Demonstration centers around land case

October 19, 2017 at 2:58 a.m. | Updated October 19, 2017 at 2:56 a.m.

by Lynn LaRowe

Rhonda Lynch and others call for the public's attention outside of the Bi-State Justice Building on Wednesday regarding a land and mineral rights lawsuit that originated in the Longview, Texas, area. Lynch is the sister-in-law of Felicia Pierce. Pierce claims the land in question belongs to her family and that a 1921 land transfer was illegal. Several of the world's largest oil companies, including Exxon Mobil and BP Energy, as well as CitiFinancial, are named as defendants. The group was in Texarkana because of a recent ruling by the 6th District Court of Appeals headquartered in Texarkana, Texas.
Rhonda Lynch and others call for the public's attention outside of the Bi-State Justice Building on Wednesday regarding a land and mineral rights lawsuit that originated in the Longview, Texas, area. Lynch is the sister-in-law of Felicia Pierce. Pierce claims the land in question belongs to her family and that a 1921 land transfer was illegal. Several of the world's largest oil companies, including Exxon Mobil and BP Energy, as well as CitiFinancial, are named as defendants. The group was in Texarkana because of a recent ruling by the 6th District Court of Appeals headquartered in Texarkana, Texas.

A demonstration Wednesday morning at Bi-State Justice Building centered around a decades-old land case in nearby Gregg County, Texas.

Felicia Pierce aims to draw attention to a ruling by the 6th District Court of Appeals, headquartered in Texarkana, Texas, concerning roughly 366 acres of land and the associated mineral and surface rights.

Pierce's claim that she is one of the rightful heirs of the property was dismissed by a Gregg County Court at Law judge because Pierce failed to add plaintiffs and defendants to the case whose rights could be affected by a ruling in Pierce's favor, according to documents.

Pierce claimed a transfer of the land in 1921 was illegal, that she is one of the rightful heirs and that all leases for surface use and mineral and oil rights after the 1921 transfer should be deemed void, according to documents.

A number of oil and gas companies were sued and briefed in the case. In a Sept. 29 opinion, the district court sided with the judge in Gregg County that the case should be dismissed.

About 35 people carried signs and chanted "Justice for Pierce" on Wednesday at the Bi-State as Pierce demonstrated her dissatisfaction with the appellate court's decision.

Pierce has the option of taking her case to the Texas Supreme Court, the court of last resort for civil matters in the state of Texas.

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