letter from harris county attorney

Even in the case of the loser who lost to DaSean Jones by 449 votes, its extremely hard to imagine there could have been enough people who encountered problems and could not vote anywhere else and would have voted for the loser to make a difference. The countys agreement can only be approved after a Commissioners Court meeting, scheduled for Thursday. 9 Cause No. Handbook, DUI 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.. The motion was granted by a district court judge and then put on hold by the Fifth Circuit. 1) 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. Judge Weems is represented by John Raley. The travel time alone for the attorneys will be in the thousands when ZOOM meetings are not allowed! Hegar said in a statement that the county will be barred from increasing property tax collections plus revenue from properties added to the tax roll last year until it resolves the discrepancy. Regardless of the contents, if you're going to attempt to evade service of process, it will not end well for you in the long run. The challenges were first reported by The New York Times, which found the affidavits disputed the eligibility of more than 6,000 voters. Their decision was supported by Harris County Commissioners Court and leaders of both political parties, a statement from Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee read. Oh, and the second place where there might be a Democratic primary fight worth watching is in Precinct 1. 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. Doesnt exactly fill you with pride and confidence in our justice system, does it? CIA plans to hold a fundraiser, hopefully on Feb 19. Estate, Last On January 7, 2021, I filed with the Harris County Clerk's Office an affidavit disclosing my . Commissioners Court convened the special meeting to decide on a response to Hegars claim. The deals, however, also give TxDOT room to consider alternatives that reduce the number of homes and businesses displaced, but also do not hold them to any specific reductions. Well see what the Court says. You really gonna claim that there were over two thousand of them, and all of them were going to vote for Erin Lunceford? If not, well take the ones off that are not, and then they update their records.. On balance, with the improvements I think you have an excellent project that will move forward and move the greater good.. Ms. Wyatt is represented by Neal Manne. 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. Applications are frequently submitted to start up concrete batch plants in the Houston area. Most big law firms have people fly coach now unless a business class seat is the only thing available. In the 18-page filing to the Texas Supreme Court around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the local Republican party says despite assurances that election officials have it under control, state election law and past experience make them wary to hand over ballots to emissaries so they can ferry to a central location. Still, others have been pleasantly surprised when what was once an existential threat is transformed into a manageable inconvenience. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez last week halted enforcement of a provision of Senate Bill 1 that made it a crime for election officials to solicit mail-in ballots. Cindy Siegel, chairwoman of the Harris County GOP, said officials are impeding on the democratic process. There is no reason for them to bluff. 10 Cause No. Ogg 161,659 19,356 48,489 242,159 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. 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. The lawsuit was brought by Harris County election administrator Isabel Longoria and Cathy Morgan, a volunteer deputy registrar who is appointed to help register voters in Travis and Williamson counties. This is a critical piece of leverage that can bring TxDOT to the bargaining table, Peters told Commissioners Court before it approved the pause. The letters stem from the investigation into the 2019 drug raid of a small home on Harding Street in south Houston. Copyright 2022 Attorney-FAQ.com | version 5.1.20 (commit d0adbc) Laravel v 8.83.26 | (PHP v8.1.16), Home (current) | An essential component of the central counting station is the physical delivery of sealed ballot boxes and access to the central counting station is necessary (for) that process to take place, the filing states. The EPAs civil rights compliance arm announced the investigation last Wednesday. 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. As noted recently, there are other obstacles to the project, though perhaps if Harris County and TxDOT can settle their differences, those can be handled as well. Sylvester Turner, Mayor Mayor Sylvester Turner serves as the Executive Officer of the City. 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. The other challenge is regarding State Representative District 135, which will be heard in the State House of Representatives. . 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. Their enforcement of laws involve cases of public health, deed restriction, crime victims compensation, and animal cruelty/ dangerous dog seizure warrants. 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. I guess its theoretically possible that of the provisional E-Day ballots that were specifically cast by people who got in line after 7 PM (because if you were already in line you were always allowed to vote), Jones had a net advantage of at least 450 over Pierce. In a statement, Air Alliance Houston said the agreements will do very little to protect Houston communities from the harms posed by this project, specifically related to air pollution caused by the larger freeway in many neighborhoods around the central business district. Throughout the hearing, Rodriguez also pressed for the reasoning behind the anti-solicitation provision, interrupting the states questioning of Ingram in search of an answer. 6(lost to Judge Kelley Andrews), Matthew Dexter, former candidate forHarris County Criminal Court at Law No. So yeah, this is the guy who wants unlimited power to prosecute election fraud which, evidence would suggest hes not very good at and is now sending out the howler monkeys against the Court of Criminal Appeals in order to get his way. If you see it clear to forward me $1000 to cover the locksmith, I will egarly give you 20% of any monies recoverd.". 3 Cause No. Nothing else of great interest in this group Id expect both Ed Gonzalez and Christian Menefee to start posting bigger numbers soon. Dockets. Around the same time, Harris County sued TxDOT, saying the designs did not adequately address the impacts of noise and pollution in some communities, notably the North Side and Independence Heights. 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. Directive, Power Good luck with that. Agreements, Bill of From what Ive gathered from talking to people, the multiple-dropoff-locations idea, which had been Diane Trautmans original plan, is probably the best way to go. I dont see the appeals being successful, but maybe theres some technical point of law on which they can get a rehearing. 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. 