But due to a change in state law, you only have until March 8 to make a contribution. I have personally been told by persons actually residing at these addresses that the challenged voter does not reside at that address and is not only temporarily absent from that address with an intent to return, the affidavits read. It comes as no surprise, then, to discover that most lawyers (58 per cent) get between 20 and 25 days of paid holiday (excluding bank holidays) a year, while the bulk of the rest (33 per cent) get between 26 and 30 days. Its actually not clear from the story how many ballots were talking about. 2023-01052; Sartaj Bal v. Judge Toria Finch. The case, Paxton v. Longoria, concerns a First-Amendment issue over how provisions in Senate Bill 1, a 2021 law, could lead to civil penalties and or criminal prosecution of county election administrators and volunteer deputy registrars. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee on Thursday expressed disappointment in the decision by the 5th Circuit, which has blocked a number of court challenges to conservative policies. I dont think Ive seen reports for District Attorney on the county election site before. See here for the background. She said she was shocked by the opinion. 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. Our practice is focused on debt collection remedies. 3 Cause No. According to the Public Information Act, the attorney generals office has 45 working days from the day after the request to respond. Note that Paxton had previously tried to indict Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir on similarly flimsy charges in 2020, but a grand jury in Williamson County again, not where the alleged crime took place declined to indict. Civil Ad Litem . The letters of guardianship provide an expiration date on their face, one year plus 120 days after the anniversary date. According to emails shared with Chronicle, parties including the Texas Attorney Generals office, Harris County Attorneys office, Texas Civil Rights Project, Harris County Republican Party and Harris County Democratic Party all signed off an agreement on Nov. 11 for processing the provisional ballots. Liens, Real . Phil Sandlin, Constable Precinct 8, Teneshia Hudspeth, County Clerk The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, known as the motor voter act, bars election officials from performing most voter roll maintenance activities within 90 days of a federal election. i know understandably literally nobody is in the mood to hear about primary runoff election night but i am at NRG arena & feel compelled to tell you that so many people are working very hard (here and across the state) to get votes counted tonight, Jen Rice (@jen_rice_) 10:04 PM 24 May 2022. Ill try to learn to live with it. 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 The poll watcher complained to the Harris County GOP, who called the Secretary of State, who called Icsezen and said he was wrong, the poll watcher needed to be allowed in to observe the SVC. The only other race that is close enough to be even theoretically affected by the provisional ballots is the County Criminal Court #3 race, where Porsha Brown trails by the even smaller margin of 267 votes. of Business, Corporate However, he is leading by 449 votes, so if you threw out all of the E-Day provisionals, he would still be ahead by 89 votes in his race. Check out the subscription page by clicking Buy Now. You wouldnt want to recommend voting by mail as an option because youd be worried about prosecution, he said. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. They couldnt hold out forever theres a lot of pressure to make I-45 renovation and expansion happen and no one gets everything they want in a negotiation. (Except for Steve Radack, who still has a nice chunk of change in his account.) A judge blocked the initial attempt as well. I dont know if we will get Constable/JP redistricting, but there are always some interesting primary contests here, and even with the same maps we could have interesting November races in Precincts 4 and 5. 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. Mr. CLUBS IN ACTION is trying to raise 95K to donate to them. City of Houston and Harris County Statements on EPA Order for Union Pacific Contamination Cleanup, Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee Responds to Texas Comptroller, Harris County Attorney Announces Legal Action Against Landfill Expansion. A new Texas law that keeps local election officials from encouraging voters to request mail-in ballots likely violates the First Amendment, a federal judge ruled late Friday. It seems like the intent was to keep I-45 on the TxDOT project list for at least a little longer, to see if an agreement among all the parties can be reached. Thank you for your time and consideration. The restriction applies to any program intended to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the official list of eligible voters, including general mailings and door to door canvasses, according to the Justice Department. This is a critical piece of leverage that can bring TxDOT to the bargaining table, Peters told Commissioners Court before it approved the pause. This practice group files lawsuits for collecting fines, taxes, judgments, workers compensation, property damage, contract, and other monies owed to Harris County. At a May 11 hearing with the state House Elections Committee to address delayed election results, Longoria argued the plan utilizing law enforcement officers and deputized staffers is in compliance with Texas law. Call 888-680-1745 for Central Intake with Dr. Nick Oberheiden Letters From The U.S. Attorney's Office Last Updated: 2023-02-04 Oberheiden, P.C. Judge Lawton-Evans is represented by Anthony Drumheller. County Attorney