Tag Archives: Harris County Attorney

“Viva Texas! Viva Beto!”

Posted on September 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been too long since the last time I posted a video. It all came from a love of the law and a shared dislike of Ted Cruz. It was a few bigwig local prosecutors, a capital defense attorney, a … Continue reading →

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County Attorney declares registration challenges invalid

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

That’s one word for it. The Harris County Attorney’s office said Tuesday that the 4,000 voter registrations challenged by a county Republican Party official were invalid, and the voter registrar should not have sent suspension notices to more than 1,700 … Continue reading →

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Vote suspension update

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The situation gets more complicated. Harris County mistakenly placed more than 1,700 voters on its suspension list in response to a local Republican official’s challenge of nearly 4,000 voter registrations, county Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett said Wednesday. The situation … Continue reading →

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Revised final bail order

Posted on July 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We go from here. The federal judge in a landmark bail lawsuit against Harris County set new ground rules for law enforcement and judges about pretrial release for thousands of low-income people arrested on low-level offenses in a revised injunction … Continue reading →

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Once more with the bail order for Harris County

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Getting close to the end. The federal judge presiding over the landmark bail lawsuit against Harris County said she planned to issue revised instructions within two weeks for how pretrial release should operate for thousands of poor people arrested on … Continue reading →

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Final instructions in bail practices lawsuit

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We may finally be nearing a conclusion in this matter. A year after a landmark ruling that upended Harris County’s bail system, a federal appeals court Friday issued final instructions for a Houston judge to craft a revised plan for … Continue reading →

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Harris County sued by “voter fraud” trolls

Posted on April 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s get this kicked to the curb ASAP. A conservative non-profit group sued Harris County in federal court Thursday to force the county to make available records on how it stops non-U.S. citizens from voting. The Public Interest Legal Foundation … Continue reading →

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No observers for ADA violations

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is interesting. Only days before a crucial state primary, the Justice Department has halted its effort to send observers during the election to assess whether Harris County polling sites are accessible to disabled voters. The observer request was made … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit largely upholds bail practices ruling

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The 26-page opinion by Judge Edith Brown Clement affirms the majority of Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal’s landmark ruling, including her finding that the county’s bail policies violated the due process and equal protection clauses of the … Continue reading →

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Harris County sues Arkema

Posted on November 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County filed suit Thursday against Arkema over chemical fires at its Crosby plant in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, saying the company violated a long list of environmental, safety and building regulations and put first responders at risk. … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit hears bail lawsuit arguments

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Big day in court. Amid a stream of pointed questions from the bench, lawyers for Harris County Tuesday asked panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to toss a lower court ruling that the county’s criminal justice system … Continue reading →

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Harris County files lawsuit against Arkema

Posted on September 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

More trouble for that nasty and troublesome chemical plant. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday authorized the county attorney to file a lawsuit against Arkema over its struggles to manage stores of hazardous chemicals during Hurricane Harvey. The county’s Pollution … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit sets bail hearing

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars. Harris County will have another chance to defend its embattled cash bail system this fall in a lawsuit brought by indigent defendants who languished in jail for days because they couldn’t afford money bail. The Fifth U.S. … Continue reading →

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Harris County Attorney files amicus brief in SB4 lawsuit

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Last week, Harris County Commissioners Court opted not to join a lawsuit challenging the state’s controversial “sanctuary cities” law as unconstitutional. Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan, however, has filed a brief asking a federal court to halt its implementation … Continue reading →

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Still a few bugs in the system

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A continuing story. While Harris County officials are complaining that a federal judge’s bail order threatens public safety, the county has failed to provide more than 100 low-level defendants with pretrial services aimed at ensuring they make their court dates. … Continue reading →

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County’s new bail system not quite ready

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Real soon now. Harris County’s long-trumpeted new system for setting bail for people awaiting trial will be up and running by the end of July, nearly a month later than the July 1 effective date the county had promised a … Continue reading →

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Ellis seeks Harris County entry into SB4 litigation

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, an email from Commissioner Ellis: Despite strong opposition from law enforcement officials, faith leaders, local governments, civil rights organizations, constituents, and advocacy groups, Senate Bill 4 (SB4), the “show-me-your-papers” legislation, has been signed into law. The new … Continue reading →

