letter from harris county attorney

Theres more, go read the whole thing, and add on this tweet thread from story author Jessica Huseman. Cindy Siegel, chairwoman of the Harris County GOP, said officials are impeding on the democratic process. I dont know when they plan on ruling, but at some point it just doesnt matter. If you have a favorite or two among them and a few bucks to spare, Im sure theyd appreciate a contribution. Harris County Attorneys Office1019 Congress, 15th FloorHouston, TX 77002, Harris County Attorney's Office Staff Directory. Can you imagine what the Republican response to this would be if it were a Democrat complaining about voting location problems? The odds that Jones could lose the entire 360 vote net he got from the E-Day provisionals plus another 90 votes in this subset of the total ballots just strike me as extremely remote. 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. 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. Michelle Fraga is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. Even for a few weeks. 12(lost to Judge Genesis Draper), Brian Staley, former candidate forHarris County Civil County Court at Law No. Cagles July report showed over a million bucks on hand. Judge Craft is represented by Steve Kherker. Neighborhoods with batch plants lack deed restrictions and zoning to protect them, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said. 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. Alexander Mealer is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. The letters stem from the investigation into the 2019 drug raid of a small home on Harding Street in south Houston. & Resolutions, Corporate 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. Just for the comedy value, Id like to see this scenario play out. The letters stem from the investigation into the 2019 drug raid of a small home on Harding Street in south Houston. While Ingram was on the stand, Rodriguez presented him with hypothetical interactions between Longoria and voters, asking if she could recommend voting by mail to someone who appeared to qualify. Winning it will be another matter. 15 Cause No. The other thing is this: because theres enough prosecutorial discretion thats involved, it takes time obviously justice takes time and any sort of delay in court action could be months from now, long after, hopefully, the crisis and the spike in delta has passed. Privacy Policy and our Accessibility Statement. Liens, Real This 11th-hour ask to throw those votes away should not be tolerated, especially considering the State rejected the Countys offer to hold off on counting these votes while it sought clarification from the Supreme Court, Werner added. Eventually, Will Thompson of the Texas attorney generals office told Rodriguez that the provision was meant to limit official encouragement of voting by mail, indicating the state preferred people vote in person even if they qualify to vote by mail. Sherman Eagleton, Constable Precinct 3 This anti-solicitation provision of SB 1 not only makes it harder for these folks vote, but it criminalizes the constitutionally protected free speech of the Harris County Elections Administrator and violates the First Amendment., S.B. Not to my knowledge anyways. 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. 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.. (Any lawyers out there that want to help, by all means please do.). A Harris County Attorneys letter is a formal document that is typically used to notify an individual or business of impending legal action. 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. With a new election administrator about to come on board, we can revisit the matter and see if theres a consensus to be had. The challenged provision makes it a state jail felony for election officials to solicit the submission of an application to vote by mail if the voter did not request it. 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. So lets think about this instead: . The affidavits are linked to efforts by a conservative grass-roots organization called the Texas Election Network, which earlier this year attempted to get Sunnyside residents to sign forms verifying the identities of registered voters living at their addresses. We have never agreed that these ballots can be part of the final election results, and this afternoon were going to ask that the Texas Supreme Court rule that these late-cast votes should be excluded as Texas law requires.. Weve seen this show before Comptroller Hegar misconstruing the law and playing political games to make headlines, Menefee tweeted. 6(lost to Judge Kelley Andrews), Matthew Dexter, former candidate forHarris County Criminal Court at Law No. If you decide to make a contribution a check can be sent to: CLUBS IN ACTION The state, represented by Lanora Pettit, a principal deputy solicitor general with the Office of Attorney General, acknowledged in her brief that volunteer deputy registrars are not public officials subject to prosecution; the term solicit does not include merely providing information but instead requires strongly urging a voter to fill out an application that was not requested; and the Attorney General is not a proper official to seek civil penalties. In the past, the responsibility of transporting the ballots to the counting station has fallen to these election judges, the final task at the end of their 15-hour day. In 2017, the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature evenamended state lawto specify 22 months, updating state standards to mirror federal requirements. Following a testy three-hour hearing earlier in the day, Federal District Judge Xavier Rodriguez temporarily blocked the state from enforcing the rule against Harris Countys election administrator until the rest of a lawsuit plays out. The criminal division prosecutes criminal cases. Please read the Administrative Order below: - Prohibiting Recording of Remote Proceedings, Emergency Public Helath and Safetly Conditions, NEW!!! It has a chilling effect, Rodriguez said while questioning a state attorney Friday morning. Letters have a maximum word . Opponents argue the projects design further divides communities it crosses, exacerbating decades of freeway expansion that has worsened air quality and safe street access for those neighborhoods in order to deliver faster car and truck trips for suburban commuters. S.B. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee gave the following statement in response: "Comptroller Hegar's statement is false. Speak with Oberheiden, P.C. Cant let Mattress Mack undo election wins. If a spouse has taken the time and money to retain a lawyer, it means they are serious. This section is responsible for receiving and processing incoming customer requests including purchasing copies and reports and filing documents in existing cases (causes). The Brennan Center, Weil, and the Harris County Attorneys Office are seeking the injunction on behalf of Isabel Longoria, the Election Administrator for Harris County, Texas; and the Brennan Center and Weil are also representing Cathy Morgan, a volunteer election worker in Texas. The lawsuit, filed just hours before polls closed on Election Day, could have caused serious delays in counting ballots on May 24 had the Texas Supreme Court agreed with the Harris County GOP that the plan was unlawful. Christian D. Menefee (@CDMenefee) 4:44 PM 17 February 2022. . Wyatt 1,950 2,110 0 2,258 , New! 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. Hilton declined to comment on why the office did not ask for the ruling sooner. Trust, Living Judge Cox is represented by Cris Feldman. Who Should T.H. The two new agreements, one between TxDOT and the city and another between TxDOT and Harris County, specify the commitments both sides are making. Here @JudgeGenesis Draper. 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. Estates, Forms Communicate with their clients, colleagues, judges, and others involved in the case. 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. Gonzalez 0 4,032 0 9,258 You have separation of powers.. (lost to Judge Manpreet Monica Singh), Mark Goldberg, former candidate forHarris County Criminal Court at Law No. 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. Members of the Texas Transportation Commission, however, stopped short of imposing a deadline or considering shelving the project, as they have in the past when removing the $9 billion plan from the states short-range plan was a possibility. Berrys office said Heap actually received $48.5 million. Vips Application . 12 Cause No. His math is wrong. 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. The group represents Harris County and numerous entities including the Harris County Appraisal Review Board, the Harris County Toll Road Authority, the Harris County Tax Office, the Harris County Sheriffs Office, the Harris County Constables, and the Harris County Fire Marshals Office. Judge Lina Hidalgo is the head of Harris County's governing body. Estimated tocost at least $9.7 billion, the project would rebuild I-45 from downtown Houston north to Beltway 8, adding two managed lanes in each direction. Fortunately, we know how to handle these types in fact, many of our clients have been shocked to learn that their investigations have been closed with zero civil or criminal liability. 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. 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. But, the judge noted, Longoria and Morgan do not work for the state. The distribution of Harris Countys settlement funds will be decided by Commissioners Court. See here and here for some background; the story also references the lawsuit filed by Harris County that has been temporarily paused to allow the discussion that led to this agreement. 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. People also can comment online, via phone or at local TxDOT offices. As a bail agent for the corporate surety Allegheny Casualty Co., she also worries that the new rule will put her at odds with the insurance company which she fears could violate customer privacy. Thats what I, a non-lawyer who has no responsibilities in these matters, would have done. 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. 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. 2023-00932; Chris Daniel v. Marilyn Burgess. 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. She is the Harris County District Attorney in Texas and assumed office in 2017. If thats what we have to do, then so be it. The feds later asked TxDOT to pause other work on the project as well. Update: I'm being summoned to the county court to defend myself for reckless driving charges. The USPS redelivery form states that it was both a letter and certified mail. Reconsidering how the project will incorporate, Mark Montgomery, former candidate forHarris County Criminal Court at Law No. Ill try to learn to live with it. Mark Goldberg is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. Currently, Texas has two weeks of early voting before elections, though in 2020 Gov. in the final count and seeking clarification so that the parties can pursue any legal remedies, if necessary., In a statement Monday, Harris County Attorneys office spokesperson Roxanne Werner said: Representatives from the Attorney Generals office and the Harris County Republican Party asked for the language describing that process to be removed from the agreed order, leaving Harris County to process and count the late ballots as they would other provisional ballots while ensuring they were kept segregated. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee says the county is not releasing the ballots, arguing the opinion Paxton issued in the name of election integrity last week runs afoul of the law. Texas should be encouraging election officials to provide voters all the information they need to participate in elections. Elizabeth Buss is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. In a statement Tuesday, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefees office said: The requests for these documents were handled the same as any other requests for documents related to ongoing litigation against the county. The proceedings are pending. None of the affidavits led to county elections officials removing any names from the voter rolls. See here and here for some background about the litigation that allowed polling locations to remain open until 8 PM. But in court over Zoom late Friday afternoon, Judge Cory Don Sepolio rejected a temporary restraining order request, allowing the rule to take effect. Advise and represent clients in courts, before government agencies, and in private legal matters. The opinion has already impacted elections administrators across the state, who told Votebeat that theyve seen an onslaught of requests since Paxton released it. Mirza said in the case four years ago, Paxtons office did not ask the Texas Supreme Court to intervene. Check out the subscription page by clicking Buy Now. The concrete plants are subject to permits that aim to limit pollution in the form of particulate matter and crystalline silica which have been linked to respiratory diseases and cancer but independent testing of concrete facilities by the complaints authors indicate that pollution levels exceed health-based limits. 