Search Results for: ibarra

County pays off last bill related to Ibarra brothers lawsuit

Posted on December 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Merry Christmas. Harris County Commissioners Court agreed [Tuesday] to pay the last of what has amounted to more than $4 million in bills related to a lawsuit brought by two men who said they were wrongfully arrested after one of … Continue reading →

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Ibarra brothers sue Lloyd Kelley

Posted on October 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Sometimes you think there are no twists and turns left in a story, then you find there are indeed. Erik and Sean Ibarra filed suit Wednesday in a Harris County court, accusing Lloyd E. Kelley of breach of contract. The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Ibarras sue again

Posted on May 30, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Look out, Lloyd Kelley and the Ibarra brothers are suing the Sheriff’s Office again, this time alleging that the HCSO retaliates against people who file complaints against it. “There is a pattern and a practice of abusing civil rights and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 2 Comments

DA probes Sheriff’s surveillance of Ibarra brothers

Posted on May 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office acknowledged Wednesday it is investigating the sheriff’s office surveillance of two brothers who filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the department over their 2002 arrest. The prosecutor’s office released a letter from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

Ibarras must settle for their settlement

Posted on April 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, the Ibarra brothers sought a hearing to withdraw their settlement agreement with Harris County and take their case to trial, on the grounds that the county violated that agreement by paying the legal fees for two attorneys who … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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More on the Ibarras’ request to withdraw settlement agreement

Posted on April 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

When the news broke about the Ibarra brothers wanting to cancel the settlement agreement in their lawsuit against the Sheriff’s office, I wondered if it was because the county was paying for the appeal two lawyers who had been barred … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Ibarra brothers want to go back to court

Posted on April 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

You know that settlement agreement in the lawsuit against the Sheriff’s office? It may not be so settled after all. The county paid Sean Carlos Ibarra and Erik Adam Ibarra the agreed settlement on April 1, but the brothers want … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 1 Comment

El Paso is doing all right with Delta

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them, let’s hope it lasts. While some other metro areas like Austin reported record high numbers of COVID-19 patients in their area hospitals just last month, and while statewide hospitalizations came close to eclipsing the January peak of … Continue reading →

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Projecting Tuesday turnout

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the statewide view. By the time the polls closed Thursday, 33.7 percent of registered voters in Bexar County had voted, well past the 17.3 percent turnout at the same point in 2014, the last midterm, and close to the … Continue reading →

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Two unsatisfying articles about the 2016 Democratic sweep in Harris County

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Democratic sweep in Harris County has drawn some national attention, as writers from the left and right try to analyze what happened here last year and why Hillary Clinton carried the county by such a large margin. Unfortunately, as … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Civil incumbents, part 2

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron continues a theme. 151st Civil District Court: Mike Engelhart If you commute along the Southwest Freeway, then you probably know Judge Mike Engelhart from his big red billboard at Greenbriar Drive, which informs drivers that the two-term Democratic … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Civil court incumbents

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Keeping up with the weekly endorsement schedule, we have round one of Civil Court endorsements, as there are many Civil Court races this year. 11th Civil District Court: Kevin Fulton The candidates in this race to replace outgoing Judge Mike … Continue reading →

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Downtown shuttle service to return

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Do you miss the free trolleys that used to run downtown? A new version of that service is set to debut in the spring. The Houston Downtown Management District, funded through tax assessments on downtown properties, plans to launch a … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

It’s a go for REV Eco Shuttle

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This happened last week, but I didn’t get to posting about it at that time. A vote by city council [October 27] caps the long, strange regulatory journey of Erik Ibarra’s Rev Eco-Shuttle service. Rulespassed by the council in August restricted Jitneylicenses to … Continue reading →

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New jitney rules coming

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

City Council is preparing to make some changes to its ordinances regarding jitneys. The goal of the new rules, some of which also will be established by mid-September in a “green” ordinance that will govern the use of zero-emissions vehicles, … Continue reading →

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Here come the Greens

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As Perry noted the other day, the Green Party of Texas submitted petitions to the Secretary of State to get on the ballot in certain races in Texas. They failed to do so in 2006, so this will be the … Continue reading →

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REV Houston revisited

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

REV Houston is back in the news. The drivers of Rev Houston’s green-and-white shuttles zip through downtown picking up and dropping off passengers for tips. Here’s a tip from city officials: Follow the rules. To Rev Houston owner Erik Ibarra, … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