Christian Menefee and Lone Star lawyers alleged in separate complaints to the EPA earlier this year that the state agency discriminated against Black and Latino residents when they didnt adequately ensure communities would be protected and didnt appropriately seek input from people who arent fluent in English. The Justice Department lawsuit was filed in November, and there were three others filed in between. Despite the GOPs criticism, at least 40 Republican judges are choosing to participate in the countys plan. See here for the background, and here for a copy of the 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. As the story notes, the I-45 project is on pause while a complaint filed with the Federal Highway Administration over the projects effects on communities of color are investigated. Notes, Premarital County Judge Lina Hidalgo had little to report after the session but said the county attorneys office is researching options. As to who might file a contest, again well have to see. According to the petition filed Monday night,Wayne Dolcefino, a media consultant and former TV journalist,submitted multiple requests for public information on behalf of the Gallery Furniture owner, who was a major donor supporting Republican candidates including County Judge LinaHidalgos opponent Alexandra del Moral Mealer. Danna 1,983 19,814 18,452 982 With fewer people needing bail bonds because fewer people were being assessed bail, bail bond companies saw their revenues decline and so they looked for new customers by lowering their fees so as to entice those who were still being required to pay bail but couldnt afford their fees. 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. A William Wagner, about whom I could find nothing, filed the same for Constable in Precinct 7. 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. UPDATE: Its 10:30 PM, more than a third of the Tuesday votes have been counted, and I see nothing on Twitter or in my inbox to indicate that SCOTx has issued a ruling. Currently, Texas has two weeks of early voting before elections, though in 2020 Gov. If the case moves quickly, and the Texas Supreme Court vacates the temporary restraining order, chaos could ensue, Taylor said. Harris County officials argued as much in a filing to the Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday. Did I mention that the Republicans opposed the extension of voting hours in Harris County (and not in red-voting Bell County, which also had voting location issues), and also opposed the counting of provisional ballots cast by people who voted after 7 PM? They saw it as a chance to win long-sought relief for people who have suffered from batch plants. The security controls exist for a good reason, he said, and undermining them has serious implications. Theres clearly a difference of interpretation of the law here, and if that cant be resolved on its own then a courtroom is the proper venue. I have no context to guess how long it may take, though Id expect that if the state doesnt like what the EPA says well get a lawsuit afterwards. The Texas Transportation Commission kept I-45 in its funding plans a few months ago, and some design work was allowed to continue, but now theres another federal complaint filed against the project by various opponents. Additionally, many letters from the U.S. Attorneys Office will include a blank Business Records Affidavit for the recipient to fill out and have notarized. Speaking Engagement- Use this link to request the County Attorney speak to an audience at an event. Generally, lawyers won't have much free time if they're on a busy deal or busy case and will sacrifice many weekends and evenings during those times, but there will also be times (entire weeks or months) where there are no busy deals or cases--times when you get out of the office in the mid-afternoon or have long. 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 USPS rede livery form states that it was both a letter and certified mail. Heres a Twitter thread from Chron reporter Emily Foxhall with more quotes. Menefee. We are excited to remain an active partner in this planning and development process.. Templates, Name You have separation of powers.. 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. First Assistant County Attorney Jonathan Fombonne wrote the Harris County Attorneys office was approving the agreement based on the understanding that the Texas Supreme Courts order does not prohibit the tabulating of those votes as long as the ballots themselves remain segregated., Kimberly Gdula, deputy chief of the Attorney Generals office general litigation division, signed off on the agreement in an email: The State is good with this., However, Sunday evening, two days before the commissioners court meeting to certify the election results, Hilton, the chief of the Attorney Generals office general litigation division, sent an email to the parties questioning the legal basis for including the provisional ballots cast after 7 p,m. As of today, the office has not received an opinion on how to proceed with these particular public information requests. 2023-00924; Elizabeth Buss v. Judge David Fleischer. On Election Night, the Texas Organizing Project, Texas Civil Rights Project and ACLU of Texas obtained a court order from a judge requiring all Harris County polling locations to extend voting hours until 8 p.m. after the groups argued in a lawsuit that late openings at some polling locations prevented some residents from voting. 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. Menefee said Paxtons opinion directly contradicts a separate opinion his office issued last month, as well as an opinion issued by the AGs office more than 30 years ago, which both concluded that ballots are confidential for 22 months following an election. 