This case is no longer about a single license.
It is about whether a state agency will accept the law as written, or continue relitigating the same failed argument until it gets the outcome it wants.
A Third Victory in Court
For the third time, Texas Gun Rights Foundation has prevailed in court on behalf of Timothy Willis.
And for the third time, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is refusing to accept that outcome.
After losing at the Justice of the Peace level, and again in county court, DPS has now moved to appeal yet again — seeking another opportunity to revoke Willis’ License to Carry (LTC) based on a decades-old protective order that contains no finding of violence.
As TXGR Foundation attorney CJ Grisham explained:
“Despite the fact that I beat them three times in front of two separate judges, they are dragging my client into appeal… They have unlimited funds to drag innocent people through the courts while DPS victims must pay to defend their rights.”
No Finding of Violence — No Legal Basis
The underlying protective order, issued more than two decades ago in a Georgia divorce proceeding, contains no finding that Timothy Willis posed a credible threat.
It does not allege violence.
It does not prohibit the use of force.
It simply required two parties to stay away from one another.
Two Texas courts have already confirmed that this order does not meet the statutory requirements necessary to revoke firearm rights.
Yet DPS continues to treat it as though it does.
A Clear Double Standard
The contradiction in this case is difficult to ignore.
Timothy Willis remains qualified and recognized as a certified firearms instructor.
The State of Texas trusts him to:
- Train others in the safe and lawful use of firearms
- Instruct students on carry laws
- Represent responsible gun ownership
And yet, that same state agency is attempting to deny him his own License to Carry.
If Willis is qualified to teach firearm safety and legal compliance, on what basis is he considered unfit to carry?
That question goes to the heart of this case.
Persistence or Overreach?
DPS has now lost this case multiple times.
At some point, repeated appeals raise a broader concern:
Is this about correcting a legal error, or about refusing to accept statutory limits?
As CJ Grisham noted:
“They have unlimited funds to drag innocent people through the courts… I look forward to beating them a 4th time on this case.”
When an agency continues to pursue the same outcome despite repeated judicial rejection, it begins to look less like enforcement and more like expansion of authority through persistence.
What This Means Going Forward
If DPS is successful in redefining what qualifies as a disqualifying protective order, the implications extend far beyond this case.
It would mean:
- Civil orders without findings of violence could be treated as prohibitions
- Statutory safeguards could be bypassed through interpretation
- Law-abiding citizens could lose rights absent required legal findings
But that is not how the statute is written. And it is not how the rule of law is supposed to function.
Texas Gun Rights Draws the Line
Texas Gun Rights Foundation, through attorney CJ Grisham, has defended Timothy Willis at every stage, and prevailed at every stage.
Now, as DPS seeks yet another appeal, that defense continues.
Because this case is not simply about one man’s license.
It is about whether clear legal standards will be upheld…or ignored.
If you want to help Texas Gun Rights continue defending the Second Amendment without compromise, chip in today.
