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. If it was just mismanagement, it was just gross incompetence, wouldnt one think that the lack of paper would apply equally and uniformly across the map, so that there would be roughly an equivalent number of Democratic stronghold precinct neighborhoods as well as Republican precinct stronghold neighborhoods? Taylor said. UPDATE: The Trib story also references 2,000 ballots, which does not help clear up my confusion. 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. He has no problem trusting a law enforcement officer to deliver the ballots, especially in a primary election where a Republican candidate is going to win no matter what. Kyle Scott is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. 2023-00936; Mark Montgomery v. Judge Kelley Andrews. As happened last fall, Hegar and County Administrator David Berry have used different methods to project out Heaps seven-month budget to a full year. Provides legal advice to the Commissioners Court and to other elected officials. To say the least, that is a massive, massive upending of the regular democratic order. Houston ISDs board of trustees already is expected to vote Thursday on a mask mandate proposed by Superintendent Millard House II. The article is paywalled, but I got to see a Google doc copy of it. But I still dont have to like it. 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. The Department of Justice haschallengedS.B. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Harris County Attorney Vacation Letter - US Legal Forms 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 Were here today because the TCEQ failed to address these issues when it had the chance.. In a Wednesday evening news release, the elections office warned residents against scammers it said pretended to be from the county elections and voter registration offices and attempted to collect sensitive personal information from voters. 1 makes it a crime for me to do a critical part of my job, and it hurts the most vulnerable voters, saidIsabel Longoria, Harris County Election Administrator. Look, theres no point in deploying things like logic to point out that they seem to have no problems with the elections that they won, or that doing this would hurt their voters, too. So Paxton, ever the coward, convened a grand jury in Montgomery County not Harris, where this alleged crime took place, but the very friendly confines of Montgomery County and presented his case. Seems like a lot of fuss for something that is unlikely to go anywhere, but who knows. Ogg 161,659 19,356 48,489 242,159 No results found. Adding huge swaths of concrete is the opposite of what Houston needs, Houstonian Joy Fairchild said during a public hearing for TxDOTsUnified Transportation Program. Privacy | 2504 Rusk St. #110 The average bonus for a District Attorney is $7,054 which represents 9% of their salary, with 100% of people reporting that they receive a bonus each year. 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. I dont expect that to be any more successful, but well see. And Id bet none of those county judges suffer for any of it politically, either. 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. They are trying to make it as difficult as possible, and talking people out (of driving ballots themselves) by warning them there will be long lines, Siegel said. 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? For a demand letter in Harris County, call on the attorneys at The Dushkin Law Firm. 2023-00937; Matthew Dexter v. Judge Genesis Draper. Expect a response from the team within48 hoursof your requested date. Anyone who ran into a problem at one location could have gone to another. To vote by mail in the primary, Texas voters must request mail ballot applications between January 1, 2022, and February 18, 2022. The Harris County Attorneys 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. Us, Delete Longoria said her office was now taking a passive approach to voter outreach in regard to voting by mail, with staffers gingerly weighing their words while answering voters questions about their options. Ron DeSantis' office sent a letter to State Attorney Monique Worrell demanding answers after an alleged shooter with a criminal history was allowed to stay on the streets prior to a shooting spree in Pine Hills last week.. Keith Melvin Moses allegedly shot five people in Pine Hills, killing three, which included a television reporter and a 9-year-old on Feb. 22. Amendments, Corporate Still, others have been pleasantly surprised when what was once an existential threat is transformed into a manageable inconvenience. State attorneys said that the law did not apply to volunteers like Morgan and argued the government can prohibit interactions between local election officials and voters without running afoul of the First Amendment. Brian Staley is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. The ballots in question were cast during a one-hour period on Nov. 8. We have the knowledge and skills to get results. The agreements are a rare case of a major Texas highway project receiving major changes, prompted by community opposition, after officials had essentially greenlit its construction. I wish I felt more optimistic, but its not like the Fifth Circuit will care. Judge Jones is represented by Oliver Brown. My office is going to do everything we can to protect every single vote that was cast. 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 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. An election judge is the person in charge of running a voting location. 