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. Do NOT delete this post and create a new post with the requested information. However, the hyperlink for that case didnt work when I tried it, and searching for the case via that number returned no results. As a reminder and a general principle, never believe a word Andy Taylor says. Tom Ramsey, County Commissioner, Precinct 3 I think Harris County has the right response here. In the old days, when you had to vote at your precinct location, you really were screwed. I would be very careful about that, Ingram responded. Chris Daniel is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. Thank you for your time and consideration. Forms, Independent Incorporation services, Living I am taking the following steps to comply with the letter and spirit of Section 171.004. I am willing to consider a pause, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said. Click the Create button below for a Certified Letter of Disposition or enter additional information . of Directors, Bylaws I was on several endorsements interviews with some of these judges through a different organization. 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. Be that as it may, the point about the counties just not moving to undo what they have ordered is an interesting point. Menefee 36,826 30,700 0 193,291 Sales, Landlord They asked Biery to rule no later than Feb. 14, noting that to cast a mail-in ballot in the primaries, voters must fill out and return an application between Jan. 1 and Feb. 18. Tuesday, February 28, 2023, 1:54 PM. Civil Ad Litem . Instead, the legislature and the Governor have made it a crime to do so.. Operating Agreements, Employment Once again, Comptroller Hegar has abused his authority, the county attorney said. Judge Lina Hidalgo is the head of Harris County's governing body. Thats the best I can do. In a statement, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said his office will keep a close eye on Luncefords election contest. I dont think Ive seen reports for District Attorney on the county election site before. People near them, concerned for their health, plead for them to go far away. About | Despite the GOPs criticism, at least 40 Republican judges are choosing to participate in the countys plan. Hopefully, well find out soon. The petition also acknowledges the county has provided some of the requested documents. No wonder hes having a hard time retaining staff. Radack 0 71,246 0 794,652, You still have time to donate to the Democratic judges legal fund, Phony Defunding Claims II: Electric Boogaloo, Houston furniture magnate Jim Mattress Mack McIngvale, November 2022 election, adding to an array of GOP litigation. Trust, Living Doing nothing is identical to telling the other lawyer take me to court.. This is utterly chaotic. Brian Staley is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. 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. Its a complicated story. Giving this much power to a governing minority is the problem here. 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. That would not be a cheap race as things stand now, as you can see. I do know that at least one more loser has filed a losers contest, but I dont care to give any of this any more validity. 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. 7 Cause No. So there you have it. You wouldnt want to recommend voting by mail as an option because youd be worried about prosecution, he said. Im tentative to overreach at the moment.. This contest is one of two current requests by losing Republican candidates to throw out the results of the November 2022 election in certain races. 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. ====================================================== All parties were put on notice that the votes would be counted.. Ill try to learn to live with 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. Luncefords opponent, Democrat Tamika Craft, won the election by 0.26 percent of the vote. Menefees office asked the EPA to stop any new standard concrete batch plant permits from being issued until the investigation is finished, he said. 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. 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. As shown by Attorney General . Agreements, Sale The Harris County GOP reacted angrily to this and sent a letter to Ken Paxton demanding he take action or else we have no confidence that the Attorney General will uphold any of our election laws. Houston furniture magnate Jim Mattress Mack McIngvalehas filed a lawsuit against the Harris County Elections Administrators office accusing it of refusing to turn over public records related to theNovember 2022 election, adding to an array of GOP litigationaimed at the countys elections process. Customer Service. At the same time, party leaders are threatening GOP state lawmakers who control the Texas Legislature with increased sanctions if they dont support the platform, including potentially spending tens of thousands of dollars directly to oppose them in future primaries. 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. Service, Contact TxDOT still must acquire some property, Koch said, and the pending Federal Highway Administration review that the local agreements do not affect must be resolved. In a statement, Longoria said: In April, the EAs Office discussed the May 7 law enforcement and county driver program with the Secretary of States Offices Managing Attorney of the Elections Division, specifically requesting guidance and recommendations. That one would be heard in the House by a House committee, if Speaker Phelan for some reason doesnt toss it as a frivolous waste of time. Attorney, Terms of Please read the Administrative Order below: Harris County Orders /COVID Emergency Orders. If you decide to make a contribution a check can be sent to: CLUBS IN ACTION 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. Reporter Edward McKinley and plaintiffs attorney Sean Morales-Doyle have good Twitter threads with more details, so go check them out. 8 Cause No. We have a ways to go before this is truly settled. Danna 1,983 19,814 18,452 982 Real Estate, Last Privacy | UPDATE: Heres a later version of the story about the GOPs lawsuit over the results delivery process. My question for you all, is this pretty much done deal that I'm getting fined and going to jail? 17 Cause No. 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. Though planned for nearly 20 years, concerns intensified five years ago, when groups such as Air Alliance Houston, LINKHouston and Stop TxDOT I-45 organized toargue highway officials should focus more on improving transitand avoid any additional freeway widening. Rosen 717,202 84,691 0 1,322,398 Menefee. 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. Harris County Attorney said Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar's claims that Harris County officials are finding a resolution to defunding law enforcement complaints are false. That widening, which requires the destruction of hundreds of homes and businesses adjacent to the freeway, has drawn scorn and accusations that highway officials are perpetuating decades of carving freeways through low-income and minority communities to the detriment of those neighborhoods. In a handful of cases, no one came to pick up the ballots leading the election judge to take them home or couriers failed to drop them off in a timely manner. 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. 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.

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