Tag Archives: Constable

Initial thoughts on the 2024 primary

Some opening considerations as we peruse the final unofficial voting data. Before you read my words, go check out Stace, Campos, Reform Austin, and the Texas Signal. Here we go: – Final turnout in Harris County was 176,396 for Dems … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Endorsement watch: Constables

The Chron runs its endorsements in the Democratic primaries for Constable, in what I believe is now the last of their recommendations. They didn’t get off to a good start, however: Harris County Commissioners Court draws the constable precinct lines … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: Constables

On solving the crimes

This is a nice profile of Precinct One Deputy Constable Joe Bowden, who is good at his job. His specialty is solving bike thefts, and I want to highlight this bit that shows him in action, and then share some … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

More filing deadline news and notes

I’m going to use the Erik Manning Spreadsheet, the Patrick Svitek spreadsheet, and the Secretary of State webpage to put together some notes and observations about the 2024 filing deadline and primary lineups. Note that some of this may still … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

SJL files for re-election

We have our answer. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee will run for reelection in Texas’ 18th Congressional District, shaking up a Democratic primary that’s been in limbo since her resounding defeat in the race for Houston mayor on Saturday. Harris … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Constable Precinct 1 sexual harassment lawsuit goes forward

I’m rooting for a settlement. A lawsuit against Harris County alleging that female Precinct 1 constable deputies were picked for undercover vice operations where they were molested and traumatized will move forward after a federal judge recently ruled against a … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Constable Precinct 1 sexual harassment lawsuit goes forward

July 2023 campaign finance reports: Harris County

Previously: Congress SD15 City of Houston, part 1 January 2023 reports are here. Not all of these people are on the 2024 ballot. I am not including JPs and County Court candidates. Some potential opponents have already filed finance reports, … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hegar caves on phony “defunding” claim again

Clown the Comptroller II: Electric Boogaloo. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Monday backed off his claim that Harris County “defunded” a constable’s office in violation of a state law intended to prevent cities and counties from cutting their police budgets, … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Hegar caves on phony “defunding” claim again

Court blocks phony “defunding” claim again

From the inbox: A Travis County District Court temporarily blocked Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s determination that Harris County defunded the Precinct 5 Constable’s office in violation of state law. The order means the Comptroller’s determination as to Harris County’s budget … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Court blocks phony “defunding” claim again

Harris County votes to sue Hegar again

Phony Defunding Claims II: Electric Boogaloo. Harris County Commissioners Court on Thursday voted to sue Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar‘s office in response to his comments accusing the county of defunding law enforcement. Hegar’s claim is a repeat of a fight that already played out between the … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Harris County votes to sue Hegar again

Here we go again with the “defunding” baloney

I was all set to have a peaceful weekend when I came across a press release from Commissioner Ellis’ office on Friday afternoon about this. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Friday accused Harris County of defunding law enforcement, rekindling a feud from … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

January 2023 campaign finance reports: Harris County

Previously: City of Houston January 2022 reports are here, July 2022 reports are here. I did not get around to doing the 30-day and 8-day reports from 2022, so what you see here in these reports is not contiguous for … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Precinct analysis: Hidalgo versus Mealer

PREVIOUSLY Beto versus Abbott Beto versus the spread We’ve looked at the Governor’s race, in which Beto was the top Democratic performer. Now we’ll look at the next highest profile race, in which the result was a surprise to some … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Precinct analysis: Beto versus Abbott

All right, I have the full landscape data for Harris County and the November 2022 election, and I’ll be doing my usual thing with it. There’s a lot of data and a lot of ways to explore it, some of … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What to expect when you’re expecting a (larger) Democratic majority

I have three things to say about this. Despite narrowly winning reelection against bruising campaigns by well-funded challengers, the Democratic majority on Commissioners Court has made clear it intends to continue its progressive remake of Harris County. Though neither County … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A few words from Judge Hidalgo

Plus a few words that she could have said but didn’t, which I will fill in. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who narrowly won re-election last week over a strong push from GOP candidates and donors, outlined plans for her … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The case for redrawing Constable/JP precincts

