The testimony by Arizona forensic investigator Jacqueline Breger accused multiple statewide and county officials, including . One Hidalgo ad accuses Mealer of staying silent while womens lives are in danger.. As county judge, I will support using toll road dollars to maintain and expand our roadway system and advocate for partnership funding. We have two Democratic women in office that had their duties stripped away from them by Lina Hidalgo - they were elected by the people and answerable to the people of Harris County. Harris County courthouse. Hidalgo also oversaw the countys response to the 2021 winter storm that crashed the states power grid, as well as the regions ongoing recovery from Hurricane Harvey. In the Nov. 8. election, Judge Jason Cox of Harris County Probate Court 3 will face Republican candidate Rory Olsen, who was judge of the same court for several four-year terms. Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. The Arizona Legislature's Senate Elections Committee and House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee held a joint hearing on Thursday featuring testimony from several people involved in researching the voter disenfranchisement that occurred in 2020 and 2022. I look forward to returning those duties back to their offices. With Such Low Win Rates, Should Law Firms Respond to So Many RFPs? All Rights Reserved. Contact Us| The Texas Constitution vests broad judicial and administrative powers in the position of county judge, who presides over a five-member Commissioners Court, which has budgetary and administrative authority over county government operations. Debevoise Is Ready, Proskauer Lands Cooley Strategy Leader in New C-Suite Role. Aaronson Rappaport Feinstein & Deutsch, LLP Is Pleased To Announce Patrick P. Mevs & Daniel W. Milstein Have Become Members Of The Firm. In a now-deleted YouTube video, Hidalgos campaign screen captured an image with Trump over the shoulder of Mealer. Mealer has pitched herself as a back-to-basics candidate who would prioritize traditional county responsibilities like roads and public safety. Republicans are betting that a national midterm environment thats generally unfavorable to Democrats, marked by Bidens low approval ratings and high inflation, could be enough to oust Hidalgo and regain a majority on the five-member court. At the same time, Harris County courts have struggled to tackle a criminal case backlog that dates back five years to Hurricane Harvey and grew during the COVID-19 pandemic as courts stopped holding in-person trials. The Judge overseeing this case is ROBERTS, KATHLEEN H. The case status is Disposed - Other Disposed. **Please note** If you are already signed up for the newsletter, you do not need to sign up again. "If you live in Dallas or Harris or Travis County, there is a very good chance every judge elected to the bench is going to be a Democrat, and in some of the rural counties, it will be the . In the Nov. 8. election, Judge Jason Cox of Harris County Probate Court 3 will face Republican candidate Rory Olsen, who was judge of the same court for several four-year terms. She is connecting Mealer and former PresidentDonald Trump closely together. I would say shes a narrow favorite to win, Keir Murray, a Houston Democratic strategist, said of Hidalgo. Law.com Compass includes access to our exclusive industry reports, combining the unmatched expertise of our analyst team with ALMs deep bench of proprietary information to provide insights that cant be found anywhere else. Mealer raised more than $4.9 million from July 1 to Sept. 29, according to her latest campaign finance report dwarfing the $301,000 that Emmett raised in a similar time frame during his unsuccessful 2018 reelection campaign. Hidalgo also has clashed with local and statewide Republicans over the countys public safety spending. It's unprecedented that after starting as an unknown, in just seven months of general election campaigning, Lina and I are in a dead heat. Its okay, you may agree you may disagree, but the democracy depends on participation, Hidalgo said. Hidalgo also has tried to tie Mealer to former President Donald Trump and the states abortion ban, which county judges have little to do with as the top elected officials in county government. Lina - you raised your hand and said you wanted to lead this County, stop talking to your national donors and get up on stage with me and defend your policies to the voters of Harris County., RELATED: Public safety a top priority in race for Harris County judge. I think that's a little misleading in that we have many open positions in law enforcement that need to be filled.". Lina Hidalgo, a rising Democratic star, faces a tough reelection race to lead Harris County The Houston region's high number of homicides, the state's new abortion ban and a flood of campaign. For updates on this story, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. With early voting underway, Jones says the poll shows just how important voting is. If you'd like to sign up now, fill out the form below and we will add you as soon as we finish the transition. Access to additional free ALM publications, 1 free article* across the ALM subscription network every 30 days, Exclusive discounts on ALM events and publications. campaign spokesperson, Toni Harrison said. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. During a Thursday hearing before the Senate Elections and Municipal Oversight & Elections Joint Committee, the . I think thats the big key: Are we appropriately resourced? Mealer said. Chris Watson. Its clearly not a localized phenomenon, said Sandra Guerra Thompson, a professor at the University of Houstons Law Center. Shes been tested in a way very few people in public life have been tested because of so many crises.. The Democratic Party candidates are Ron Campana, Steve Duble, Victor Lombrana, Sonia Lopez, Jonathan JP Preston and Chris Watson. Hidalgo has defended the staffers, who are charged with misuse of official information and tampering with a government record, and called the charges politically motivated. But the scandal has given Republicans an opening to clobber Hidalgo who has often touted her ethical bona fides such as not taking campaign contributions from donors who do business with the county, a common practice among county commissioners. Our priority on commissioners court will be public safety, and as long as we are in agreement that that is the top priority, we will be able to find ways to work together. Hidalgo has rejected Mealers proposal, arguing that the county already has hundreds of unfilled law enforcement positions. That backlog sat at 41,344 pending criminal cases as of September, down from a height of about 54,000 during summer 2021, according to county court records. HOUSTON (KIAH) Two very close local races for county judges both went towards the Democrats, including a tight race for Harris County Judge. Democratic Primary: Beth Payan, Paula Knippa, Rosa Lopez Theofanis Run for Judge of 3rd . Perkins Coie Lays Off 58 Business Professionals, Cravath Set for English Law Debut with Shearman Double Partner Hire, Early Reports: 2023 Am Law 200 Financials, AI Has Gone Mainstream. Lina Hidalgo (D) is running for Harris County Judge. Alexandra del Moral Mealer will face Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo in November Mealer, a 37-year-old former Army captain, garnered a little over 75% of the votes in the Republican Party. With my plan to aggressively fund our entire criminal justice, we will expedite the court case backlog and close the revolving door at the county jail. There have been some glitches on this Election Day for the nation's first primary of 2022. 2 in November 2022, replacing then-sitting Judge Ronnisha Bowman. Judge Hidalgo surprised many by being elected as the first woman judge and defeating a Republican incumbent. A new poll shows the Harris County Judge's race is neck-and-neck The poll released by the UH Hobby School of Public Affairs shows Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo at 48% among likely voters. Why are you running for the role of county judge? "That is a key priority," Hidalgo said. Then, Democrats were energized by their anger toward Trump, and ORourke was in a tight race against Cruz. Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided. Mealer sent a social media post conceding the race on Wednesday morning. "During the pandemic, there were some areas of crime that did increase. 0-5 year associate attorney needed for a civil litigation firm in the Buckheadarea. Precinct 7 May Walker. Hidalgo has touted annual increases to the countys public safety budget since she took office and sought to paint Mealer as an election denier a label Mealer unequivocally rejects, as she says Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. Constables. Two candidates are vying for the position of Harris County judge in the upcoming Nov. 8 election with Republican candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer challenging the incumbent Democratic judge, Lina Hidalgo, who was elected in 2018. Texas Democrats Thrash Republicans in 2022 Midterm Election, Law.com Editors and Analysts Offer Top Trends to Watch for 2023. George, a Democrat, beat Nehls with 126,828 total votes, or 51.6% of the vote. If Mealer wins in November, she said, I think that we would see an undoing of a lot of that work.. Hidalgo has criticized that approach as short-sighted. Like Texas other major urban counties, Harris County has grown increasingly Democratic over the past decade. Harris County Judge's race is a "Statistical Dead Heat". Nehls, the Republican challenger, got 119,082 votes, good for 48.4% of the vote. The next year saw homicides grow at a slower pace about 12% to 633 homicides. Box 924523 Houston, TX 77292-4523 (713) 227-2404 The Houston regions high number of homicides, the states new abortion ban and a flood of campaign cash have made for a dramatic race to lead the states most populous county. But Mealer faces a tough climb in whats expected to be a tight race for the countys top position. Hidalgo came into office in 2019 with an expansive view of county government and a new Democratic majority on the Harris County Commissioners Court, enabling her to expand county spending into areas typically considered outside its purview, like early childhood education and a legal defense fund for immigrants moves that critics have blasted as overreach. Hidalgo argues that the issue is relevant given that the county appoints board members of the Harris Health System, which provides abortions when theyre medically necessary, she said. "I just loved being a judge before and really felt like I had a calling to come back, if possible." Judge Goodhart was elected to the bench of Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. In terms of elections in Harris County, I fully support returning elections back to our elected officials, regardless of their political affiliation. 2023 Criminal Court Policies (Appearances, Resets, Pleas, ZOOM links), Southern District of Texas (Houston Division), Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA), PDO (FREE CLE): How to Break Down the Complex Science for the Lawyer. Mealer is responding in a statement said: Lina Hidalgo is desperate to avoid discussing the critical issues facing Harris County residents due to her extensive record of failures. Hidalgo ( Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Harris County Judge in Texas. Mealer has focused her campaign on crime and grilled Hidalgo over law enforcement spending, which makes up about 60% of the countys $2.1 billion general fund budget and has grown every year Hidalgo has been in office. 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