letter from harris county attorney

Pick a favored file format to save the document (.pdf or .docx). The law has drawn multiple lawsuits in addition toLongoria v. Paxton. See here for the background. Clubs In Action raising legal $ for judges. Hidalgos order requires students, teachers, staff and visitors to K-12 schools and daycare centers to wear face coverings. But the Republicans opposed that at every turn. Danna 1,983 19,814 18,452 982 The average District Attorney in the US makes $77,118. If Hegars goal was to make headlines while insulting the basic intelligence of Harris County residents, I guess he achieved that. Divorce, Separation See here for the background and here for the courts order. Be that as it may, the point about the counties just not moving to undo what they have ordered is an interesting point. Voters have moved on. Texas law allows voting by mail in certain circumstances, including when a voter is 65 years old or older, sick, or disabled, out of the country on election day, or confined in jail. 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. & Resolutions, Corporate Im perfectly happy telling them all to take one of the commuter buses in, and if the service for that is inadequate to push for it to be improved. Erin Lunceford is represented by Andy Taylor. An election judge is the person in charge of running a voting location. Theres more, go read the whole thing, and add on this tweet thread from story author Jessica Huseman. Guide, Incorporation Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. All parties were put on notice that the votes would be counted.. Thank you for your help! Not only would the back-and-forth cause further confusion among parents of schoolchildren, but leaders of Bexar, Dallas, and Harris counties could simply refuse to stop requiring masks. Corporations, 50% Proper: For each employer for whom you have worked within the past five years, documents evidencing the name and address of each officer, director, or manager of those employers and documents evidencing each persons position. 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. As things stand now, a whole lot of people will be mad at the outcome, whatever it is. The complaint, and more background onLongoria v Paxton,ishere. 2023-00930; Mark Goldberg v. Judge Erika Ramirez. The move came at the end of a whirlwind day where local officials in Dallas and San Antonio prevailed at least temporarily in their own legal challenges to the governors order. 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. "Hello Freind, My name is John Odagu, County Attorney for your county. (Except for Steve Radack, who still has a nice chunk of change in his account.) Affidavits of surety to surrender principal often list the premium and are filed by bail agents as an attempt to cut ties with a defendants bond, usually after a new charge. If the GOP succeeds, that would end. Nothing on this site constitutes legal advice or gives rise to a solicitor/client relationship. My office is going to do everything we can to protect every single vote that was cast. The agreement announced Monday does not remove the pause the Federal Highway Administration placed on the project in March 2021. This includes legal research and drafting of legal documents for the purchase, sale, lease and operation of real estate including land title examinations, contracts, leases and concession agreements for parks and county buildings, roads and other public purposes. Vips Support Documents and Useful Resource Links . Their enforcement of laws involve cases of public health, deed restriction, crime victims compensation, and animal cruelty/ dangerous dog seizure warrants. An election judge is the person in charge of running a voting location. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said the county would challenge Hegars finding in court if necessary. The Press has more. (*). Now, someone wakes up on Election Day and suddenly thinks law enforcement officials and deputized election officers are an issue?. Highway construction and expansion interrupt lives, displace people from their homes and businesses, and decimate generational wealth, especially in communities of color.. Tom Ramsey, County Commissioner, Precinct 3 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. A Harris County Attorneys letter is a formal document that is typically used to notify an individual or business of impending legal action. I stop mid-sentence sometimes at town halls. The EPAs civil rights compliance arm announced the investigation last Wednesday. , New! No one wants all this hard work to go to waste. 5:00AM. By the time this runs in the morning well know what the official canvass says, and from there well see if an election challenge will follow. Oh, and the second place where there might be a Democratic primary fight worth watching is in Precinct 1. My penalties read as "punishable by not less than five days nor more than 90 days imprisonment and a fine of not less than $25, nor more than $500". It is highly likely that a lawsuit will result. But with blessing of local, state and federal elected officials, it is likely TxDOT and the FHWA could come to a separate agreement and work could proceed, people involved in the deal said. However, Gerald Birnberg, an elections attorney and General Counsel to the Harris County Democratic Party, questioned the Secretary of States logic, pointing out that its own office deputizes others to perform certain duties. 4 Cause No. Ted Heap, Constable Precinct 5 1 takes direct aim at both, saidSean Morales-Doyle, acting director of the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. 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. Brian Douglas Walters. Harris Countys settlement is part of a global settlement with JUUL Labs, Inc resolving numerous cases brought by government entity plaintiffs, including school districts, cities, and counties. Itll become too much of a political annoyance for him, and it could end up costing him dearly. Theres no explanation for it hes just flat wrong. (lost to Judge Manpreet Monica Singh), Mark Goldberg, former candidate forHarris County Criminal Court at Law No. 