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. & Resolutions, Corporate They were wrong back when they tried this the first time the comptroller and his allies and theyre wrong again now, County Judge Lina Hidalgo said before the court met in executive session Thursday. 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. . Campos and the Texas Signal have more. 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 agreement outlines plans for widening the freeway by adding two managed lanes in each direction from downtown Houston north to Beltway 8, along with various frontage road and interchange alterations. The Compliance Practice Group specializes in lawsuits for debt collection and enforcement of laws that protect the interest of Harris County. I am writing to request your help with a matter that is very important to me. I wish I felt more optimistic, but its not like the Fifth Circuit will care. As the district court already determined, this law is unconstitutional and prevents election officials from encouraging people to vote by mail, including our seniors, our neighbors with disabilities, and our active-duty service members. I believe thats the first Ive heard of the construction timeline being pushed back to 2027, which is a modest benefit no matter what else happens. In Independence Heights, the first city incorporated by Black residents in Texas, the project proposes drainage improvements to alleviate persistent flooding in the area. The Republicans picked the judges with some of the smallest accounts. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee Tuesday denied Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar's announcement that county officials are attempting to resolve the defunding claims Hegar made earlier this . None of that will stop the Fifth Circuit from doing what the Republicans ask them to do since thats what they believe their job is, but at least he tried. Moreover, Harris County is not responsible for the content nor endorses any site which has a link from this page. of Business, Corporate 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. S.B. This practice group works closely with The State of Texas in Mental Health commitment. 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. Its good to be a Commissioner. Tuesday, February 28, 2023, 1:54 PM. One judge whose race is being challenged, David Fleisher, lives in 133. Dockets. Justice Jeff Boyd asked Morales-Doyle, Im just not sure why the dispute matters. Estate, Public In the roughly 20 months since, officials chipped away at the differences,postponing action on the countys lawsuitand awaiting the federal review, while exploring what changes TxDOT could make to appease concerns. Not satisfied with the new voting restrictions put in place less than a year ago, the Texas Republican Party is plowing ahead with yet new measures that would reduce the number of early voting days and end the practice of allowing any senior to vote by mail without an excuse. Harris County Clerk's Office Commissioners Court Search Records Minutes Usually, 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. The Harris County Elections Administrators office maintains the Secretary of States office knew about the strategy and raised no objections when they implemented the ballot delivery plan during the May 7 election. Ron DeSantis is questioning the actions of State Attorney Monique Worrell over how she handled cases involving . Morgan testified that she was concerned the law applied even to volunteers like her, given that her role is formally certified by county election offices. Forms, Independent Update: I'm being summoned to the county court to defend myself for reckless driving charges. She is the first woman to be elected County Judge and only the second to be elected to the Commissioners Court. Agreements, Sale I will pass along information about the fundraiser when I have it. Attorney Fee Standards effective June 1, 2019. . That evening, in quick succession, Paxtons office filed its writ of mandamus asking the Texas Supreme Court to vacate or reverse the court order, and the Supreme Court responded by staying that order, saying votes cast after 7 p.m. should be segregated, without specifying whether they must be excluded from the final count. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. For the subject that I wanted to be thinking about yesterday, we start with this. Amendments, Corporate Harris County Attorneys Office1019 Congress, 15th FloorHouston, TX 77002, Harris County Attorney's Office Staff Directory. The investigation will focus on whether the adoption of the amendment and the permitting process is discriminatory, and whether the state agency failed to seek meaningful public comment. Its your own damn fault you didnt vote! Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses. Leave it doesnt sound so bad given the alternative. Instead, Hidalgo said, the comptroller should have calculated on the basis of pay periods rather than the number of months. This case was always about reducing youth nicotine addiction in our communities. Privacy | The judge hearing the case is in San Antonio which complicates matters re time to get there and back for hearings. Take the form to the post office. I did not see any news items related to this, so what you see here is all I know. The root cause of that debate, however, remains unresolved, Hegar said in the statement, referring to the defunding spat from last fall. The motion was granted by a district court judge and then put on hold by the Fifth Circuit. Voters who were in line by 7 p.m. were able to vote normally, while those who arrived between 7 and 8 p.m. were allowed to cast provisional ballots. To Access County Clerk's Forms: (click here Downloadable Clerk's Office Forms) For suggestions or comments regarding this site please email us at webcomments@hctx.net. 