letter from harris county attorney letter from harris county attorney

Divorce, Separation Harris County gives 3 for one on non-violent offense but not DWI or BMV. Premiums are, in some cases, documented in the public record. The Harris County GOP argues the plan violates state law, so they are advising their partys election judges to drive the ballots to NRG themselves. of Directors, Bylaws 1 makes it a crime for public officials or election officials to encourage voters to request a mail ballot application, even if the person would be eligible to vote by mail. Circuit Court of Appeals has put a temporary hold on a preliminary injunction that had blocked enforcement of a rule that keeps local election officials from encouraging voters to request mail-in ballots, according to Harris County officials. today. Thank you for your help! Former officer Gerald Goines led a raid on the home, which police believed to be a drug den.Jun 21, 2021. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg during a press conference Wednesday, July 1, 2020, in Houston. At an Oct. 21 forum sponsored by Transportation Advocacy Group-Houston Chapter, Texas Transportation Commissioner Laura Ryan said the pause by the Federal Highway Administration and county lawsuit were more of an obstacle to open dialogue because they impede TxDOT from designing alternatives. 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. Communicate with their clients, colleagues, judges, and others involved in the case. So if I understand this correctly, the Elections Office could provide these documents on demand, but legally they dont have to until they get an opinion on it from the AGs office. NEW I, along with @LinaHidalgoTX and @LongoriaTx, requested that the DOJ do everything in its power to ensure that despite the impacts of SB1 and the high percentage of mail ballot rejections, every eligible voter has their vote counted in our elections in Harris County. Clubs In Action raising legal $ for judges. 2023-01066; Dan Simons v. Judge Sedrick Walker. Well see him in court.. There were 2,555 provisional ballots cast on Election Day, of which 2,420 included a vote in the DaSean Jones Tami Pierce race. Texas was a pioneer of in-person early voting. 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. Judge Williams is represented by Anthony Drumheller. An additional $10 collection fee will be added to each invoice referred to collections, as approved by Harris County Commissioners Court in September 2020. 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. Speaking Engagement- Use this link to request the County Attorney speak to an audience at an event. Regarding the temporary restraining order request getting rejected, Kevin Pennell the plaintiffs lawyer said in an email Friday he had no comment. The stay and pause, officials said, would give an opening to officials to work out details of the planned freeway widening without backing off their opposition to what TxDOT is proposing. Nile Copeland is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. That has led some community leaders, such as activist and urban planner Abdul Muhammad, to urge federal officials and local opponents to work to find solutions and not reasons to stop the project. Were not taking the position that the Legislature is opposed to voting by mail, Thompson said. 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. Is it limited to demanding submission of an application for mail-in ballots (whether or not the applicant qualifies) or does it broadly cover the kinds of comments Plaintiffs stated that they wish to make: telling those who are elderly or disabled, for example, that they have the opportunity to apply for mail-in ballots? We still need to know what all these details are, and I definitely agree that there is room for TxDOT to weasel out on a lot of promises. Just like what happened in Bell County (won by Greg Abbott 59.04% to 39.52%, in case you were curious), which the AG has accepted as fact. That doesnt mean the Legislature wants resources to be used toward nudging people toward voting by mail.. 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. Harris County Attorney January 11, 2021 VIA E-MAIL (opinion.committee@oag.texas.gov) Office of the Attorney General of Texas Attention: Opinion Committee . Here @JudgeGenesis Draper. LLC, Internet "Hello Freind, My name is John Odagu, County Attorney for your county. For more information contact the Information & Public Service Department at 713-274-6390 or email ccoinfoFM@hccountyclerk.com. Wyatt 1,950 2,110 0 2,258 These losing candidates are finally laying bare what we all know to be true for them, its not about improving elections or making sure our elections are secure, its about playing games with our democratic systems and refusing to accept the will of the voters.. Did you say anything at all to the officers? 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. 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. The Harris County GOPpushed backon the countys plan, arguing only election judges are allowed to transport ballots and instructing Republican election judges to drive ballots themselves. This group also litigates matters regarding real property, which includes the Countys acquisition of property through the power of eminent domain, declaratory judgments and inverse condemnations. of Incorporation, Shareholders Im fine with this approach if theres a path to meeting the needs of the many people and groups that have been objecting to the design of this project, then sure, lets go for it but I wouldnt get my hopes up too much. Harris County Clerk's Office Commissioners Court Search Records Minutes Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee announced a settlement of the countys lawsuit against e-cigarette company JUUL Labs, Inc. over claims that JUUL deceptively marketed its products to children. 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. 1, Longoria, Morgan, and other election officials and election workers across Texas can be imprisoned for a minimum of six months and fined up to $10,000 if they encourage a voter to apply for a mail ballot application. The 5th U.S. She reasonably fears that, unless she complies with these unlawful rules, her license will be suspended or revoked, the lawsuit reads. The Texas Secretary of States office agrees with the GOPs assessment. 2 Cause No. 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. 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. Please complete an event and/or meeting request in its entirety using the link(s) below. She cited the example of barratry, where lawyers unlawfully solicit clients for profit. Court records filed Friday showed a bail bondsman sued Harris County as an attempt to stop the new rule, which would require agents like her to charge defendants jailed on violent offenses a 10 percent minimum to secure their freedom after an arrest. 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. Disclaimer | There may be an opinion in the future that addresses that question.. 21. In filing the form, bail agents ask deputies to take the defendant into custody, while they keep the defendants bail deposit and stop being responsible for the person in the eyes of the court. The problem is none of the justifications hes providing make any sense.. 2023-01202; Stan Stanart v. Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth. Nor did Paxtons office intervene this year when voting hours were also extended by one hour in Bell County because of early morning glitches with check-in systems. This is utterly chaotic. 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. Several of them are considering election contests.. Attorney Fee Standards effective June 1, 2019. . 