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One Republican judge doesn’t want that high-priced attorney for the bail lawsuit appeal

Posted on June 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Credit where credit is due. One of 15 Harris County judges challenging a federal order altering how bail works for indigent defendants has dropped out of the group that hired a pricey D.C. law firm to appeal the lawsuit. Court … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS will not hear Harris County bail appeal

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Let this please be the end of the line. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has denied Harris County’s request to stop the release of misdemeanor inmates who can’t afford to post cash bail. The county had appealed late Tuesday … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit reinstates bail order

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County took the fight over its controversial bail system to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, even as county officials scrambled to plan the imminent release of dozens of misdemeanor defendants held behind bars who cannot afford to … Continue reading →

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Judge Jordan deserves to have his position in the bail lawsuit represented

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have problems with this. The only Harris County judge to fight the county’s defense of its controversial bail system has been notified he will not get his own lawyer to appeal the high-profile federal lawsuit that has divided county … Continue reading →

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Harris County bail order halted

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Very late in the day on Friday. A federal appeals court granted Harris County a last-minute reprieve Friday in a contentious civil rights lawsuit, calling a temporary halt to a judge’s order that would have altered the way cash bail … Continue reading →

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Harris County will continue to fight bail lawsuit

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Harris County has appealed a federal civil rights lawsuit that challenged the county’s bail system, despite rising legal costs that have neared $3 million. After a heated discussion and a closed-door meeting Tuesday, Harris County Commissioners … Continue reading →

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“What are we fighting for?”

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the key question for the county in the bail lawsuit. As legal costs mount, surpassing $200,000 per month, pressure is building for Harris County officials to settle a lawsuit over the county’s cash bail system that a federal judge … Continue reading →

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Why won’t the county settle the damn bail lawsuit?

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg asks the same question I’ve been asking. Now that Chief U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal – it should be noted, a Republican appointee — levelled her devastating assessment of Harris County’s rigid bail system a few days ago, … Continue reading →

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County considers its bail options

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I can think of one, if they need some help. With just two weeks until the 193-page order from Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal kicks in May 15, county officials are working to draft a plan to deal … Continue reading →

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Harris County bail system ruled unconstitutional

Posted on April 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Damn right. A federal judge in Houston Friday issued a scathing denouncement of Harris County’s cash bail system, saying it is fundamentally unfair to detain indigent people arrested for low-level offenses simply because they can’t afford to pay bail. In … Continue reading →

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Settle the damn bail lawsuit already

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Enough. Harris County commissioners Tuesday voted to add high-profile, conservative litigator Charles Cooper to a growing team of attorneys defending the county and several public officials against a civil rights lawsuit alleging the county’s bail system unconstitutionally jails the poor. … Continue reading →

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Bail practices lawsuit wraps up

Posted on March 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s up to the judge now. The call by two civil rights groups for an immediate fix to Harris County’s bail system is now in the hands of a federal judge after high-stakes arguments over whether poor people should remain … Continue reading →

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Bail practices lawsuit gets going

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The first day in court for this lawsuit was Monday. Neal S. Manne, a managing partner at Susman Godfrey, told Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal in his opening statement Monday that ODonnell and hundreds of other poor people … Continue reading →

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Harris County really needs to settle that bail practices lawsuit

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Enough already. Two Houston-based lawmakers called on Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan Friday to dismiss an attorney hired to represent county judges in a federal civil rights lawsuit, after that attorney claimed in a hearing that many people jailed in … Continue reading →

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Motion to dismiss county bail practices lawsuit denied

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Onward. In a sweeping 78-page opinion issued late last week, a federal judge has denied Harris County’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit that accuses it of operating an unconstitutional bail system. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal dismissed the sheriff and … Continue reading →

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City sued over bail practices

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

One more lawsuit going after the practice of jailing people who can’t afford to post bonf. Two civil rights groups sued the city of Houston late Monday, alleging the city jail has detained people for days at a time without … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Ryan v Leitner

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan was the only non-judicial incumbent elected in November. Here’s how his race looked. Dist Leitner Ryan Leitner% Ryan% ========================================== CD02 158,149 113,363 58.25% 41.75% CD07 135,129 116,091 53.79% 46.21% CD09 25,714 106,728 19.42% 80.58% CD10 … Continue reading →

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