letter from harris county attorney letter from harris county attorney

The agreement announced Monday does not remove the pause the Federal Highway Administration placed on the project in March 2021. I presume that last line is there in the event the provisional ballots have an effect on the 180th Criminal District Court race, in which event (again, I presume) the merits of the arguments will have to be addressed. How much does a District Attorney make? The distribution of Harris Countys settlement funds will be decided by Commissioners Court. This practice group provides general legal services covering law enforcement, public works, community services, road and building construction, park site planning and development, vendor selection and contract development, agreement preparation for design and engineering services, real property transactions, inter-local agreements with other governmental jurisdictions, Public Information Act requirements, open meetings requirements, and the application of state and federal laws and regulations related to HIV/AIDS programs, the medical examiner, parks and library operations, disaster planning, and emergency management services. 8 Cause No. Create your US Legal Forms account now and get a lot more samples. Jack Cagle (SPAC), County Commissioner, Precinct 4 Real Estate, Last Notes, Premarital Matthew Dexter is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. Up until March, the board primarily approved and renewed bail bondsman licenses. 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. And theres nothing in the law that prohibits them from being counted, Menefee said. Harris County District Attorney - Forms and Downloads for the following: General Affidavit, Check Fraud Complaint, Nonsufficient Funds Letter, Stop Payment Letter, and others. Attorney Fee Standards effective June 1, 2019. . Oftentimes, a demand letter outlining your debts owed is enough to get debtors to pay up. 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. Ignoring the letter forces the opposing partys lawyer to do one thing recommend that his or her client proceed to Court. This court is a sham and a disgrace, and the only way forward is to pack it with judges that will actually apply the law. Dont ask me when that is likely to happen. In other words, please find me the people who showed up to vote at a location that was having paper problems, and did not wait for them to be fixed, did not go to another location, did not come back later, and as a result did not vote. The latest UTP, updated annually by the Texas Department, outlines a record $85.1 billion in transportation spending across the state from 2023 to 2032. You could have voted early! A-Z, Form Menefee. Most of the new details are similar to requestsTurner made in August 2021, and correspond with requests county officials raised more than a year ago, which state highway officials said they could not approve because they locked TxDOT into commitments on side ventures that werenot included in the project. Each affidavit alleges that numerous registered voters in Harris County do not reside at the addresses listed on their voter registration records, as required by state election law. . What horrible crime could OP have committed to receive an envelope full of glitter? Abbotts swift action to get a temporary restraining order lifted was expected, as the governor would not want to be seen as weak while school districts and local governments defy his executive order, said Jon Taylor, professor of political science and chair of the department of political science and geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The law is clear that these voted ballots are confidential and its a crime for anyone to access them unless authorized by law.. 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. 2023-01067; Dan Spjut v. Judge Juanita Jackson. 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. I want to send a message to the Harris County elections administrator, Taylor said. Ill try to learn to live with it. In the event that the Harris County Elections Office ever needs to contact you directly, our staff will have county ID badges to prove their identity, and/or paperwork with the logo or official seal of the office included, the release states. Thats not how a democratic society works. Similarly, Morgan argued in the filing that her work as a voter registrar particularly around the University of Texas in Austin will be hampered if she can no longer proactively suggest that eligible but unaware voters request an application to vote by mail as she has in the past.. It has a chilling effect, Rodriguez said while questioning a state attorney Friday morning. Order Specials, Start By signing the Business Records Affidavit and having it notarized, the recipient attests that the documents provided are true and correct copies of the original documents and that the documents are kept in the normal course of business. He believes the collective force of school districts, county judges, and mayors could push the weather vane in the opposite direction. Thus far, the Harris County Attorneys Office has identified filings by (and we expect more filings to be made today): These filings are in addition to previously announced contests by: Below is the statement from the County Attorney released this morning: This is a shameful attempt by a group of losing candidates who couldnt win the hearts and minds of Harris County voters and are now throwing nonsensical legal theories at the wall to see what sticks. See here and here for the background. Operating Agreements, Employment By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. I think Harris County has the right response here. Respondents are ordered to provide the Court with a copy of the canvass results, including the separately tabulated later cast votes, as soon as they are available. 