Yet, the way the (Texas Public Information Act) is written, no one except those involved in the underlying lawsuit can get access to the public information.. I would retain a lawyer and do not talk to any police officers. They have a goal in mind and this is why they hired a lawyer. As the project has lingered, and faced opposition, some have argued it is forcing TxDOT to take a harder line, jeopardizing some of the gains. It is the May 7 election, and widespread problems that day, that prompted the concerns in the first place. Theres already been a lot of time for talk, and I dont know how much latitude TxDOT has to give. Order Specials, Start Technology, Power of Abbott is exceeding his authority under the state Disaster Act of 1975, Menefee argued, which the county attorney said allows the governor to suspend laws in only narrow circumstances. The Fifth Circuit asks the justice to answer whether a volunteer deputy registrar, or VDR, is a public official under the Texas Election Code; whether speech the plaintiffs intend to use constitutes solicitation within the context of the state code; and whether the Texas Attorney General has the power to enforce that code. To say the least, that is a massive, massive upending of the regular democratic order. Harris County Commissioners Court on Thursday voted to sueTexas Comptroller GlennHegars office in response to hiscomments accusing the countyof defunding law enforcement. The Texas Organizing Project didnt file its lawsuit to extend voting hours because of problems in The Villages and Cy-Fair. The men gave her an official-looking affidavit form and asked her to sign it attesting to the residents at the address under penalty of perjury.. Everyone who has closely read the law agrees the ballots are confidential: the Secretary of States Office, counties across the state, and his own office just a month ago. They also collaborate with the Harris County Senior Justice Assessment Center, a consortium of state and county agencies that review cases/offer services for elderly victims of abuse and exploitation. To make its case, Mealers legal team will have to find evidence that more than 18,000 voters were unable to cast ballots on Election Day, and that all of those voters planned to vote for Mealer, Stein said. This is one of the precise situations I have been most worried about this election people in shadowy volunteer groups who suggest in one way or another that they are acting under official authority questioning the eligibility of voters directly by knocking on their doors, Slattery said. Do NOT delete this post and create a new post with the requested information. There is no perfect design, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. who have previously worked at the U.S. Attorneys Office. Will do! Theres an unwritten contract between parents and their schools and its that when our children are under the care of their schools, they do everything they can to keep them safe, Hidalgo wrote in a letter to superintendents. I'm only ever in the county my college is in for school alone. 2023-00925; Michelle Fraga v. Judge Christine Weems. I included Mealer and Cagle for post-election inclusion mostly out of curiosity. We certainly didnt for Uvalde, or Santa Fe, or El Paso, or any of too many other places to name. 2023-00930; Mark Goldberg v. Judge Erika Ramirez. They are scaring people into creating this system that isnt even legal.. Why Would I Get A Letter From Harris County Attorney r/magic8ball I wish this was a thing and not a dead sub with one post. Seems like theres not that much in dispute, but theres always something. This one was filed on December 10, and if there was any news coverage of it I am not able to find it. Federal prosecutors sometimes resemble sharks, because they are frequently unwilling to abandon even fruitless investigations unless they draw some blood. All About Bail Bonds owner Sunya Claiborne, plaintiff in the lawsuit, contends that her business is at stake because the minimum charge requirement is classic price fixing and a per se antitrust violation without any grant of state authority to displace competition, according to court documents. 8(lost to Judge Erika Ramirez), Bruce Bain, former candidate for the269th District Court(lost to Judge Cory Sepolio), Michelle Fraga, former candidate for the281st District Court(lost to Judge Christine Weems), Elizabeth Buss, former candidate for theHarris County Criminal Court at Law No. Bandit signs are typically small and placed in large quantities along public spaces as esplanades. 1 provision no later than February 14, 2022. They also ensure Harris Countys compliance with environmental regulations; represents the county in state administrative hearings; and coordinates with federal, state, and local stakeholders on environmental legislation, rules, and policies affecting the county and its citizens. The USPS rede livery form states that it was both a letter and certified mail. This law was created to combat alleged voter fraud that we know does not exist, and instead hinders the ability to properly encourage seniors and voters with disabilities to exercise their right to vote by mail, saidChristian Menefee, the County Attorney for Harris County, Texas. In a Nov. 29 letter from FHWA Chief Counsel Andrew Rogers, federal officials said recent discussions represent a good start but set parameters for any design work to proceed. The letters of guardianship provide an expiration date on their face, one year plus 120 days after the anniversary date. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. The amount of evidence theyd need to provide to come close to justifying such an ask, I cant even begin to comprehend. Winning it will be another matter. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The maximum that a judge can receive from a PAC is $5000, so that is the goal for each judge and for Lina. Vips Support Documents and Useful Resource Links . The bondsmen would also have to report how the premium was paid and who paid it. 2023-00936; Mark Montgomery v. Judge Kelley Andrews. He urged the county to proceed with the lawsuit, rather than relent. The law has drawn multiple lawsuits in addition toLongoria v. Paxton. In the meantime, we have a small victory, for now, against SB1. After provisional and mail-in ballots were counted, the incumbent for Harris Countys 180th Criminal State District Court, DaSean Jones, went from trailing Republican Tami Pierce to leading by less than 500 votes, the Houston Chronicle reported. Menefee 36,826 30,700 0 193,291 The two new agreements, one between TxDOT and the city and another between TxDOT and Harris County, specify the commitments both sides are making. Former officer Gerald Goines led a raid on the home, which police believed to. My office will be involved in the case every step of the way to ensure peoples votes are protected.. Burgess 940 14,710 5,207 5,403 Greg Abbott recommended keeping the current waiting period. Marilyn and Tenesha have pro bono attorneys but the others are not allowed to be represented pro bono due to conflicts of interest. That widening, which requires the destruction of hundreds of homes and businesses adjacent to the freeway, has drawn scorn and accusations that highway officials are perpetuating decades of carving freeways through low-income and minority communities to the detriment of those neighborhoods. Thats a somewhat complicated headline for this. The Harris County GOP reacted angrily to this and sent a letter to Ken Paxton demanding he take action or else we have no confidence that the Attorney General will uphold any of our election laws. A federal district judge granted the motion, which would have applied to the primaries, and Im willing to bet would have helped ease the confusion that led to all of those rejected mail ballots, but the Fifth Circuit, as is their wont, put a hold on the injunction. Opponents of TxDOTs design, finalized in 2019, said they needed to review specifics of the two agreements, but remained opposed to some of the fundamental features included in the plans. Longoria and Morgan, however, told U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of San Antonio that waiting until summer is not an option for a prohibition that will handcuff them in the weeks leading up to the March 1 Texas primaries. Like a ritual murder involving tomato and cream cheese? Hidalgo opened the meeting alternately lambasting Ramsey and Cagles absence and lamenting the potential impacts of the countys inability to approve its proposed tax rate. 2023-00952; Nile Copeland v. Judge Latosha Lewis Payne. I dont know what legal options the majority has, but I do know that the Speaker of the House has the authority to call upon the Texas Rangers to round up legislative quorum-busters, which is why they always flee the state. Im tentative to overreach at the moment.. That would include increasing penalties for those who violate election laws even inadvertently, reducing early voting days and restricting mail-in balloting to only the military, the disabled and people who will be out of the county during the entirety of early voting. Because the proceedings are still ongoing, it is too soon to know whether the ability to extend voting hours in the future could be impacted. Another 49 challenges came in after Aug. 10, the 90th day before the election. Reconsidering how the project will incorporate, Mark Montgomery, former candidate forHarris County Criminal Court at Law No. Danna 1,983 19,814 18,452 982 The Harris County Elections Administrators Office received a flood of affidavits this summer challenging the eligibility of thousands of registered voters throughout the county, accusing them of not living at the addresses listed on registration records. For individuals who dont have a subscription yet, have a look at our how-guide below to make getting started easier: You can now open up the Texas Attorney Vacation Form sample and fill it out online or print it and get it done yourself. The Bell County attorney confirmed last week that a court order there had not been challenged by the Attorney Generals Office or another party. Several other provisions of SB 1 have been challenged ina half-dozenlawsuitsby civil rights groups and theBiden administrations Justice Department,includingbans on 24-hour and drive-thru voting, ID requirements for mail-in ballots andprotections for partisan poll watchers. At aMay 11 hearingwith the state House Elections Committee, Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria argued the countys ballot delivery plan utilizing law enforcement officers and deputized staffers is in compliance with Texas law. The Supreme Court is occasionally solicitous of the First Amendment, if it approves of the speech in question, so who knows what they might do. (Any lawyers out there that want to help, by all means please do.). I was employed by {Name of the company} for {Number} years until I was suddenly and without explanation fired from my job last month. They elicit strong backlash from residents who often already know what its like to live by one. As noted recently, there are other obstacles to the project, though perhaps if Harris County and TxDOT can settle