Tag Archives: Justice Department

Galveston ordered to use its current map for 2024

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Pending the Fifth Circuit, of course. A federal judge ruled Galveston County must keep its old commissioner precinct map in place for the 2024 election while a federal appeals court mulls overturning its precedent and allowing new maps which do … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Commissioners Court, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, filing deadline, Galveston, Justice Department, lawsuit, Mark Henry, primaries, redistricting, SCOTUS, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Stephen Holmes, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Voting Rights Act | Leave a comment

Yet another effort to kill the Voting Rights Act

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder that the Fifth Circuit isn’the only home for terrible appellate judges. A divided federal appellate panel took a pipe to the knees of the Voting Rights Act Monday, handing down an eyebrow-raising decision that would severely curtail … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Arkansas, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Justice Department, lawsuit, NAACP, redistricting, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit upholds (*) Galveston redistricting ruling

Posted on November 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

With an asterisk, as noted in the title. A federal appeals court Friday ruled that Galveston County commissioners violated the U.S. Voting Rights Act by eliminating the only majority-minority district in its latest redistricting process. The 5th Circuit Court of … Continue reading →

Galveston redistricting ruling paused

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Fifth Circuit strikes again. Less than a week after a federal judge ruled Galveston County’s precinct maps violated the Voting Rights Act, the U.S Fifth Circuit Court issued a stay on the order. U.S. Circuit Court Judge Jeffery V. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Alabama, Commissioners Court, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, filing deadline, Galveston, Justice Department, lawsuit, Mark Henry, primaries, redistricting, SCOTUS, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Stephen Holmes, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Voting Rights Act | 2 Comments

Galveston County redistricting ruled illegal

Posted on October 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Galveston County Commissioners Court violated the Voting Rights Act when it approved a 2021 map that greatly limited voting power for Black and Latino voters in the county, a judge ruled Friday. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Alabama, Commissioners Court, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Galveston, Justice Department, lawsuit, Mark Henry, redistricting, SCOTUS, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Stephen Holmes, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

The lawsuit over the omnibus voter suppression law has begun

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Settle in, this will take awhile. Two years after voting rights groups challenged Texas Republicans’ sweeping overhaul of its voting and election laws, the case comes to trial Monday in a federal court in San Antonio. The lengthy roster of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, ACLU of Texas, Americans with Disabilities Act, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Attorney General, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Dana DeBeauvoir, Disability Rights Texas, drop off boxes, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Georgia, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, Organization of Chinese Americans-Greater Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

LA to sue Abbott over migrant busing

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Go for it. Los Angeles is preparing to sue Texas over Gov. Greg Abbott’s migrant busing program, which has sent more than 400 people there. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to investigate whether there are legal … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Bexar County, California, Florida, Gavin Newsom, Greg Abbott, Illinois, immigration, Javier Salazar, Justice Department, Karen Bass, lawsuit, Los Angeles, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Ron DeSantis, Sheriff, Texas | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit rejects some mifepristone restrictions, upholds others

Posted on August 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Typical. A Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals panel handed down a decision Wednesday batting down challenges to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) initial approval of abortion drug mifepristone, but reinstituting restrictions that the agency has lifted in recent years. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged FDA, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, mifepristone, pharmacies, SCOTUS, Texas, Xavier Becerra | Comments Off

Galveston redistricting lawsuit gets underway

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This could be a big one. n the home of Juneteenth, the culmination of Galveston County’s decade-long effort to undermine the political power of Black and Latino voters is on trial. In the only county-level redistricting case which the federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Alabama, Commissioners Court, Galveston, Justice Department, lawsuit, Mark Henry, redistricting, SCOTUS, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Stephen Holmes, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Voting Rights Act | 1 Comment

Grand jury empaneled in Paxton case

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Well, well, well. Federal prosecutors have seated a grand jury in San Antonio and called witnesses close to suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to testify, two sources with knowledge of the investigation told the American-Statesman. The purpose of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Attorney General, bribery, Dan Cogdell, FBI, grand jury, impeachment, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, Nate Paul, Texas, Texas Whistleblower Act | 1 Comment

More requests for DOJ asked to investigate shady migrant flights

Posted on August 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Massachusetts gets aboard. Cape and Islands District Attorney Rob Galibois is officially joining hands with California and Texas officials who have asked US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to help investigate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s scheme to transport immigrants to Martha’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, La Migra | Tagged Bexar County, California, Florida, Gavin Newsom, Greg Abbott, immigration, Javier Salazar, Joaquin Castro, Joe Gonzales, Justice Department, LULAC, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Perla Huerta, Rob Bonta, Rob Galibois, Ron DeSantis, Sheriff, Texas | Comments Off