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. Become a member to support the independent voice of Houston The main takeaway here is that not only can you not trust anything Paxton says, you also cant trust anything his office says, even if they sign their names to it. It also doesnt matter whether the regular Republicans support this madness or not. Lesley Briones, County Commissioner, Precinct 4, Kim Ogg, District Attorney Still the only voter ID anyone should need. 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. S.B. Andy Taylor, general counsel for the Harris County GOP, is representing Lunceford. The bottom line is that the plaintiffs have asked for a temporary injunction against the provision of that law that makes it a crime for election officials and election workers to encourage voters to vote by mail, whether or not those voters are eligible under Texas law to do so. A public meeting has been scheduled later this month for residents to weigh in on a plant thats been proposed in Simonton, asmall citywest of Houston in rural Fort Bend County. Be that as it may, the point about the counties just not moving to undo what they have ordered is an interesting point. US Legal Forms provides you with a solution to exactly that. 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. My office is going to do everything we can to protect every single vote that was cast. Otherwise you could be arrested with no notification. Yet, the way the (Texas Public Information Act) is written, no one except those involved in the underlying lawsuit can get access to the public information.. . Thats what I, a non-lawyer who has no responsibilities in these matters, would have done. I want kids across Harris County to go on to live long, healthy lives. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee gave the following statement in response: "Comptroller Hegar's statement is false. 16 Cause No. If the questions are not answered, she would therefore still need to have the temporary injunction in place, he said. Judge Draper is represented by John Raley. All parties were put on notice that the votes would be counted.. Harris County District Clerk - Web - https://www.hcdistrictclerk.com or by US mail - Harris County District Clerk, PO Box 4651, Houston, Tx 77210-4651 Criminal history/Background checks information-involving arrests made by any law enforcement agency within Harris County visit their website. Taylor alleged 80 percent of polling places with paper shortages on Nov. 8 were in areas considered Republican strongholds. See here for the background. Operating Agreements, Employment The Compliance Practice Group specializes in lawsuits for debt collection and enforcement of laws that protect the interest of Harris County. Expect a response from the team within48 hoursof your requested date. Guide, Incorporation Erin Lunceford is represented by Andy Taylor. Were evaluating the lawsuit and will let the courts sort it out.. 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. One year ago, opponents of the states plan to rebuild Interstate 45 in Houston criticized the take it or leave it optionstate officials offered regarding amending plansfor the mega-project. Judge Payne is represented by John Raley. The information contained in this site was valid at the time of posting. 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. Handbook, DUI The project, estimated to cost at least $9 billion, would rebuild and widen I-45 from downtown Houston north to Beltway 8, including the freeways interchanges with Interstate 69, Interstate 10 and Loop 610 in Independence Heights. Oh, and if this is one of the final straws that leads to Constable precinct redistricting, I wont complain. See here for the background. 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. Once again, Comptroller Hegar has abused his authority, the county attorney said. WHD knocked on about 1500. We have the primaries coming up real soon, which means mail ballots are going to be getting requested, and people will have questions about them. Rodney Ellis, County Commissioner, Precinct 1 Though not a guarantee of funding or a commitment to build the projects listed, it details what the state plans to do. This election took countless hours of work not only by county employees, but by election judges and workers from both parties. Keith Ingram, the secretary of states director of elections, told lawmakers in the hearing he disagreed with that interpretation and believed Harris Countys plan violated the law. UPDATE: Heres a later version of the story about the GOPs lawsuit over the results delivery process. 