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Thank you for your time and consideration. This is the state house district in which I ran back in 2018 and 2020. Forms, Real Estate Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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.. 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. As a reminder and a general principle, never believe a word Andy Taylor says. The request drew a fast rebuke from Democratic Party leaders and Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee. The root cause of that debate, however, remains unresolved, Hegar said in the statement, referring to the defunding spat from last fall. Garcia, A 175,027 340,089 0 291,697 His math is wrong. Judge Hidalgo is represented by Neal Manne. The election has been certified by Commissioners Court, which if nothing else avoids the drama of any further delays. If you see it clear to forward me $1000 to cover the locksmith, I will egarly give you 20% of any monies recoverd." [deleted] 8 yr. ago Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee Tuesday denied Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegars announcement that county officials are attempting to resolve the defunding claims Hegar made earlier this month. However, state law does not prevent the county from providing the records, but rather gives the county discretion to decide. The Bell County attorney confirmed last week that a court order there had not been challenged by the Attorney Generals Office or another party. Ingram said he didnt know the purpose of the provision. The lawsuit is an example of why the Texas Legislature should repeal the litigation exception provision in state law that offers public offices an option to withhold records during litigation, said Bill Aleshire, an Austin attorney who works with the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Speaking Engagement- Use this link to request the County Attorney speak to an audience at an event. Arturo G. MichelDecember 3, 2020 -- Mayor Sylvester Turner has selected a familiar name and a well-respected attorney to join the administration as the City's chief legal counsel and advisor. I do hope the County Attorneys Office keeps an eye on this activity, because we know its ill-intentioned bullshit and it deserves to be closely scrutinized. The General Counsel Practice Group provides legal advice to the Countys elected and appointed officials, and employees. Its just chaos intended to give a boost to Big Lie enthusiasts, and as the story notes later on, its potentially a conflict of interest for Paxton since he himself is on the ballot this year, and everyone agrees its likely to be a close race. The average bonus for a District Attorney is $7,054 which represents 9% of their salary, with 100% of people reporting that they receive a bonus each year. We use cookies to improve security, personalize the user experience, enhance our marketing activities (including cooperating with our marketing partners) and for other business use. (713) 275-7830. Of course the [Texas Supreme Court] proceedings remain pending and the court could rule on something. Thats the best I can do. About | Sales, Landlord There may be an opinion in the future that addresses that question.. Vips Application . We are ready to move forward together, said Texas Transportation Commissioner Laura Ryan. There were a half-dozen voting locations within walking distance of my house on Election Day. The opinion itself provides little guidance as to how long or for what reasons election administrators can block access to such ballots, leaving administrators across the state concerned about their ability to appropriately comply. James Slattery, senior staff attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project, said for the average voter, the organizations name, badge and paperwork could convey a sense of an official visit by the government without explicitly doing so. Amendments, Corporate 1 makes it a crime for me to do a critical part of my job, and it hurts the most vulnerable voters, saidIsabel Longoria, Harris County Election Administrator. Im sure theyll say theyre just a bland nonprofit, but to a voter who does not have a law degree, who does not have a background in law enforcement, you are a lot more likely to believe that this is some kind of quasi-official visit, Slattery said. What horrible crime could OP have committed to receive an envelope full of glitter? The feds later asked TxDOT to pause other work on the project as well. Governors have broad power under the Disaster Act, he said, noting that the state Supreme Court sided with Abbott when Travis County attempted to enact a New Years Eve curfew for restaurants. The office also includes the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library, which is a public library that serves the legal information needs of self-represented litigants, legal professionals, the judiciary, and County and other governmental officials. Press J to jump to the feed. Commissioners Court had previously authorized Menefee to file suit. 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 2022, the county passed a shortened seven-month budget that was in effect until the new schedule began in October. This practice group works closely with The State of Texas in Mental Health commitment. Theres no reason, just because youve turned 65, that you cant show up to vote, Hall said in promoting the changes during the June GOP Convention in Houston. Estate, Public I really dont think thats too much to ask. Taylor accused Harris County Elections Administrator Cliff Tatum, who took over the office starting in August, of intentionally causing ballot paper shortages in Republican-leaning neighborhoods. Life comes at you fast. First of all, the individual will have the guidance and information they need to begin negotiating a settlement rather than immediately preparing for court. TCEQ later passed the amendment and approved the companys application after what it called a clerical error.. Four Observations From Houston Astros Spring Training, TX Rep. Slaton Wants To End Taxes for People With Ten or More Children. Its actually not clear from the story how many ballots were talking about. Notes, Premarital See here for the background. A ruling by a Harris County judge Friday will allow a recently-approved policy requiring bail bond agents to charge some defendants a 10 percent minimum to start Saturday after a last-minute lawsuit tried to stop it from happening. Those ballots were cast after a district court judge ordered Harris County polling places to remain open an extra hour because many locations had opened late that morning. 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. Most letters will include a section labeled Definitions that instructs the recipient about how to interpret keywords within the text of the requests. Texas Attorney General Website (How to Request Public Information), Harris County Attorneys Office,1019 Congress,15th FloorHouston, TX 77002. The pause, approved unanimously by Commissioners Court at a special meeting Monday, instructs County Attorney Christian Menefee to seek a stay on the lawsuit in federal court as he negotiates with TxDOT to resolve differences between the changes the county seeks to the project and the current plan. Published March 3, 2023 at 8:10 AM EST. Will, All A target letter is another type of letter that can be issued from the United States Attorneys Office. Under Hegars calculations, Heaps annualized budget would have been about $48.9 million over 12 months nearly $2.3 million more than the $46.7 million figure calculated by the county. Nothing on this site constitutes legal advice or gives rise to a solicitor/client relationship. Harris County District Clerk - Web - https://www.hcdistrictclerk.com or by US mail - Harris County District Clerk, PO Box 4651, Houston, Tx 77210-4651 Criminal history/Background checks information-involving arrests made by any law enforcement agency within Harris County visit their website. Either we win enough power to hold them off, or we are left with nothing but the hope that the likes of Bryan Hughes is unwilling to go that far. Texas has a primary election on March 1, 2022. I will of course keep an eye on it. If you have a favorite or two among them and a few bucks to spare, Im sure theyd appreciate a contribution. The guardian of the person is authorized to make decisions about health care, living arrangements, and similar matters, but has no authority to expend funds. Icsezen interpreted this to mean that they werent allowed to observe the SVC, checked his interpretation with the Harris County Attorney, which approved his decision, and turned the poll watcher away. Let me just show you what that second linked file says: The case underlying these certified questions is a pre-enforcement challenge to two recently enacted provisions of the Texas Election Code: section 276.016(a) (the anti-solicitation provision) and section 31.129 (the civil-liability provision) as applied to the anti-solicitation provision. The letter, from the law firm Odelson, Sterk, Murphey, Frazer & McGrath is addressed to five of the 11 candidates for ethics board: David Carrabotta, Lisa Emmett Stechman, David Laske, Joy Alfonsi . Federal prosecutors sometimes resemble sharks, because they are frequently unwilling to abandon even fruitless investigations unless they draw some blood. Nile Copeland is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. These are nuisance suits but the Judges and Lina have had to hire attorneys to represent them against the claims. In response to each of the requests for public information, the elections office responded by seeking an opinion from the Texas Attorney Generals office allowing it to withhold the information due to ongoing litigation, the lawsuit states. In a primary election, each polling location has one judge from each party overseeing their own partys voting process. Moreover, Harris County is not responsible for the content nor endorses any site which has a link from this page. Oberheiden, P.C. County election officials around the state are already reporting getting a bunch of requests, some of which appear to be part of a coordinated effort. Harris County assumes no liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of errors, omissions or discrepancies. Attorneys for the city and county relied on a dissenting opinion from a judge on the 8th Court of Appeals in a mask mandate case involving El Paso County, Ariens said: that Texas law does not allow the governor to suspend laws giving local governments the ability to respond to public health crises as they see fit. He may or may not seek to run for something else do remember that the minute he says something to that effect hell have to resign, so all we would have before then is speculation but either way I wont be surprised to see some competition for the Precinct 1 slot. Amendments, Corporate Paxtons office sought input from the secretary of states office prior to issuing the decision, which was requested by state Sen. Kelly Hancock and state Rep. Matt Krause, both Republicans. of Incorporation, Shareholders My tuition has been paid in full and I would have imagined the school would have notified me for other fees at this point in time. The ballots in question were cast during a one-hour period on Nov. 8. More than 1 million Texans used vote-by-mail during the 2020 presidential election and more than 850,000 of those ballots came from people 65 and older, according to the Texas Division of Elections. I suppose if this happens the next thing well hear about is Angela Paxton driving them away, probably as they hunch down in the back seat of her SUV, for the safety of the suburbs. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee on Thursday expressed disappointment in . Shah said the office will work in coordination with the county attorneys office to review and determine the validity of all challenges on a case-by-case basis after the midterm election. The San Antonio Report consulted another expert with a similar opinion. You can read the Chron story here and their explainer about election contests here. 2023-00937; Matthew Dexter v. Judge Genesis Draper. Heap 0 69,735 18,880 68,808 If you make a mistake, print out and complete application again (once youve registered an account every document you download is reusable). If I read this literally as a layman, I think Im required to provide ballots the day after an election before the results have even been canvassed, said Chris Davis, elections director in Williamson County, who said such a release would make it impossible for counties to confidently conduct recounts that would stand up to legal scrutiny. 1 Cause No. As things stand now, a whole lot of people will be mad at the outcome, whatever it is. Lets make it a little less hard for these Dems who clearly and correctly won their races. The petition also acknowledges the county has provided some of the requested documents. Once it has a foothold, the momentum only goes in one direction. And in response to the recent Court of Criminal Appeals case holding that the Texas Attorney General has no independent authority to prosecute criminal offenses created in the Election Code, they also sued the Harris, Travis, and Williamson County district attorneys to challenge the criminal penalties imposed by the anti-solicitation provision. She is 1 of 17 elected Harris County Dem. I point this out to say that barring something truly weird, Paxtons bad faith filing will not can not have any effect on any race. But the Republicans opposed that at every turn. Of those, Shah said, 66 were rejected because they did not meet statutory requirements and contained incomplete information.. The ban on sending unsolicited mail-voting applications was one of many provisions containedinSenate Bill 1, the sweeping GOP voting law that was passed Sept. 1during the Legislatures second special session. Menefees office asked the EPA to stop any new standard concrete batch plant permits from being issued until the investigation is finished, he said. Id like to see enough of the concerns raised by the plan opponents be addressed in a way that theyre willing to let the project move forward. In all, the Elections Administrators Office received 115 affidavits, according to Leah Shah, a spokesperson for the elections office. Paxtons office did not respond to specific questions about why he disagreed with Bitters conclusion, nor did he respond to requests for comment. Theft, Personal The County Attorneys office, however, said it had no information that anyone had attempted to misrepresent themselves as public employees, which would be illegal. RECORDING OF ANY PROBATE PROCEEDINGS IS STRICTLY PROHIBITEDAND COULD RESULT IN A FINDING OF CONTEMPT OF COURT. This isnt a lawsuit, its an investigation. The policy was prompted by a Commissioners Court resolution urging the board members to adopt rules regulating the minimum fee that a bondsman must collect to secure a defendants release on violent charges. That would require dividing the short fiscal year by 16 pay periods and multiplying that by 26 to cover the whole year, she said. Will, Advanced I didnt write about the initial failure of the board to pass a rule requiring that bail bond companies must charge a minimum of ten percent of whatever bail had been set. Target letters inform the recipients that they are the target of a federal investigation, which means that the government intends to press civil or criminal charges against that person. I have $15 Million in Zimbabwe dollars locked in a safe. 2023-00952; Nile Copeland v. Judge Latosha Lewis Payne. 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. In his orders, hell suspend two to three laws specifically by name, and then hell say any other laws that could allow a local official to do something inconsistent with what Im doing, Menefee said. You wouldnt want to recommend voting by mail as an option because youd be worried about prosecution, he said. Federal and state laws requires ballots be securely stored for 22 months after an election, in part to preserve them for recounts or challenges to election results. With voters walking into polling places and ballots set to arrive at NRG Arena in a few hours, Harris Countys Republican Party has challenged the process election officials will use to transfer ballots from locations to the central counting center, citing concerns with handing the machines over to anyone but precinct judges. Texas has allowed voters 65 and older to vote absentee without needing an excuse since 1975. Mark Montgomery is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. If granted, the mask mandate would remain in place until trial or until the decision was appealed. Will, All FDAMS User Guide . webcomments@hctx.net. That may be a bad feature of the law as it now exists, but it is the law and a district court is highly unlikely to deviate from the normal course of behavior. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Judge Andrews is represented by John Raley. The Election Administrators office notified Republican election judges they could opt in to the countys plan if they wished, and at least 31 of them did so. Thank you for your help! This website often will provide the arresting agency . LLC, Internet The County will participate in the case, and we plan to make clear that it would be a grave injustice to throw out more than a million legally cast votes, especially given Ms. Luncefords completely baseless theories. 10 Cause No. The travel time alone for the attorneys will be in the thousands when ZOOM meetings are not allowed! 55th District Court Judge Latosha Payne ruled Aug. 9 against atemporary injunctionstemmed from civil litigation lodged in April against the Harris County Bail Bond Board that attempted to prevent the premium policy from taking effect. The petition is filed in Harris County, but the case will be heard by a judge from outside the county, according to Menefees office. The 5th U.S. Thats a new statutory deadline for all judicial fundraising it used to be the case that judges who were involved in lawsuits could continue past that deadline, but the law was changed in the last session, so here we are. 3 Cause No. I wont hold my breath for it. Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses. Privacy Policy and our Accessibility Statement. In fact, when something controversial enough happens to be the subject of a lawsuit, that is exactly when the public most needs to know what the record shows. While most criminal cases are handled in state courts rather than in federal courts, the types of criminal cases prosecuted by the United States Attorneys Office include white collar fraud, Medicare fraud, drug trafficking, tax evasion, and immigration crimes. The SOS raised no concerns, legal or otherwise, with the program. They elicit strong backlash from residents who often already know what its like to live by one. Hegar,a Republican,said he hopes Heap and county officials can resolve the situation themselves long before Harris County begins budget deliberations for fiscal year 2024. He also predicted that county officials would once again use a convoluted approach to argue they had not reduced Heaps funding. Select the subscription plan to continue on to sign up. I presume that last line is there in the event the provisional ballots have an effect on the 180th Criminal District Court race, in which event (again, I presume) the merits of the arguments will have to be addressed. I wish I felt more optimistic, but its not like the Fifth Circuit will care. And now you know what I know. Oftentimes, federal agents will handle investigative tasks, such as interviewing witnesses or executing search warrants, and then the United States Attorneys Office will rely on those investigative efforts of the federal agents to build a case for trial. I believe that I was wrongfully terminated, and I am seeking compensation for the damages that I have incurred as a result of my wrongful termination. The first lawsuits filed against SB1 were filed in September, with Isabel Longoria a plaintiff in a complaint filed by MALDEF on behalf of a large group. The county attorneys probe is based on a complaint from at least one Sunnyside resident who said two men came to her home and asked questions they said were to confirm the identities of registered voters who live at that address. Still, others have been pleasantly surprised when what was once an existential threat is transformed into a manageable inconvenience. 5 Cause No. I dont know why the change of court and I dont know if the second hearing was delayed or if it just took that long for a ruling, but here we are. Houston, Texas, U.S. Kim Ogg is an American lawyer. And every voter who might have been discouraged by issues at one location could have gone to another one, which would have been at most a couple of minutes away by car. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg during a press conference Wednesday, July 1, 2020, in Houston. Longoria is employed by Harris County, and Morgan is a volunteer registrar. The agreement announced Monday does not remove the pause the Federal Highway Administration placed on the project in March 2021. The Court accepted the certified questions and set oral argument for May 11, 2022. 2023-00955; James Lombardino v. Judge Audrie Lawton-Evans. Alan Rosen had his eye on the Sheriffs office back when Ed Gonzalez was a nominee for head of ICE, but thats off the table now. If the case moves quickly, and the Texas Supreme Court vacates the temporary restraining order, chaos could ensue, Taylor said. 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. Under Hegars calculations, Heaps annualized budget would have been about $48.9 million over 12 months nearly $2.3 million off from the $46.7 million figure calculated by the county. Menefee 36,826 30,700 0 193,291 If I trusted them before I have no reason not to trust them now. And in their lawsuit, they flat out misrepresent the countys plans to the court, making several statements that they know are demonstrably false., (Longorias) office successfully used constables in the May 7 election, and the GOP had no problem at that time, said Odus Evbagharu, chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party. One of his top staffers ran against Judge Hidalgo in the 2022 Dem primary, and I imagine there will be some kind of response to that. 