Justice Department files that promised lawsuit over the Texas river wall

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what happens next that really matters. The U.S. Justice Department announced Monday it is suing Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott after the state declined to remove the floating barrier deployed earlier this month on the Rio Grande near Eagle … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Army Corps of Engineers, border, bouy barrier, Eagle Pass, Justice Department, lawsuit, Mexico, Rio Grande, Texas | 2 Comments

Feds to sue over Abbott’s river wall

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good, but you’ll forgive me if I keep my expectations low. The Department of Justice is ready to sue Gov. Greg Abbott over the floating buoy barrier he deployed in the Rio Grande to block migrants from crossing the river from Mexico … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Army Corps of Engineers, border, bouy barrier, Eagle Pass, Justice Department, lawsuit, Mexico, Rio Grande, Texas | 1 Comment

DOJ asked to investigate shady migrant flights

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Feels like this should have been done awhile ago, but better late than never. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), California State Attorney General Rob Bonta and Texas Sheriff Javier Salazar sent a letter to the Department of Justice on Thursday … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, La Migra | Tagged Bexar County, California, Florida, Gavin Newsom, Greg Abbott, immigration, Javier Salazar, Joaquin Castro, Joe Gonzales, Justice Department, LULAC, Massachusetts, Perla Huerta, Rob Bonta, Ron DeSantis, Sheriff, Texas | Comments Off

Tarrant County picks a new elections administrator

Posted on June 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It could have been worse Tarrant County picked a new elections administrator Friday to replace Heider Garcia, who resigned earlier this year after he said he faced political pressure from Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare. The Tarrant County Election Commission … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Clint Ludwig, Election 2020, Election 2024, elections administrator, Heider Garcia, Justice Department, Karen Wiseman, Marc Veasey, Tarrant County, Texas, Tim O'Hare, voter suppression | 1 Comment

Justice Department follows up with Tarrant County

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Officials at the U.S. Department of Justice have committed to meeting with Tarrant County’s top Democrats to discuss the letter they sent requesting an investigation into voting rights. The Democrats, under the lead of U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Alisa Simmons, Chris Turner, Election 2020, Election 2024, Election 2026, elections administrator, Heider Garcia, Justice Department, Marc Veasey, Nicole Collier, Ramon Romero, Salman Bhojani, Tarrant County, Texas, Tim O'Hare, voter suppression | 1 Comment

Nate Paul arrested by feds

Posted on June 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Well, well, well. Nate Paul, the Austin real estate developer central to allegations of illegal conduct by Ken Paxton, Texas’ now-suspended attorney general, was arrested by the FBI on Thursday. Paul was booked into the Travis County Jail at 4:25 … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged bribery, Dan Cogdell, Dick DeGuerin, FBI, impeachment, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, Mitte Foundation, Nate Paul, Senate, Texas, Texas Whistleblower Act, The Lege | 3 Comments

City settles dumping complaint with Justice Department

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston will not face punishment after settling a Justice Department probe into whether the city’s system of responding to illegal dumping calls violated the Civil Rights Act by disregarding Black and Latino neighborhoods. Mayor Sylvester Turner’s administration reached a three-year voluntary resolution with … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Legal matters | Tagged 311, Alabama, consent decree, Fifth Ward, Houston, Huey German-Wilson, Justice Department, Lone Star Legal Aid, solid waste, Solid Waste Management Department, stimulus, Sylvester Turner | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit hears mifepristone appeal

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It went more or less as you’d expect from this dumpster fire of a court. I’ll link to a bunch of straight news coverage in a bit, but what you need is the news with some analysis and snark, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged FDA, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, mifepristone, pharmacies, SCOTUS, Texas, Xavier Becerra | 1 Comment

Tarrant County Dems seek Justice Department investigation of voting rights issues

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Elected officials who represent Tarrant County’s minority communities have asked the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to investigate County Judge Tim O’Hare and other county officials over concerns that their actions will diminish voting rights. The letter, signed by … Continue reading →

The national cannabis oversupply problem

Posted on May 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A fascinating look at a big problem in the cannabis market. Along the West Coast, which dominated U.S. marijuana production long before states began to legalize it, producers face what many call the failed economics of legal pot. There is … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged California, cannabis, Colorado, Dan Pope, Joe Biden, Justice Department, marijuana, Oregon, Texas, The Lege, Washington | Comments Off

No federal action to un-screw Houston on Harvey relief funds

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Not yet, anyway. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this. The federal government is punting for now on enforcing a finding that Texas discriminated against communities of color when it stiffed Houston in distributing flood mitigation funds stemming from Hurricane Harvey. The Department … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Civil Rights Act, Dawn Buckingham, flooding, George P. Bush, Harris County, HUD, Hurricane Harvey, Justice Department, Land Commissioner, Northeast Action Collective, Texas, Texas Housers | 4 Comments

