Tag Archives: Justice Department

The Sheriff and Lord High Executioner of Edwards County

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

In case you haven’t already, you really need to read this: The first thing she noticed was Sheriff Pamela Elliott standing across the street. It was an August evening in 2014, and Rachel Gallegos had just gotten home for a … Continue reading →

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Federal action on schools accommodating transgender bathroom use

Posted on May 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to see this. The Obama administration is planning to issue a sweeping directive telling every public school district in the country to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms that match their gender identity. A letter to school districts … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Can SCOTUS please intervene in the voter ID case?

Posted on March 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The plaintiffs would like to know. Civil rights groups challenging Texas’ voter identification law are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block the measure from being used during the 2016 general election. […] The civil rights groups filed a motion … Continue reading →

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Reps. Green and Green want investigation of voting machine shortage

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Two Houston congressmen are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether unequal distribution of voting machines and polling locations in Harris County disenfranchised minority voters during the March 1 primary … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Full Fifth Circuit will hear voter ID appeal

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. The full U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to take up the Texas voter ID case Wednesday, adding another chapter to the law’s convoluted journey through the federal court system. The decision to hear the … Continue reading →

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Irving ISD sues AG’s office over Ahmed Mohamed

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, brother. Ahmed Mohamed’s former school district has sued the Texas Attorney General — defying an order to reveal details of a federal investigation related to the Muslim teen’s arrest after bringing a homemade clock to school last year. Dozens of Democratic U.S. … Continue reading →

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State strikes out on Syrian refugees again

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Too bad. Now give up already. A federal judge has again denied a bid by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block the federal government from resettling Syrian refugees in the state. Dallas-based U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey on … Continue reading →

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Paxton takes another shot at Syrian refugees

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. In the latest controversy over Syrians seeking refuge in Texas, the state’s top lawyer on Tuesday again asked a federal judge to halt the resettlement of people fleeing the war-torn country. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told a U.S. … Continue reading →

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Two abortion stories

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The amicus briefs are being filed in the HB2 case. The Obama administration on Monday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a Texas abortion law that has shuttered nearly half the clinics in the state, saying the Republican-backed … Continue reading →

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Our bail policies are unjust, costly, and stupid

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Any questions about how I really feel? “The numbers clearly tell the story: More than three-fourths of the people in Harris County Jail haven’t been convicted of crime, and the majority of them are sitting in jail simply because they … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

More jail troubles

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s ugly, both in content and in timing for Adrian Garcia. Over the past nine months, the Houston Chronicle has reviewed more than 1,000 disciplinary reports provided by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Nearly half of those internal affairs investigations … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

State asks for full Fifth Circuit review of voter ID ruling

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As you’d expect them to do. Continuing to protect a voter identification law that courts say discriminates against Hispanics and African Americans, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked a full federal appeals court to hear his arguments about why … Continue reading →

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DOJ asks to get voter ID remedy ASAP

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I concur. The Obama administration and several civil rights groups are urging a federal appeals court to fast track the process of temporarily fixing Texas’ voter ID law in time for the upcoming Nov. 3 elections. In court filings Thursday, … Continue reading →

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

Sandra Bland’s death being investigated as a homicide

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Doesn’t mean that’s how it will be ruled, but it’s at least a sign that it’s being taken with appropriate seriousness. The probe into Sandra Bland’s hanging death inside a Texas jail — which a medical examiner ruled a suicide … Continue reading →

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What happened to Sandra Bland?

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is horrible. There are big questions about the final hours of Sandra Bland’s life. The official story is that the 28-year old committed suicide by hanging herself in a Waller County jail cell. Her family doesn’t buy it. Bland, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Ready to engage in the next fight

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

No rest for the righteous. On Monday, national and state gay rights leaders and the plaintiffs who sued for marriage equality convened in front of the Texas Capitol to make a different kind of vow: The fight for lesbian, gay, … Continue reading →

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That other big SCOTUS case from yesterday

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another nice surprise from the mercurial Supreme Court. A sharply divided Supreme Court on Thursday preserved a key tool used for more than four decades to fight housing discrimination, handing a surprising victory to the Obama administration and civil rights … Continue reading →

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Possibly positive sign from the Fifth Circuit on immigration lawsuit appeal