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. DeSantis' office demands answers from Orlando area state attorney after Given that Harris County voters cast more than 1.1 million ballots overall, the 2,000 provisional ballots have little chance of changing most election outcomes. If it is charges it'll give you the opportunity to prepare if you get the paperwork. 10 Cause No. He would almost surely run as a Dem in this heavily Democratic precinct. Not much else to say at this time for 2024, but I will note that at least some of the Democratic judges whose election is being challenged by a sore loser are raising funds for their legal defense. Like a ritual murder involving tomato and cream cheese? 5 Cause No. Its just illogical to me, and this is a part of the story that nobody talks about.. My Account, Forms in Things are moving in what seems to be a positive direction, said J. Bruce Bugg, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission. Raising this as a First Amendment issue makes sense to me, and maybe it will make sense to the courts as well. I dont know what legal options the majority has, but I do know that the Speaker of the House has the authority to call upon the Texas Rangers to round up legislative quorum-busters, which is why they always flee the state. Neither he nor Ted Heap seems to have gotten any better at math or more truthful in general, so most likely this will play out in similar fashion. Siegel said that is precisely why the GOP is suing. 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. At the same convention where the state GOP adopted the new legislative priorities, more than 8,000 delegates also approved a resolution rejecting the certified results of the 2020 Presidential election and declaring that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States.. Privacy Policy and our Accessibility Statement. None of the affidavits led to county elections officials removing any names from the voter rolls. 6 Cause No. Notes, Premarital The Republicans picked the judges with some of the smallest accounts. For Houston, more than $6 billion of the plans spending centers on I-45, masking it nearly half of the $12.5 billion Houstons TxDOT district has to spend over the next decade. If I trusted them before I have no reason not to trust them now. 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. The Business Records Affidavit is a legal mechanism through which the recipient authenticates the documents provided for use in future legal proceedings. We cant spend money to design and we cant spend money to do those things, Ryan said at the forum, which drew criticism because it was for paying guests only at an event sponsored by various engineering, construction and planning firms. Thats how it is for the judges. If you have a favorite or two among them and a few bucks to spare, Im sure theyd appreciate a contribution. I still dont see any mention of a decision being handed down. Neither party raised concerns. Republican, Democrat, or Independent no eligible voter should have their ballot thrown out because the Attorney General cant accept the results of Harris County elections.. 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. 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. Will, Advanced There are a couple of stories all rolled into this, so my apologies for any confusion. 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. 2023-01067; Dan Spjut v. Judge Juanita Jackson. Icsezen interpreted this to mean that they werent allowed to observe the SVC, checked his interpretation with the Harris County Attorney, which approved his decision, and turned the poll watcher away. The Bell County attorney confirmed last week that a court order there had not been challenged by the Attorney Generals Office or another party. Information / Forms / Letters - Harris County, Texas Texas was a pioneer of in-person early voting. 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. The lawyers job is to protect the opposing partys interests Hiring a lawyer after receiving a letter is an excellent option. And in response to the recent Court of Criminal Appeals case holding that the Texas Attorney General has no independent authority to prosecute criminal offenses created in the Election Code, they also sued the Harris, Travis, and Williamson County district attorneys to challenge the criminal penalties imposed by the anti-solicitation provision. S.B. Menefees office asked the EPA to stop any new standard concrete batch plant permits from being issued until the investigation is finished, he said. And now you know what I know. Of course the [Texas Supreme Court] proceedings remain pending and the court could rule on something. If you decide to make a contribution a check can be sent to: CLUBS IN ACTION 2023-00932; Chris Daniel v. Marilyn Burgess. The General Counsel Practice Group provides legal advice to the Countys elected and appointed officials, and employees. Too bad! Contractors, Confidentiality Please read our complete disclaimer here. I dont see the appeals being successful, but maybe theres some technical point of law on which they can get a rehearing. Another 49 challenges came in after Aug. 10, the 90th day before the election. 2023-00934; Brian Staley v. Judge Monica Singh. 5:00AM. Thats a somewhat complicated headline for this. TxDOT has yet to adequately respond to community concerns about induced demand the phenomenon by which wider highways make traffic worse, the group Stop TxDOT I-45 said in a statement. 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. 7 Cause No. 