DOJ sues Tennessee over its ban on gender affirming care for minors

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There will be more of these to come, including and especially in Texas. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Tennessee’s recently passed law that bans gender-affirming care for minors, emphasizing it “denies necessary medical care to youth … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Justice Department, lawsuit, SCOTUS, Tennessee, Texas, The Lege, transgender rights | Comments Off

House re-passes its redistricting map

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Done and done. The Texas House on Wednesday reapproved the map of districts for its 150 seats, which was redrawn in 2021 and fortified the Republican majority while diluting the voting strength of Hispanic and Black voters. The House made … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Census, demography, Drew Darby, Election 2022, Election 2024, Joan Huffman, Justice Department, lawsuit, redistricting, Senate, Texas, The Lege, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

SCOTUS halts the anti-mifepristone ruling

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Supreme Court ruled Friday to pause lower court rulings that would have imposed restrictions on mifepristone, keeping the drug accessible while the case proceeds. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas would not have granted the stay. Despite the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged FDA, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, mifepristone, pharmacies, SCOTUS, Texas, Xavier Becerra | Comments Off

Anti-mifepristone order still paused

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

SCOTUS needs a couple more days. The Supreme Court extended its stay on lower court rulings on mifepristone until Friday just before midnight, meaning that the drug will remain accessible and available at least until then. The order, written by … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, FDA, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, GenBioPro, Illinois, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, Michigan, mifepristone, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, pharmacies, Rhode Island, SCOTUS, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Xavier Becerra | 1 Comment

Anti-mifepristone litigants respond to SCOTUS appeal

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Today we find out what SCOTUS will do. The anti-abortion doctors who first brought the case seeking to get mifepristone yanked from the markets filed a reply brief Tuesday, starting the clock on the Supreme Court’s response. It’s the latest … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, FDA, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Illinois, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, Michigan, mifepristone, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, pharmacies, Rhode Island, SCOTUS, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Xavier Becerra | Comments Off

SCOTUS pauses that anti-mifepristone ruling

Posted on April 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A brief timeout. The Supreme Court granted the Department of Justice’s emergency request to temporarily halt lower court rulings that would have reimposed restrictions on mifepristone that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had lifted in recent years. The stay … Continue reading →

Fifth Circuit barely limits ridiculous anti-mifepristone ruling

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

In other words, the Fifth Circuit did Fifth Circuit things. The notoriously right-wing Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld much of Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling on mifepristone from late last week in an early Thursday decision that may prompt the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Election 2024, FDA, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, mifepristone, pharmacies, SCOTUS, Texas, Washington, Xavier Becerra | 1 Comment

Tuesday mifepristone update

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

First things first, that lawless ruling from the wingnut Texas judge has been appealed. The U.S. Justice Department on Monday asked a federal appeals court to keep the abortion pill mifepristone on the U.S. market as litigation plays out, days … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Arizona, Colorado, Congress, Connecticut, Delaware, Election 2024, Elizabeth Warren, FDA, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Illinois, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, Lizzie FLetcher, Mazie Hirono, Michigan, mifepristone, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Pat Ryan, pharmacies, Rhode Island, Ron Wyden, SCOTUS, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Xavier Becerra | 1 Comment

We await what’s next with mifepristone

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“Everything is on the table”, whatever that ultimately means. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said the administration is willing to do whatever it takes to protect access to the abortion drug mifepristone, after a federal judge in Texas suspended the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, FDA, Illinois, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, Michigan, mifepristone, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, pharmacies, Rhode Island, SCOTUS, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Xavier Becerra | 2 Comments

Mifepristone access banned and expanded

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

So as you might have heard, this happened on Friday. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas stayed the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of abortion drug mifepristone nationwide Friday, including in blue states with robust abortion protections. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, FDA, Illinois, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, Michigan, mifepristone, Nathan Hecht, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, pharmacies, Rhode Island, SCOTUS, Texas, Vermont, Washington | 4 Comments

The unhinged abortion pill lawsuit hearing

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

What a shitshow. The future of medication abortion in the United States remains up in the air after a federal judge heard arguments Wednesday in a suit challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s long-standing approval of mifepristone. U.S. District Judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Donald Trump, FDA, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, mifepristone, misoprostol, Texas | Comments Off

The hearing for that unhinged abortion pill lawsuit is today

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Like I said, brace yourselves. A federal judge in Texas will hear arguments Wednesday in a closely watched dispute that could halt distribution of a key drug used for medication abortion and disrupt access nationwide, even in states where reproductive rights are protected. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Donald Trump, FDA, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, mifepristone, misoprostol, Texas | 1 Comment

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