RIP, Sharon Levine

Posted on January 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Sharon Levine, who was a Houston defense attorney that played a key role in the ultimate downfall of former Harris County DA Chuck Rosenthal, has died at the far too young age of 38, from Hodgkins’ disease. Defense attorney Paul … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Lloyd Kelley update

Posted on November 8, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I meant to blog about this Rick Casey column in which he provided an update to the Lloyd Kelley/Ibarra brothers saga but didn’t get to it last week. Two weeks ago I reported that Kelley had withheld another $200,000 or … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Garcia and Noriega

Posted on October 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron may have taken yesterday off, but they make up for it today with two good endorsements. First, in what I had termed their easiest call of the bunch, they tap Adrian Garcia for Harris County Sheriff: In the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 2 Comments

Plaintiff against Sheriff’s office no-billed

Posted on October 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Okay, so back in July a part-time municipal court judge named April Jill Walker, who is also a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the Ibarra brothers alleging that the Sheriff’s office retaliated against people who had filed complaints against … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: County Attorney

Posted on October 12, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron gets back on track after yesterday’s oddity by making the right call in the County Attorney race. In the past year Harris County has suffered through a disturbing series of public ethics scandals that resulted in the resignation … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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It’s “Guess the endorsement” time again

Posted on September 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

We’re past Labor Day, the conventions are over, and as we head into the last few weeks of the campaign season, it’s time once again to ponder the eternal mysteries of the Houston Chronicle’s endorsement processes. As I’ve done for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

REV Houston

Posted on September 5, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I thought this article about the electric car taxi/shuttle service called REV Houston was interesting. A couple of things that struck me: When [Erik] Ibarra and business partner Justin Jones started REV Houston in April, they anticipated a certain clientele. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

Policing the jailers

Posted on July 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has named a department employee to head the newly created post of inspector general to investigate abuses at the county jail. The appointment comes as federal authorities review the downtown lockups and a local … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

Deputies arrest plaintiff in suit against Sheriff’s office

Posted on July 4, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

In late May, the Ibarra brothers and several other people filed a lawsuit against the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, claiming that its deputies retaliated against people who filed complaints about them. Now one of those plaintiffs has been arrested by … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The sheriff speaks

Posted on June 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Sheriff Tommy Thomas comes out of his bunker long enough to answer a few questions about all that nasty news about himself and his office. Looking at what he’s got to say for himself, I’m thinking he’d have been better … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

Council to vote on K-Mart settlement payments

Posted on June 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

And we’re one step closer to officially putting all the lawsuits that stemmed from the K-Mart Kiddie Roundup into the books for good. [Houston City Council] on Wednesday will consider whether to settle one lawsuit brought by 59 people who … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Another defendant in lawsuit against Sheriff’s office

Posted on June 4, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an update to the latest lawsuit filed by the Ibarra brothers and some other people against the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. C.A. Sandoval has been named as a defendant along with Sheriff Tommy Thomas and other deputies in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Sheriff’s surveillance unit disbanded

Posted on June 3, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has disbanded its surveillance unit, which came under criticism after it was revealed its officers watched two brothers who sued the county for civil rights violations. The Investigative Support Unit’s image has become so … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Sheriff still hasn’t learned his lesson about deleting emails

Posted on May 29, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Some people never learn. It may be just one email, but the sheriff’s office is trying to explain why it was trying to destroy a key piece of evidence, which has now been subpoenaed by a grand jury investigating that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Probe of Sheriff’s office urged

Posted on May 19, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Good. State Sen. Rodney Ellis and other lawmakers today said they have asked the Texas attorney general to investigate the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s surveillance of two brothers who successfully sued the county and the Sheriff’s Office. Ellis, D-Houston, said … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Way to be on top of it, Ed

Posted on May 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

KTRK’s Ted Oberg advances the ball on the Big Sheriff Is Watching You story. It’s no surprise that when Sheriff Thomas was sued, the county’s lawyers wanted to know who was suing. That’s pretty standard in any lawsuit. To do … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 5 Comments

Big Sheriff is watching you

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Unbelievable. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged Tuesday that deputies were assigned to watch two brothers who filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the department over their arrest during a 2002 drug raid. Sheriff’s Capt. John Martin said one … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 2 Comments