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. Advise and represent clients in courts, before government agencies, and in private legal matters. Texas has allowed voters 65 and older to vote absentee without needing an excuse since 1975. I would retain a lawyer and do not talk to any police officers. 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. Garcia 33,177 8,498 0 54,177 The letters stem from the investigation into the 2019 drug raid of a small home on Harding Street in south Houston. Anyone who ran into a problem at one location could have gone to another. 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. 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. 1 priority for the next legislative session that begins in January. 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis. Earlier on Thursday, County Attorney Christian Menefee filed a lawsuit challenging Gov. Judge Walker is represented by John Raley. It has a chilling effect, Rodriguez said while questioning a state attorney Friday morning. Meeting Request Use this link to request a meeting with the County Attorney. Letter from the US Attorneys Office? Premiums are, in some cases, documented in the public record. If a spouse has taken the time and money to retain a lawyer, it means they are serious. The Justice Department lawsuit was filed in November, and there were three others filed in between. That doesnt mean Ill agree with every decision they made, but I start out with the belief that they did their best to act in our interest. Mark Montgomery is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. The office also provides legal advice to county officials and employees. 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. The resulting ability to anticipate the governments case strategy gives us a critical edge over firms that lack this capability. Our hospital system will operate at a $45 million deficit, Hidalgo said. Im proud of this outcome settling our lawsuit against JUUL. 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. 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. 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. 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. To put it another way, good luck proving intent. Texas Supreme Court justices questioned during oral argument if they should answer certified questions from a federal appeals court about challenges to an election law that created penalties for soliciting voters to use mail-in ballots. The reality is that if communication is ignored, the party who received the letter can be fairly certain that they will end up in court. This is often a good strategy, but it comes with some caveats. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Thursday issued a mandatory mask order for Harris County schools and daycares, joining the chorus of elected officials in the Texas larges cities in defying Gov. 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. Those details are not the only obstacles to construction, which officials will consider moving from 2024 to 2027 later this month in the regions four-year transportation plan. For suggestions or comments regarding this site please email us at If you decide to make a contribution a check can be sent to: CLUBS IN ACTION A hearing is scheduled Monday morning; lawyers representing San Antonio, Bexar County, will ask to extend the temporary restraining order into a temporary injunction. They saw it as a chance to win long-sought relief for people who have suffered from batch plants. Burgess 940 14,710 5,207 5,403 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. Todays decision allows the threat of criminal prosecution to loom over officials trying to help voters. Texas Attorney General Website (How to Request Public Information), Harris County Attorneys Office,1019 Congress,15th FloorHouston, TX 77002. The office provides legal counsel to Harris County government, elected officials, and employees, and represents them in civil lawsuits. One thing thats clear from the high number of mail-in ballot applications being rejected is that our election officials should be empowered to explain the process and encourage folks to apply to vote by mail if eligible. 18 Cause No. Not to my knowledge anyways. People accused of violent crimes should not get any discounts while they await trial, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who proposed the fee minimum to county commissioners, said in a statement. Hudspeth 4,660 22,009 0 9,952 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. who have previously worked at the U.S. Attorneys Office. 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. Once it has a foothold, the momentum only goes in one direction. And facilities are often in communities of color not wealthy, white River Oaks making what has been happening clear environmental racism, state Sen. Borris Miles said. One reason for the expected slow count Tuesday is the Harris County Republican Partys decision to break with the countys ballot delivery plan, according to Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria. The Compliance Practice Group specializes in lawsuits for debt collection and enforcement of laws that protect the interest of Harris County. 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. Handbook, DUI Cagle 64,225 186,970 0 5,056 Additional Losing Candidates File Election Contests in Harris County. The distribution of Harris Countys settlement funds will be decided by Commissioners Court. Hes playing a tough game with everybody, but if enough people stand up to him and cause enough of an uproar, hell back down, I think, Flores said. Hiring a lawyer is expensive, but if a party is holding off on retaining one because they cant afford the costs, there are options they should pursue. Operating Agreements, Employment If the name sounds familiar, it may be because Judge Peeples was the jurist who ruled that the abortion bounty hunter law SB8 violated the state constitution last December, though he did not issue a statewide injunction against it. 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. But, the judge noted, Longoria and Morgan do not work for the state. 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. Ann Harris Bennett, Tax Assessor, Alan Rosen, Constable Precinct 1 But I will send out word when I learn more. 