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. The county attorneys office did not respond to a request for more information about the requests, including who submitted them. And for all of the fuss, final results were posted at 1:26 AM, which seems pretty damn reasonable to me. Judge Ramirez is represented by John Staley. Planning on picking it up at 8am Central Time today! If Hegars goal was to make headlines while insulting the basic intelligence of Harris County residents, I guess he achieved that. The difference in visions has dogged the project for more than two years, but progress on remaking the freeway hit two large potholes in March 2021, after critics of the widening convinced some local officials to step in andfederal highway officials paused work. Expect a response from the team within48 hoursof your requested date. I wont hold my breath for it. Along those lines, I note two potential future Constable candidates: Don Dinh, a Deputy Constable in Precinct 1 since 2020 who was for 24 years before that a sergeant in the Fort Bend County Precinct 2 Constables office, filed a designation of treasurer to run for Constable in Precinct 5. This section is responsible for receiving and processing incoming customer requests including purchasing copies and reports and filing documents in existing cases (causes). View New York Release of Lien of Estate Tax, View Application for Name Reservation - West Virginia, View Arkansas Registration of Foreign Corporation, View Colorado Foreign Judgment Enrollment. I am taking the following steps to comply with the letter and spirit of Section 171.004. Agreements, Letter See here for the background. But really, this is all about making noise and trying to cast doubt on the election administrators office and government in general in Harris County. Speak with Oberheiden, P.C. 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. Letter to Federal GovernmentGovernment Application LetterGovernment Opinion LetterLetter to a Government OfficialHillsborough County Letter of IntentLetter to County ClerkLetter to a Government AgencyBill Support LetterMontgomery County LetterCounty Court Letter. 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. 2023-01066; Dan Simons v. Judge Sedrick Walker. Clerk Burgess is represented by Neal Manne. Jerry Garcia, Constable Precinct 2 Seems like theres not that much in dispute, but theres always something. Dont ask me when that is likely to happen. Whats more, the Republican Party of Texas membership voted overwhelmingly at its statewide convention in June to make more election reforms its No. The group also filed a lawsuit in 2018 obtaining a similar court order in Harris County. Among them: I think the next steps are sitting down in a room and working out all the details, Metro board Chairman Sanjay Ramabhadran said of the work ahead. Respondents are directed to conduct the canvass of the November 2022 election as required by the Election Code. Often times, if there are urgent matters, they will be addressed in the letter as well. 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. Menefee. I would be very careful about that, Ingram responded. Both parties had the opportunity to ask questions, review the chain of custody document, and raise issues. Each affidavit alleges that numerous registered voters in Harris County do not reside at the addresses listed on their voter registration records, as required by state election law. Texas has a primary election on March 1, 2022. Its just the Big Lie in a slightly sanitized package. The court hasnt specified whether or not thats legal, Fombonne said. The petition is filed in Harris County, but the case will be heard by a judge from outside the county, according to Menefees office. Judge Williams is represented by Anthony Drumheller. I think the Trib story contains the most relevant bit of information: The Election Day problems were unlikely to have been substantial enough to swing the results of the Harris County judges race, according to Bob Stein, a political science professor at Rice University. Up until March, the board primarily approved and renewed bail bondsman licenses. ; and. In a 4-1 vote, the court authorized County Attorney Christian Menefee to pursue a lawsuit against the comptrollers office. Its not clear to me where things are procedurally with this litigation and remember, there are a bunch of other cases as well but in this matter the Fifth Circuit wanted to get some clarity on state law before doing whatever it has on its docket to do. Elizabeth Buss is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. 2023-00955; James Lombardino v. Judge Audrie Lawton-Evans. CIA plans to hold a fundraiser, hopefully on Feb 19. The Press has more. . The letters stem from the investigation into the 2019 drug raid of a small home on Harding Street in south Houston. Theres already been a lot of time for talk, and I dont know how much latitude TxDOT has to give. In order to better protect court documents, we now require you to have a registered login with our site. Theres apparently some talk of a compromise, which would need to happen soon, but Ill believe it when I see it. As the highest-ranking election official in Harris County, Im responsible for enabling the countys millions of voters to exercise their right to cast a lawful ballot, many of whom face obstacles to voting in person due to illness, disability, or age. & Resolutions, Corporate Standards for Court Approval ofAttorney Fees. My office is going to do everything we can to protect every single vote that was cast. Still, others have been pleasantly surprised when what was once an existential threat is transformed into a manageable inconvenience.

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