite, had time to object, and failed to act; she denied them qualified immunity. The officers say prior cases did not clearly require bystanders to intervene in a canine apprehension controlled by a trained handler. Thomas says the Constitution clearly barred the force and existing bystander cases gave ample warning, regardless of the instrument used.

Thomas v. Bruss (No. 25-20590) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, argued August 4, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/OralArgRecordings/25/25-20590_08-04-2026.mp3
Argument listing — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/oral-argument-recordings/results?from=2026-08-04&to=2026-08-12&page=2
Argument calendar — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/oral-argument-information/court-calendars/ByCase/
District-court summary-judgment opinion — Thomas v. Bruss:https://cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/texas/txsdce/4%3A2023cv00662/1906874/143/0.pdf
Appellate docket — Justia:https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca5/25-20590
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure — U.S. Courts:https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure
Hamilton v. Kindred — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/16/16-40611-CV0.pdf
Scott v. Harris — U.S. Supreme Court:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USREPORTS-550/pdf/USREPORTS-550-372.pdf
Celena Cavazos Vinson — Thompson & Horton:https://www.thompsonhorton.com/people/celena-vinson/
Celena Cavazos Vinson — State Bar of Texas:https://www.texasbar.com/attorneys/member.cfm?id=231112
Brittany Nicole Francis — People's Counsel:https://peoplescounsel.org/meet-brittany/

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