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. 2023-00932; Chris Daniel v. Marilyn Burgess. Check out how to write a Harris County attorney letter. So there you have it. Former officer Gerald Goines led a raid on the home, which police believed to. During the election CIA knocked on 300,000 doors. We are ready to move forward together, said Texas Transportation Commissioner Laura Ryan. Although the scope of Rodriguezs preliminary injunction is limited, the judge dealt the first legal blow to new elections restrictions and voting changes Republican lawmakers enacted last year. I am writing to request your help with a matter that is very important to me. Attorneys. A temporary guardianship may be created without notice to the ward if the court has probable cause to believe that the incapacitated minor or adult person requires the immediate appointment of a guardian, without a formal doctors letter or hearing. I want kids across Harris County to go on to live long, healthy lives. We should be looking for ways to support these public servants rather than constantly undermining the hard work it takes to run an election in the third largest county in the country, added County Attorney Menefee. The resulting ability to anticipate the governments case strategy gives us a critical edge over firms that lack this capability. Who is the county attorney Harris County? However, the hyperlink for that case didnt work when I tried it, and searching for the case via that number returned no results. Thats one of many reasons why I plan to do everything I can to protect public health.. This is a preliminary injunction, and whether it survives the Fifth Circuit or not there will be a trial on the merits later this year, and you can bank on it going all the way to SCOTUS. In a statement, Menefee confirmed his office will file a lawsuit against Hegar. The state is expected to quickly appeal the ruling. The average attorney charges $500 per hour. They also refer to the overall total of about 4,000 provisional ballots the actual overall total is 4,333, of which 1,778 were cast early and are clearly not at issue. https://mailchi.mp/3860a20fae8b/we-need-your-help?e=cf7bb2b770&fbclid=IwAR3bf6Pdu4mhPHiTnPDtpzT361sMx5VyDAxSnUXy7qM7EbTLGfZabSUiT4w, Clubs in Action PAC (@CIAHTX) 8:32 PM 27 February 2023. Dont ever give them an inch. The bottom line is that the plaintiffs have asked for a temporary injunction against the provision of that law that makes it a crime for election officials and election workers to encourage voters to vote by mail, whether or not those voters are eligible under Texas law to do so. The voted ballots are the core of the election process and the prohibition on disturbing the ballots (except in limited circumstances as permitted by the Election Code) preserves the integrity of the election itself, wrote Adam Bitter, general counsel for the office,in a letter obtained by Votebeatthrough a public records request. To vote by mail in the primary, Texas voters must request mail ballot applications between January 1, 2022, and February 18, 2022. 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. Standards for Court Approval ofAttorney Fees, - Automatic Continuance for Care of New Chil. 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. Name Change, Buy/Sell 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. My question for you all, is this pretty much done deal that I'm getting fined and going to jail? 2023-01067; Dan Spjut v. Judge Juanita Jackson. Hes going to have to weigh all that.. I am willing to consider a pause, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said. In the letter to the attorney generals office, Bitter, the general counsel for the secretary of states office, wrote that an election clerk may effectively have to break state law in order to comply with a request for ballots so soon after an election. 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. Planning Pack, Home This practice group files lawsuits for collecting fines, taxes, judgments, workers compensation, property damage, contract, and other monies owed to Harris County. It created a 20-day window of early voting in the late 1980s and expanded it dramatically in the early 1990s to include more locations like shopping malls and grocery stores. 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. Marilyn and Tenesha have pro bono attorneys but the others are not allowed to be represented pro bono due to conflicts of interest. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Friday accused Harris County of defunding law enforcement,rekindling a feudfrom last fallin which Republican state officialsthreatened to blockthe countys annual budget. Thats not how a democratic society works. The information contained in this site was valid at the time of posting. On rebuttal, Pettit argued that sanctionable solicitation is not limited to criminal inducement. All public comments received by Aug. 8 will be submitted to the commission, including comments fromTuesdays midday virtual public hearing. 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. Its good to be a Commissioner. The petition asks the high court to order Harris County to allow election judges to drive their own precinct ballots to the central counting center at NRG Park. The night also could be politically turbulent as a dispute plays out over one line in the states election code. 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. I want to send a message to the Harris County elections administrator, Taylor said. And that might be the safe investment for him to make. Public servants have moved on. Paxton and one of the district attorneys (Shawn Dick of Williamson County) appealed. Earlier on Thursday, County Attorney Christian Menefee filed a lawsuit challenging Gov. There will be a lot more litigation over the rest of that law to come. 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. Please read our complete disclaimer here. Instead, commissioners complained Thursday that the lack of progress is having undue effects on their ability to remedy what almost everyone in Houston agrees is an outdated, congested, dangerous freeway corridor. Attorney General Ken Paxton is distorting the law to fuel conspiracy theories, encouraging reckless behavior that erodes public trust in our democratic process, Menefee said in a statement. All requests must be in writing. The challenges were first reported by The New York Times, which found the affidavits disputed the eligibility of more than 6,000 voters. The push to further restrict early voting and mail-in ballots is rooted in former President Donald Trumps continued claim without evidence that the 2020 election was stolen from him largely because of mail-in balloting. I doubt theres an agreement that satisfies everyone, but there are definitely options that do a better job of minimizing harm and promoting equity. Greg Abbotts order prohibiting local COVID-19 restrictions. 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. Rory Olsen is represented by Jared Woodfill. 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? 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 It does not make the records confidential (where it would be illegal to disclose the information); it just means the government is not required to disclose the information, Aleshire said. Located in downtown Houston, the Harris County Attorneys Office represents Harris County government, the Harris County Flood Control District, the Harris County Toll Road Authority, and the Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network in all civil matters, including lawsuits.