A Twitter thread of interest: Harris County hasn’t redrawn its civil court boundaries since 1973, leading to lopsided caseloads. Here’s 1,000 new maps that would reduce lines at the courthouse, give judges more time in eviction & debt cases, and … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Judge Hidalgo celebrates her win

Winning is sweet. Victory laps are even sweeter. Fresh off a narrow reelection that was anything but assured, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Wednesday held a news conference to praise colleagues, thank supporters and call out some members of … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Just keep staying away, Commissioners

At this point the pattern is clear. They’re just going to keep staying away, at least until after the election. At which point one can hope that one of them will have a more permanent vacation from these duties. For … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Republican Commissioners abscond again

Cowards. Republicans Tom Ramsey of Precinct 3 and Jack Cagle of Precinct 4 skipped Tuesday’s 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 … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Republican Commissioners skip out again

Cowards. Harris County’s two Republican commissioners skipped Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting, preventing county leaders from passing a property tax rate and proposed budget for the next fiscal year beginning on Oct. 1. State law requires four members of the court … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The active shooter hoax at our neighborhood school

This made for a super eventful Tuesday afternoon. Police and panicked parents scrambled to Heights High School Tuesday afternoon, in frantic response to a false report that a gunman had shot 10 people in a room on the 2,400-student Houston … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Elsewhere in Houston, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Comptroller caves on phony “defunding” claim

In the end, he folded like a lawn chair. Harris County is moving through the process of passing a fiscal 2023 budget with a 1 percent dip in the property tax rate, after the specter of the state blocking its … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Harris County approves the option of suing Comptroller over baloney “defunding” claim

Good. Harris County Commissioners Court on Wednesday authorized a pair of private law firms to sue Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who accused the county of defunding law enforcement last week, forcing a halt to consideration of its $2.2 billion budget. … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Harris County looks to sue over Comptroller’s BS “defunding” claim

Tell it to the judge. Harris County Commissioners Court this week is expected to hire an outside law firm to take legal action against the state and Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who accused the county of defunding law enforcement in violation … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Constables’ and Comptroller’s ridiculous complaint

This is transparent bullshit. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar this week accused Harris County commissioners of defunding local constables and threatened to prevent the county from implementing its proposed 2023 budget if the county does not reverse course. In a letter … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The independents

Recently I got an email from a gentleman named Ted Wood, who wrote to inform me that he had successfully completed the requirements to be an independent candidate for Chief Justice of the First Court of Appeals on the November … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Plaintiff in Constable Precinct 1 lawsuit responds

She’s not having it with the dismissal of Constable Alan Rosen as a defendant from the lawsuit. The booze-fueled undercover hotel operations were bad. Felecia McKinney’s worst moment at the Precinct 1 Constable’s Office, however, came two years ago, during … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Constable Rosen removed from sexual harassment lawsuit

Good news for him, but the suit continues. Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen has prevailed in a legal effort to be removed from a lawsuit accusing department supervisors of sexual misconduct against female subordinates in an undercover anti-prostitution … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FBI looking into Constable “bachelor party sting” mess

Never a good sign. Federal investigators are probing the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office after several current and former female employees accused superiors of sexually exploiting them during undercover anti-human trafficking operations, a lawyer for the women confirmed Thursday. … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Again with the existential Constable question

Here’s a long and detailed story in the Chron about the history and purpose of the Constable office in Harris County, where they are bigger and do more than anywhere else in the state. The lawsuit’s allegations were stunning: Harris … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Again with the existential Constable question

Bring in an outside investigator

That’s the Chron editorial board’s advice for Constable Alan Rosen. Rosen’s office declined to comment to the editorial board Thursday, but in an earlier statement, he said that when he was made aware of the allegations, he “proactively” ordered an … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bring in an outside investigator

Another deputy constable files suit

More bad. When Precinct 1 Constable deputies accused their bosses of sexually exploiting them during undercover vice operations last week, their attorney vowed there would likely be more allegations in the near future. On Wednesday, Cordt Akers returned to the … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Time for a new Constable scandal

This is super duper ugly. Untrained deputies picked for “undercover” vice assignments — only to be molested and traumatized by superiors. Prostitution stings devolving into “booze-fueled playgrounds.” And a concerned Precinct 1 Constable Office’s employee, fired after she reported the … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments