Judge Who Axed Texas Book Ban Is Best Known for Patent Caseload

Judge Alan D. Albright, who ruled this week against a Texas censorship law, had already made a name for himself for refusing to let go of patent cases, which led to congressional blowback and a change in court policy.

Albright, who sits on the US District Court for the Western District of Texas in Waco, struck down a state law that would have required book sellers to label books sold to public schools with sexual content ratings and recall any already-sold books considered “sexually explicit.” The law, known as HB 900, was passed by the Republican-led Texas state legislature and ...