Tag Archives: Justice Department

Now the state sues the Colony Ridge developers

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Following in the footsteps of the feds. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Houston-area developers of Colony Ridge on Thursday, accusing them of deceptive sales, marketing and lending practices that allowed their sprawling housing development to flourish. Residents of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Colony Ridge, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, John Harris, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Liberty County, Texas, Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending, The Lege, Trey Harris | 1 Comment

SB4 remains on hold

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. No rush. The Supreme Court on Tuesday further delayed a new Texas law empowering state authorities to arrest and deport migrants that would transform immigration enforcement long left to the federal government. Justice Samuel Alito extended an … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Bastrop County, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Hidalgo County, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, MALDEF, McLennan County, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | 1 Comment

A closer look at Colony Ridge

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

There have been problems for awhile. Not the kind of problems that got the wingnuts all frothed up, but problems nonetheless. When the fast-growing Colony Ridge development outside Houston became a fixation of right-wing media last year, Texas’ Republican leaders … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, The great state of Texas | Tagged Attorney General, Colony Ridge, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Ernest Bailes, Greg Abbott, Jay Knight, John Harris, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Liberty County, Robert Nichols, TCEQ, Texas, Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending, The Lege, Trey Harris | 1 Comment

City of Uvalde gets its report on police performance at Robb Elementary

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It landed with a thud. A city-commissioned independent review of Uvalde police’s response to the Robb Elementary School shooting cleared local officers of wrongdoing, infuriating parents of the 19 children killed in the massacre and at least two city council … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Christina Busbee, DPS, guns, Jesse Prado, Justice Department, Texas, Uvalde, Uvalde County | 3 Comments

The Fifth Circuit remains extremely on brand

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Of all the Fifth Circuits in the world, they’re the Fifth Circuitest. A new law empowering state authorities to arrest and deport migrants seeking asylum in the United States may soon take effect after an appeals court stepped in to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | 1 Comment

SB4 blocked by federal court

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge in Austin on Thursday halted a new state law that would allow Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. The law, Senate Bill 4, was scheduled to take effect Tuesday. U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | 1 Comment

SB4 lawsuit has its day in court

Posted on February 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what happens. Lawyers for the Biden administration and Texas faced off in a federal court in Austin on Thursday to argue whether a new state law that would allow police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico … Continue reading →

Don’t expect much from that Uvalde grand jury

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, I wasn’t, but in case you were, don’t. After more than a year of pressure to file criminal charges against some of the Texas law enforcement officers responsible for the botched response to the Robb Elementary School shooting, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, Christina Busbee, DPS, gun control, guns, Justice Department, lawsuit, Merrick Garland, National Association of School Resource Officers, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Pete Arredondo, schools, Texas, Uvalde | Comments Off

DOJ releases its Uvalde report

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s brutal. Officers had many opportunities as the 2022 school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, was still unfolding to reassess their flawed response to the shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead, the US Justice Department concludes in a … Continue reading →

Justice Department sues over SB4

Posted on January 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As they had threatened to do. The U.S. Department of Justice sued Texas on Wednesday over a new state law that allows Texas police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. “Texas cannot disregard the United States … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, DPS, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

DOJ sues Colony Ridge developers

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Major plot twist. The federal government is suing Colony Ridge, accusing the Houston-area developer of using fraudulent lending practices targeting tens of thousands of Latino buyers with false statements and predatory loans in rural Liberty County. The U.S. Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Billy Knox, Colony Ridge, Consumer Financial Protection Act, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Dan Patrick, DPS, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Housing Act, foreclosure, Greg Abbott, immigration, Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act, Jay Dean, Jay Knight, John Harris, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Liberty County, special session, Steve McCraw, Texas, The Lege, Trey Harris | 9 Comments

ACLU and immigrants rights groups sue over our latest legislative atrocity

Posted on December 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Immigrant rights organizations have sued Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott approved one of the strictest state immigration enforcement laws, which authorizes police to arrest immigrants suspected of crossing the border illegally. In their lawsuit, the American Civil … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, DPS, El Paso, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, special session, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | Comments Off

SCOTUS takes up mifepristone appeal

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready. The Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it will hear arguments on the accessibility of the abortion drug mifepristone in the biggest abortion case since Dobbs. The case stems from a widely panned decision handed down by notorious Donald … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged Donald Trump, Election 2024, FDA, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, mifepristone, pharmacies, SCOTUS, Texas, Xavier Becerra | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit does its thing with Galveston redistricting

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Death, taxes, and the Fifth Circuit being terrible. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked a new political map imposed on Galveston County by a lower court from taking effect. Plaintiffs are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to … 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 | Comments Off

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 →

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 →

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