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. Elizabeth Buss is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. Not a dismissal, but I hope that will demonstrate our commitment., Menefee said he will ask the court for a stay of 30 days, and then potentially extend that for an additional 30 days if the discussions are fruitful., The pause is a show of good faith by the county to remind TxDOT that were in this to find solutions and address community concerns, Menefee said in a statement. RECORDING OF ANY PROBATE PROCEEDINGS IS STRICTLY PROHIBITEDAND COULD RESULT IN A FINDING OF CONTEMPT OF COURT. However, given that the provisional votes cast on Election Day favored Democrats, its even less likely for that race to be affected, and it would be impossible for both of them to be in a position to change. 18 Cause No. Our election workers should not have to fear being criminally prosecuted because the attorney general wants to play politics and try to rewrite laws, Menefee said. The votes that were cast during that time period pursuant to a court order are still perfectly legal. 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.. For his part, Berry noted that the county had already been forced to adopt the property tax revenue freeze for its current budget because Commissioners Court was unable to reach a quorum needed to set a tax rate. 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. Houston, Texas (October 20, 2022) Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner sent a joint letter to the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division requesting that federal monitors be sent to Harris County for the November 2022 election. If even one is bounced, Abbott could appoint a replacement for those in the criminal courts. Clubs In Action raising legal $ for judges. Another reminder: There were 782 voting locations on Election Day, and you could vote at any of them. Heres a Twitter thread from Chron reporter Emily Foxhall with more quotes. 15 Cause No. Verify that the Texas Attorney Vacation Form youre considering is appropriate for your state. 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. Determining how a proposed downtown connection for the Hardy Toll Road will enter the area near Buffalo Bayou and cross a remade I-10. Vips Support Documents and Useful Resource Links . 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. (*). Hudspeth 4,660 22,009 0 9,952 5:00AM. As I said, I have no criminal record to speak of prior to this so I'm not sure what to think at this point. During the last month, weve had a lot of our candidates that were in very close races that have been talking to us wanting to know the information that weve accumulated and have reported, Siegel said. Tom Ramsey, County Commissioner, Precinct 3 Rosen 717,202 84,691 0 1,322,398 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. 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". 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. Greg Abbotts executive order prohibiting local authorities from issuing COVID-19 restrictions, such as mask and vaccine mandates. Of course the [Texas Supreme Court] proceedings remain pending and the court could rule on something. Life comes at you fast. 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. It will only work when communication between the parties is good enough for them to engage in a discussion without arguments, no serious power imbalance between the parties exist, and full transparency of financial matters is available. 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. To put it another way, good luck proving intent. 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. That doesnt mean the Legislature wants resources to be used toward nudging people toward voting by mail.. Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Harris County Commissioners Court are defunding the police.. I am writing to request your help with a matter that is very important to me. I do hope the County Attorneys Office keeps an eye on this activity, because we know its ill-intentioned bullshit and it deserves to be closely scrutinized. See here for the background. 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. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee Tuesday denied Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegars announcement that county officials are attempting to resolve the defunding claims Hegar made earlier this month. 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. There were a half-dozen voting locations within walking distance of my house on Election Day. Judge Cox is represented by Cris Feldman. & Resolutions, Corporate That, coupled with $27 million in affordable housing assistance TxDOT must provide to make up for lost apartments and homes, will allow many residents to stay in the area despite risk of gentrification, said Tanya DeBose, executive director of the Independence Heights Redevelopment Council, in a video about the project produced by TxDOT. Did you say anything at all to the officers? It represents the publics interest by opposing the issuance and renewal of environmental permits if the permit would be detrimental to public health. The debate over law-enforcement funding in Harris County stems from the countys decision to shift its fiscal year and budgeting schedule to start in October instead of March. One week later, just six days from election day, the Harris County Republican Party notified us that its judges would not participate in the program.. Additional Losing Candidates File Election Contests in Harris County. Now you can just go somewhere else. Nevertheless, the requests contained in civil investigative demands and grand jury subpoenas often exceed the appropriate boundaries of what can be asked for.