1 Cause No. As far as this goes, I dont think anyone is making any new arguments, and there continues to be a large gap between what activists and local governments want out of the project and what TxDOT is willing to give. Astros Week: Michael Brantley, AT&T Sports Southwest's Money Problem and Pitch Clock Chaos, Top Draft Prospect Jalen Carter Charged With Reckless Driving and Racing on Day of NFL Combine. 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. Menefee 36,826 30,700 0 193,291 There were a half-dozen voting locations within walking distance of my house on Election Day. Highway officials, however, have said since March that the federal review and lawsuit leave them no choice but to stop talking. Judge Hidalgo is represented by Neal Manne. Four Observations From Houston Astros Spring Training, TX Rep. Slaton Wants To End Taxes for People With Ten or More Children. 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 citys press release is here. Even at the highest end of the estimate of locations that had issues, more than 90% of them did not. Its a complicated story. Judge Peeples is based in San Antonio, and was appointed by the Honorable Susan Brown, the Presiding Judge of the Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region of Texas. It would be difficult to overstate our disappointment in the contents of these two (agreements), the closed-door manner in which they were created and signed, the lack of sufficient time for the public to read and respond to them, and the tone with which they were presented, the group said. 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. If you need to write a similar letter. 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. Houston, Texas Today, several losing Republican candidates filed election contests to void the more than 1 million votes cast in Harris Countys November 2022 election. The criminal division prosecutes criminal cases. Please give a few bucks if you can and help them all out. From Statesman columnist @bgrumet: @TXAG Ken Paxton is using the powers of his office to treat a good-faith mishap as a crime, after coming under political pressure from his own base to file charges., Austin Statesman (@statesman) 9:30 AM 6 February 2022. He would almost surely run as a Dem in this heavily Democratic precinct. Time and again, the TCEQ has approved permits for additional plants in these very same neighborhoods, and failed to ensure that the pollution that comes out of these plants does not harm human health and the environment, Menefee said. (713) 275-7830. 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. Free Preview Harris County Attorney Letter Description Attorney Vacation Letter Texas This is an official form from the Harris County, Texas District Clerk's Office, which complies with all applicable laws and statutes. I will summarize what happened: A Republican poll watcher showed up to observe what the EVBB and SVC were doing. Oftentimes, a demand letter outlining your debts owed is enough to get debtors to pay up. 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. Which, despite this being Montgomery County, and despite it being entirely his show, declined to indict Icsezen on whatever charges Paxton had dreamed up. 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. We made a good step the last time, but we are not there yet, State Sen. Bob Hall, a Republican from Edgewood, said about last years election reforms packages that reduced early voting hours in places like Harris County and put new restrictions on mail-in voting. This is an official form from the Harris County, Texas District Clerks Office, which complies with all applicable laws and statutes. Clerk Hudspeth is represented by Neal Manne. Its the motion for preliminary injunction, filed on Tuesday the 28th, for which I received a press release from the Harris County Attorneys office, which in turn led me to find the linked article from the Brennan Center (and this Twitter thread), that is trying to make something happen more quickly. Orange/Osceola State Attorney's Office. RECORDING OF ANY PROBATE PROCEEDINGS IS STRICTLY PROHIBITEDAND COULD RESULT IN A FINDING OF CONTEMPT OF COURT. The letter, addressed to Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan on Nov. 25, concludes the appointment of Isabel Longoria as the county's first election administrator is "unlawful and null and void Its not like voters were told they couldnt vote or that they had to go home. Greg Abbotts order prohibiting local COVID-19 restrictions. (S or C-Corps), Articles As the City's chief administrator and official representative, the Mayor is responsible for the general management of the City and for seeing that all laws and ordinances are enforced. It is the May 7 election, and widespread problems that day, that prompted the concerns in the first place. Let me start off by saying that my heart breaks for everyone in Uvalde. Campos and the Texas Signal have more. Notes, Premarital Jerry Garcia, Constable Precinct 2 Former officer Gerald Goines led a raid on the home, which police believed to be a drug den.Jun 21, 2021 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. Templates, Name You can also contribute to any candidate you like directly just google them or find their campaign Facebook page to get to a suitable Donate link for them. Harris Countys decision to allow volunteers to transport election records including voted ballots to the countys Central Count location on Election Night is incompatible with the Texas Election Code and violates well-established chain of custody protocols spelled out under Texas law, Texas Secretary of State spokesperson Sam Taylor said in a statement on Friday. But well see what happens. The letters of guardianship provide an expiration date on their face, one year plus 120 days after the anniversary date. We are ready to move forward together, said Texas Transportation Commissioner Laura Ryan. The Harris County GOP on Fridaydroppedits lawsuit, filed on the day of last months primary runoff election, challenging the countys plan for counting ballots.

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