their differences, those can be handled as well. It is believed that the purpose of these suits is to drag out the cases, have judges dip into personal resources, and be exhausted financially and emotionally by the time of their next race. Eagleton 51,665 23,158 119,650 59,159 Name Change, Buy/Sell Houston, Harris County and the Texas Department of Transportation have an agreed path forward for rebuilding Interstate 45, and a lot of steps to get there. But hey, lawsuits are time- and resource-intensive, and they often end in settlements anyway, so why not give this a try. Handling of the voted ballots themselves opens up the possibility of accidental or intentional damage or misplacement that could call into question the election after the fact.. Keith Ingram, the secretary of states director of elections, told lawmakers in the hearing he disagreed with that interpretation and believed Harris Countys plan violated the law. DWI 2nd will get credit only for 2 for 1. The EPAs civil rights compliance arm announced the investigation last Wednesday. A judgerejecteda second attempt by a bail bondingbusiness to put an end to a Harris County rule requiring defendants accused of violent offenses to pay aminimum 10 percent feeto secure their release from jail, officials said Monday. Cagle 64,225 186,970 0 5,056 Business Packages, Construction Tami Pierce is representing herself with co-counsel, Paul Simpson. A court of law ordered Harris County to keep the polls to open for an additional hour on Election Day and people across our county cast their ballots during that time, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said in a statement. Speak with Oberheiden, P.C. packages, Easy Order Specialist legal advice should be taken in relation to specific circumstances. By all accounts, there were maybe 20-25 sites that have paper issues. According to the Public Information Act, the attorney generals office has 45 working days from the day after the request to respond. Harris County Attorneys - LII Texas Attorney Directory - Cornell University The petition was filed Monday afternoon. Harris County, TX Attorney. Morales-Doyle said that Morgan began the case with a reasonable fear of prosecution and while the state has indicated a disinclination to prosecute she does not know the position of the Travis County district attorney, nor what future district attorneys would do. The information contained in this site was valid at the time of posting. I really do believe they did the best they could and that were overall in a much better place than when we started and that we worked hard for it. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Judge Cox is represented by Cris Feldman. The night also could be politically turbulent as a dispute plays out over one line in the states election code. 1 went into effect on December 2, 2021. Im perfectly happy telling them all to take one of the commuter buses in, and if the service for that is inadequate to push for it to be improved. I am writing to request your help with a matter that is very important to me. And of course there can always be election contests. Garcia 33,177 8,498 0 54,177 We worked hard to make this happen. We are doing everything we can to move this project forward, James Koch, director of transportation planning and development for TxDOT in Houston, told a North Houston Association luncheon on Wednesday. As things stand now, a whole lot of people will be mad at the outcome, whatever it is. Neighborhoods with batch plants lack deed restrictions and zoning to protect them, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said. That letter must include the following four paragraphs: 1. 12 Cause No. Employment law attorneys advise the county, its departments, and its officials regarding proposed policies, procedures, and legal obligations and provide training for management and newly elected officials. His math was wrong then and its wrong now.. Affidavits of surety to surrender principal often list the premium and are filed by bail agents as an attempt to cut ties with a defendants bond, usually after a new charge. Greg Abbott expanded early voting for an additional week to allow more people concerned about COVID-19 to vote before Election Day. We appreciate your patience and look forward to speaking with you soon. . All public comments received by Aug. 8 will be submitted to the commission, including comments fromTuesdays midday virtual public hearing. Estate, Last Judge Horwitz is represented by John Raley. So lets think about this instead: . State highway officials held fast to their plans for rebuilding Interstate 45 in Houston on Thursday, offering a litany of benefits the project will bring and pressing federal officials to lift a 12-month-and-counting pause on development. If granted, the mask mandate would remain in place until trial or until the decision was appealed. So, until I hear otherwise, it is my contention that these provisional ballots are not enough to alter any races result, and also that this doesnt matter because all of the ballots should be counted. Theres no explanation for it hes just flat wrong. This happened to Rob Icsezen, the host of the H-Town Progressive podcast and a Democratic appointee of the Early Voting Ballot Board and Signature Verification Committee for the 2020 election. Siegel said that is precisely why the GOP is suing. Todays decision allows the threat of criminal prosecution to loom over officials trying to help voters. The judge in the Lunceford contest was assigned on December 13, I dont know what has happened since then. They dont know when theyre going to run afoul of this vague [law].. The petition also acknowledges the county has provided some of the requested documents. Look at how zealously they opposed all of the efforts to expand voting access in the pandemic, including the third week of early voting that Greg Abbott ordered. 2023-01052; Sartaj Bal v. Judge Toria Finch. Reporter Edward McKinley and plaintiffs attorney Sean Morales-Doyle have good Twitter threads with more details, so go check them out. I would be very interested in meeting with you to discuss this matter further, and I would appreciate any advice or guidance you can provide. Officials have defended the deals as the best way to change the project but still maintain the benefits that will come with it, including faster and safer commutes and the creation of two-way managed lanes that can improve transit in the I-45 corridor. The Press has more. Lets see what SCOTx says first and maybe that will clue me in. An additional $10 collection fee will be added to each invoice referred to collections, as approved by Harris County Commissioners Court in September 2020. Our hospital system will operate at a $45 million deficit, Hidalgo said. And now you know what I know. I doubt theres an agreement that satisfies everyone, but there are definitely options that do a better job of minimizing harm and promoting equity. The mayor announced Thursday that Arturo G. Michel is returning to government as City Attorney for the City of Houston. Commissioners Court had previously authorized Menefee to file suit. Standards and Procedures . 2023-00927; Bruce Bain v. Judge Corey Sepolio. Now you can just go somewhere else. Judge Andrews is represented by John Raley. Good luck with that. This was separate from all of those, which I confirmed with the County Attorney Office. DA is technically a state office for smaller counties, the DA can cover several of them at once so Id normally expect to see them on the Texas Ethics Commission site. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee's Statement on Supreme Court Nomination February 22, 2022 Harris County Attorney Menefee Responds to Governor Abbott's and General Paxton's New Policy Banning Healthcare For Transgender Children February 17, 2022 Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee Statement on Fifth Circuit Ruling The Harris County Attorney's Office fights for the interests of Harris County through the civil justice system to preserve access to clean air and water; ensure safe, healthy neighborhoods; protect consumers against fraud, exploitation, and other bad acts; and defend voting rights. The Statesman has a couple of key bits from the ruling: In his order, Rodriguez rejected Paxtons argument that the solicitation ban targets government speech, which isnt protected by the First Amendment because the state is allowed to regulate how public employees perform official duties. But I will send out word when I learn more. For his part, Berry noted that the county had already been forced to adopt the property tax revenue freeze for its current budget because Commissioners Court was unable to reach a quorum needed to set a tax rate. This is utterly chaotic. Seriously, this was a fine performance by the Elections Office. 2023-00841; Tami Pierce v. Judge DaSean Jones. Additional Losing Candidates File Election Contests in Harris County. The injunction applies to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and local county prosecutors in Harris, Travis and Williamson counties. Trust, Living By signing the Business Records Affidavit and having it notarized, the recipient attests that the documents provided are true and correct copies of the original documents and that the documents are kept in the normal course of business. Herman 0 96,574 0 518,009 of Incorporation, Shareholders Not only would the back-and-forth cause further confusion among parents of schoolchildren, but leaders of Bexar, Dallas, and Harris counties could simply refuse to stop requiring masks. 5(lost to Judge David Fleischer), Chris Daniel, former candidate for Harris County District Clerk (lost to Marilyn Burgess), Erin Lunceford, former candidate for the 189, Tami Pierce, former candidate for the180th District Court(lost to Judge DaSean Jones), Alexandra Mealer, former candidate for Harris County Judge (lost to Judge Lina Hidalgo), Mike May, former candidate for State Representative District 135 (lost to Representative Jon Rosenthal). See here for the background. Giving this much power to a governing minority is the problem here. Harris County Clerk's Office Our eCommerce feature allows the public to purchase both certified and non-certified copies of various documents. The letters stem from the investigation into the 2019 drug raid of a small home on Harding Street in south Houston. It is scary to receive a letter from the U.S. Attorneys Office. It could also ask voters to approve the funding reduction in a referendum, Hegar said. See here (scroll down) for the background. Anyone who ran into a problem at one location could have gone to another. Jerry Garcia, Constable Precinct 2 Be that as it may, the point about the counties just not moving to undo what they have ordered is an interesting point. As part of the canvass, respondents are ordered to separately identify in the vote tabulations the number of later cast votes for each candidate in each race and for or against each proposition, so that candidates, the parties, and this Court may ascertain whether the later cast votes would be outcome-determinative and so that the parties can assess the extent to which further litigation is warranted.