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. In a statement, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said his office will keep a close eye on Luncefords election contest. And that might be the safe investment for him to make. Harris County gives 3 for one on non-violent offense but not DWI or BMV. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee gave the following statement in response: "Comptroller Hegar's statement is false. 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. Im disappointed to see another losing candidate challenging the results of their election. These election contests are frivolous attempts to overturn the votes of more than a million residents in the third largest county in the country. 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. 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. (*) I did search on the Supreme Court webpage for Paxtons mandamus filing, which might have been more specific and thus answered my questions. Thats the best I can do. Harris County Attorneys Office1019 Congress, 15th FloorHouston, TX 77002, Harris County Attorney's Office Staff Directory. From the inbox, a press release from Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee: Judge David Peeples will preside over the election contest filed by Republican candidate Erin Lunceford to void the results of her race for the 189th District Court in the November 2022 Harris County General Election. Hidalgo said Hegar came to an incorrect conclusion by dividing Harris Countys 2022 short fiscal year budget by seven months and multiplying that number by 12 to get the annualized budget. In 2022, the county passed a shortened seven-month budget that was in effect until the new schedule began in October. 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. 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. See here for the background. You really gonna claim that there were over two thousand of them, and all of them were going to vote for Erin Lunceford? Judge Peeples has set an initial status conference for today, Tuesday December 13, at 3:00 p.m. This will be an important case, and Im glad to see its progressing, said Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee. The contests being filed request that the more than one million votes cast in Harris County be voided and the county hold another election for the races being challenged (e.g., Harris County Judge, 189thDistrict Court, 180thDistrict Court, etc.). A target letter is another type of letter that can be issued from the United States Attorneys Office. Specialist legal advice should be taken in relation to specific circumstances. They also collaborate with the Harris County Senior Justice Assessment Center, a consortium of state and county agencies that review cases/offer services for elderly victims of abuse and exploitation. This practice group works closely with The State of Texas in Mental Health commitment. Republicans Tom Ramsey of Precinct 3 and Jack Cagle of Precinct 4 skipped Tuesdays Commissioners Court meeting as part of an ongoing battle of political wills that could extend until the deadline for approving a tax rate passes at the end of October. The amended complaint was filed on Monday, December 27. Jack Cagle (SPAC), County Commissioner, Precinct 4 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. 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. of Incorporation, Shareholders And theres nothing in the law that prohibits them from being counted, Menefee said. Not all the things we wanted materialized, but that is compromise, said Harris County Pct. I am writing to request your help with a matter that is very important to me. Mirza said in the case four years ago, Paxtons office did not ask the Texas Supreme Court to intervene. Specifically, Rogers said FHWA is not prepared at this time to allow TxDOT to resume any right-of-way acquisition in Segment 3. TxDOT, he added, could acquire properties from owners who approach it on a case-by-case basis rather than relying on eminent domain.. 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. Will do! Phony Defunding Claims II: Electric Boogaloo. Under S.B. An investigator with the AGs Election Integrity Unit spoke to Icsezen in December of 2020, and apparently concluded that this was basically a misunderstanding of an unclear law, and did not warrant further action. 4. As a reminder, and as you can see from the report released by the Elections Office on the 18th, DaSean Jones netted 360 votes from the provisional ballots cast on Election Day. Hidalgos opponent Alexandra del Moral Mealer. Verify that the Texas Attorney Vacation Form youre considering is appropriate for your state. But we dont plan to let him abuse his power. She said she was shocked by the opinion. 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. 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. The Harris County GOP on Fridaydroppedits lawsuit, filed on the day of last months primary runoff election, challenging the countys plan for counting ballots. Are there more parks like Fairfield Lake out there? 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. How TxDOT will rebuild Interstate 69 beneath Metropolitan Transit Authoritys Red Line light rail in Midtown while keeping the trains moving as much as possible. . Any suggestion that the Harris County Elections Administrators Office lacks transparency is false, it said. This one was filed on December 10, and if there was any news coverage of it I am not able to find it. I did not see any news items related to this, so what you see here is all I know. Harris County Commissioners Court on Thursday voted to sueTexas Comptroller GlennHegars office in response to hiscomments accusing the countyof defunding law enforcement. It is believed that the purpose of these suits is to drag out the cases, have judges dip into personal resources, and be exhausted financially and emotionally by the time of their next race. Harris County Attorney January 11, 2021 VIA E-MAIL (opinion.committee@oag.texas.gov) Office of the Attorney General of Texas Attention: Opinion Committee .

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