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From ThinkProgress: A string of bad luck for immigrants — and for the Obama Administration — might be coming to an end. On Thursday, a federal appeals court indicated that it is not bound by a previous decision that would … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit hears request to lift immigration injunction order

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Always best to temper one’s expectations with these guys. An argument from U. S. Department of Justice lawyers that the state of Texas doesn’t have standing to challenge the Obama administration’s controversial immigration policy met with resistance from a pair … Continue reading →

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Eversole to seek Presidential pardon

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

For real. Three years after pleading guilty to lying to FBI agents and resigning his post as a Harris County commissioner to avoid further prosecution, Jerry Eversole is seeking a presidential pardon for his misdeeds. In a letter sent to … Continue reading →

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Feds file appeal of immigration injunction to Fifth Circuit

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Time to force the issue. The Obama administration Thursday asked a federal appeals court to do what a Texas-based judge didn’t: allow a controversial immigration program to move forward while the issue plays out in the courts. Attorneys with the … Continue reading →

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Justice Department files request for stay on immigration ruling

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. The U.S. government asked a federal judge Monday to lift his temporary hold on President Barack Obama’s action to shield millions of immigrants in the country illegally from deportation. The Justice Department’s motion for a stay was filed … Continue reading →

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The larger issue on voter ID

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib reminds us that there are bigger questions that remain to be answered in the voter ID litigation. The litigation on the state’s voting district maps for legislative and congressional elections is still underway, and the treatment of minority … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS declines to intervene on voter ID

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate. The Supreme Court said Saturday that Texas can use its controversial new voter identification law for the November election. A majority of the justices rejected an emergency request from the Justice Department and civil rights groups to prohibit the … Continue reading →

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Voter ID plaintiffs turn to SCOTUS

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Last train, y’all. Texas plaintiffs on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block the state’s voter photo ID law in November’s election. “The facts of this case, including record evidence, show that significantly more voter confusion will result from … Continue reading →

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The courts giveth, and the courts taketh away

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As expected, the Fifth Circuit lifts the stay on the district court’s voter ID ruling, paving the way (for now) for it to be enforced in November. Texas should require photo voter identification in this year’s general election, the 5th … Continue reading →

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Voter ID plaintiffs ask for no stay

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve filed their response to the Fifth Circuit. Attorneys challenging Texas’ voter ID law — which was struck down by a federal judge on Thursday — asked a federal appeals court on Sunday not to allow the state to enforce … Continue reading →

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More on the voter ID ruling

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As always with big court cases, the first question is who benefits politically from the decision? With a federal judge having declared Texas’ voter ID unconstitutional, Democrats and political experts on Friday predicted the surprise decision potentially could help Wendy … Continue reading →

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Court strikes down Texas voter ID law

Posted on October 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Boom. Less than two weeks before the start of early voting, a federal judge ruled the state’s photo voter ID law unconstitutional late Thursday and ordered state officials to drop the new requirements. “The Court holds that SB 14 creates … Continue reading →

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Texans Together asks for Justice Department investigation of AG and Harris County

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Hello Friends: We recently made a formal, written request to the U.S. Justice Department to immediately investigate Texas and Harris County officials for voter suppression in Harris County (see letter here). We are asking for a federal … Continue reading →

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Voter ID trial concludes

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Now we wait for the judge. Texas’ voter ID law is discriminatory because it was designed to thwart emerging minority voting power in the state and should be dropped, attorneys for the law’s opponents said in closing arguments in a … Continue reading →

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Congressional Dems request federal investigation of Abbott’s persecution of Houston Votes

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Democratic congressmen from Texas have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate a raid by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office that targeted a nonprofit voter registration group. The Dallas Morning News reported Aug. 31 on the attorney … Continue reading →

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Voter ID trial testimony ends

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The state of Texas put on its case in the voter ID trial. Lawyers from the Texas attorney general’s office presented witnesses Wednesday in federal court defending the state voter ID law as necessary and attempting to rebuff claims that … Continue reading →

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Defense to begin in voter ID lawsuit

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Entering the home stretch. The Texas voter ID trial with national implications is shifting its focus in U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos’ courtroom Tuesday. After a week of testimony largely opposed to the law, the State of Texas’ legal … Continue reading →

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