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. 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. But, the judge noted, Longoria and Morgan do not work for the state. Rodriguez previewed his order throughout a Friday morning hearing during which he repeatedly pressed the states attorneys with increasing exasperation to fill in what he cataloged as ambiguities in the new law. As of today, the office has not received an opinion on how to proceed with these particular public information requests. The County Attorneys office, however, said it had no information that anyone had attempted to misrepresent themselves as public employees, which would be illegal. 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. Trust, Living See here and here for the background. Sometimes if you sign up for trustee (work while in jail) they give you and extra days credit. Estates, Forms Its a win, at least temporarily, for Harris County officials in a fight against Paxtons attempt to discard thousands of midterm ballots as election results are set to be certified Tuesday. Work demands keep most lawyers in private practice from frequent or lengthy vacations. Contractors, Confidentiality Harris County Republican Party Chair Cindy Siegel indicated there could be more election contests to come. 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. The Compliance Practice Group specializes in lawsuits for debt collection and enforcement of laws that protect the interest of Harris County. Sean Morales-Doyle of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law submitted a brief that was in line with Pettit on the first and third questions, but had a nuanced distinction on the question of solicitations meaning. Hes going to have to weigh all that.. She conceded gracefully and went on with her life. 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. See here and here for some background. Trevino 3,150 4,270 0 26,871 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. Get more than 85,000 state-specific legal and tax samples that you could save and complete in clicks in the Forms library. The county will now have to spend substantial resources handling these contests, time that could instead be spent serving the people of Harris County, added County Attorney Menefee. Ill try to learn to live with it. But well see what happens. I have $15 Million in Zimbabwe dollars locked in a safe. 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. Menefee. Standards for Court Approval ofAttorney Fees, - Automatic Continuance for Care of New Chil. His application of state law is wrong. But the Republicans opposed that at every turn. Could be anything from a subpoena to an envelope of glitter. The USPS rede livery form states that it was both a letter and certified mail. Standards for Court Approval ofAttorney Fees. 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. James Lombardino is represented by Jared Woodfill. You know what she did? I am writing to request your help with a matter that is very important to me. The letter, from the law firm Odelson, Sterk, Murphey, Frazer & McGrath is addressed to five of the 11 candidates for ethics board: David Carrabotta, Lisa Emmett Stechman, David Laske, Joy Alfonsi . Im sure theyll say theyre just a bland nonprofit, but to a voter who does not have a law degree, who does not have a background in law enforcement, you are a lot more likely to believe that this is some kind of quasi-official visit, Slattery said. 21 Cause No. For suggestions or comments regarding this site please email us at For now, at least. We use cookies to improve security, personalize the user experience, enhance our marketing activities (including cooperating with our marketing partners) and for other business use. 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. Danna 1,983 19,814 18,452 982 Divorce, Separation One thing thats clear from the high % of mail ballot app rejections weve seen is officials should be empowered to explain the process and encourage folks to vote by mail. 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. According to Hegar, Heaps office was allotted about $46.6 million for the 2023 fiscal year. Specialist legal advice should be taken in relation to specific circumstances. The criminal division prosecutes criminal cases. I have no interest in prioritizing those needs over anyone elses. 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. Respondents are directed to conduct the canvass of the November 2022 election as required by the Election Code. 13 Cause No. The Harris County Attorney and Lone Star Legal Aid, a nonprofit law group, alleged that the state environmental agency discriminated against racial and ethnic minorities and those with limited English proficiency through a revised permitting process to build new concrete batch plants. Not to my knowledge. It appears you forgot to include your location in the title or body of your post. Politicians at the news conference slammed the state environmental agency for valuing the needs of industryover the health of people. All requests must be in writing. She said Republican judges only learned the day before that election that they would have to hand ballots over at polling sites, rather than drive them downtown themselves. Lets see what happens in May. 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. 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. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. packages, Easy Order Agreements, Sale Federal and state laws requires ballots be securely stored for 22 months after an election, in part to preserve them for recounts or challenges to election results. Often times, if there are urgent matters, they will be addressed in the letter as well. 6(lost to Judge Kelley Andrews), Matthew Dexter, former candidate forHarris County Criminal Court at Law No. There are apparently 2,100 provisional Election Day ballots in question, out of 2,555 total E-Day provisionals and 2,420 that included a vote in this race. The Press has more. Thats a new statutory deadline for all judicial fundraising it used to be the case that judges who were involved in lawsuits could continue past that deadline, but the law was changed in the last session, so here we are. off Incorporation services, Texas Attorneys - Vacations - Harris County, Identity of Sale, Contract 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. 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. This website often will provide the arresting agency . View Website View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer. The dispute seems to be more about politics than the law, Martin Renteria, a Republican election judge in Harris County, said. S.B. 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. Not all the things we wanted materialized, but that is compromise, said Harris County Pct. Dockets. Sales, Landlord 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. Hani Mirza, legal director of the Texas Civil Rights Projects voting rights program, was part of the team that sought the court order extending voting hours this year. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. By all accounts, there were maybe 20-25 sites that have paper issues. Both parties had the opportunity to ask questions, review the chain of custody document, and raise issues. Works with law enforcement officers in the investigation of criminal cases. Nothing else of great interest in this group Id expect both Ed Gonzalez and Christian Menefee to start posting bigger numbers soon. Under S.B. The letters of guardianship provide an expiration date on their face, one year plus 120 days after the anniversary date. 5(lost to Judge David Fleischer), Chris Daniel, former candidate for Harris County District Clerk (lost to Marilyn Burgess), Erin Lunceford, former candidate for the 189, Tami Pierce, former candidate for the180th District Court(lost to Judge DaSean Jones), Alexandra Mealer, former candidate for Harris County Judge (lost to Judge Lina Hidalgo), Mike May, former candidate for State Representative District 135 (lost to Representative Jon Rosenthal). Under state law, ballots should be delivered by either the election judge or an election clerk designated by that judge. My tuition has been paid in full and I would have imagined the school would have notified me for other fees at this point in time. 20 Cause No. The opinion has already impacted elections administrators across the state, who told Votebeat that theyve seen an onslaught of requests since Paxton released it. The midnight update had about 98% of ballots counted on the Dem side and about 95% on the GOP side 70,016 of 72,796 Dem votes and 105,486 of 116,100 GOP votes. The office also provides legal advice to county officials and employees. The information contained in this site was valid at the time of posting. Nearly 70% of voters cast their ballots during the early voting period, but Mealer only cites issues on Election Day itself. A legal opinion released by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last week will almost certainly throw county elections offices into chaos after November, experts say, exposing election clerks to possible criminal charges and materially reducing the security of every ballot cast in the state. Please give a few bucks if you can and help them all out. The men gave her an official-looking affidavit form and asked her to sign it attesting to the residents at the address under penalty of perjury.. Commissioners courtOfficeNameHarris County Commissioners Court JudgeLina HidalgoHarris County Commissioners Court Precinct 1Rodney EllisHarris County Commissioners Court Precinct 2Adrian GarciaHarris County Commissioners Court Precinct 3Tom Ramsey1 more row. Either we win enough power to hold them off, or we are left with nothing but the hope that the likes of Bryan Hughes is unwilling to go that far. Hudspeth 4,660 22,009 0 9,952 Additional Losing Candidates File Election Contests in Harris County. I cannot begin to fathom the pain and loss they are experiencing. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee gave the following statement in response: "Comptroller Hegar's statement is false. The judge in the Lunceford contest was assigned on December 13, I dont know what has happened since then. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee's Statement on Supreme Court Nomination February 22, 2022 Harris County Attorney Menefee Responds to Governor Abbott's and General Paxton's New Policy Banning Healthcare For Transgender Children February 17, 2022 Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee Statement on Fifth Circuit Ruling 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. This is the state house district in which I ran back in 2018 and 2020. If Hegars goal was to make headlines while insulting the basic intelligence of Harris County residents, I guess he achieved that. I think Harris County has the right response here. When it comes to voting by mail, I have to be very careful with my words, Longoria said from the witness stand. I am disappointed that the Fifth Circuit has undone the preliminary injunction that protected Administrator (Isabel) Longorias First Amendment rights, Menefee said in a written statement.