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. Sometimes if you sign up for trustee (work while in jail) they give you and extra days credit. Although the ballots were processed, Harris County now intends to include them in the final vote canvass, Christopher Hilton, chief of the Attorney Generals office general litigation division said Monday. Contractors, Confidentiality If you are appointed a Power of Attorney, you have a duty to act in the best interest of the person in question, ensuring their financial security and prevent undoing the original agreement.Jul 14, 2017. I did not see any news items related to this, so what you see here is all I know. There is a deadline of MARCH 8 to raise funds!! That short fiscal year has made it difficult to make year-to-year funding comparisons, and has resulted in the county and the comptrollers office using different methods to analyze whether the constables funding has increased or decreased. Not all the things we wanted materialized, but that is compromise, said Harris County Pct. Agreements, Corporate Mealer 356,684 621,482 0 188,512 S.B. The group, focused on economic development north of the city, is a vocal supporter of the widening project because of its potential to improve access to downtown and revitalize sagging areas along the I-45 freeway corridor. Steer clear of days of lost time seeking the internet and dropped money on documents that arent updated. According to the story, this all took place within a few hours, and according to other members of both groups who the author spoke to, it was no big deal at the time. As noted recently, the Supreme Court never responded to the initial writ, so I assume this was just a matter of the local GOP deciding it wasnt worth the effort to continue. Gov. 1 subjects me to criminal prosecution for encouraging eligible voters to vote by mail so they may participate in our democracy an option they have under Texas law.. It also doesnt matter whether the regular Republicans support this madness or not. On its own motion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has certified the following questions to the Court: (1) Whether Volunteer Deputy Registrars are public officials under the Texas Election Code; (2) Whether the speech Plaintiffs allege that they intend to engage in constitutes solicitation within the context of Texas Election Code 276.016(a)(1). We expect TxDOT to uphold its end of this historic agreement, and not only to evaluate the impacts over the next year but to agree to and fund real solutions that address concerns about displacement, pollution, flooding and impacts on the public transportation network, said Harris County Pct. That included an 88-year-old voter whom Morgan would typically call at the start of every year to remind her that she has to reapply for mail-in ballots. Premiums are, in some cases, documented in the public record. PPP/Emilys List, July 2: Biden 48, Trump 46, UT-Tyler/DMN, July 12: Biden 48, Trump 43, Morning Consult, July 28: Biden 47, Trump 45, Morning Consult, August 3: Biden 47, Trump 46, 2023 Off the Kuff | Powered by WordPress, Name Raised Spent Loans On Hand We have multiple locations at which anyone can vote precisely as a hedge against problems at any one specific location. On defining solicitation, because a felony criminal prosecution is possible, Justice Jane Bland asked if the state should limit its meaning to the penal codes definition, which would restrict the term to situations where a public official induces someone to commit a criminal act. 2023-01067; Dan Spjut v. Judge Juanita Jackson. We have the primaries coming up real soon, which means mail ballots are going to be getting requested, and people will have questions about them. Andy Taylor, general counsel for the Harris County GOP, is representing Lunceford. Existing law said poll watchers were allowed at the former, but said nothing about the latter. . Giving the go-ahead to two parts of the $10 billion-plus project work along Interstate 69 and at Texas 288 to rebuild where the three freeways converge near Third Ward staves off the possibility of state officials removing all of the projects funding from Texas 10-year highway plan and provides a glimmer of hope that officials locally, in Austin and Washington can find some common ground. Democratic AGs file lawsuit to ease access to mifepristone, Former Land Commissioners oppose anti-Open Beaches bill, So it looks like that TEA takeover of HISD is going to happen, So about that DPS delay in notifying the victims of the credential stuffing attack, Superintendant House speaks about the looming TEA takeover Off the Kuff, Life at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center, Ramblings of an HHSC Employee amidst chaos, They are Building a Wal-Mart on My Street. I cannot begin to fathom the pain and loss they are experiencing. Cagle 64,225 186,970 0 5,056 Those challenges are awaiting a summer trial. Those challenges do not amount to voter suppression, Stein said, but merely suggest that Harris County should operate fewer, better-resourced polling locations. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. See here (scroll down) for the background. Im tentative to overreach at the moment.. There must be a hearing after notice within ten Attorneys Office, you should contact the former state and federal prosecutors at Oberheiden, P.C. His math was wrong then and its wrong now.. The resulting ability to anticipate the governments case strategy gives us a critical edge over firms that lack this capability.