Voter ID: The U.S. Supreme Court will let the Texas Voter ID law stand (PDF), for now, paving the way for its continued use in the general election. However, SCOTUS gave the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals a July 20 deadline to rule on the case pending there. Oral arguments are scheduled for May 24. Absent an opinion or order issued by that date, the justices would consider an application filed by an aggrieved party.
Rep. Ron Reynolds
HD27: Texas Lawyer reported that the Texas Board of Disciplinary Appeals held a hearing on an amended compulsory discipline petition filed against Rep. Ron Reynolds (D-Missouri City). The petition seeks to suspend Reynolds’ law license during his appeal. It stems from Reynolds’ November 2015 conviction on five counts of Class A misdemeanor barratry. Reynolds has appealed the verdict and denied all the allegations. Reynolds argued that the criminal jury convicted him on emotion and did not follow the legal burden of proof. He asked the board not to make any ruling until after his appeal.
In an unrelated case, Harris Co. Civil Court Judge Grant Dorfman ordered Reynolds to pay $504K to a former client who he represented after the client’s daughter died in an automobile accident. Neither Reynolds nor his attorney was at the hearing. Reynolds told FOX 26 News that his attorney missed a deadline to file a response and will file a motion for a new trial to vacate the judgment.
Reynolds faces Missouri City attorney Angelique Bartholomew in the Democratic runoff election.
HD49: Annie’s List endorsed Gina Hinojosa. She has already won a seven-way primary outright and faces a Libertarian candidate in the general election.
HD73: Rep. Jonathan Stickland (R-Bedford) is the featured guest at several campaign events for Kyle Biedermann, who is challenging Rep. Doug Miller (R-New Braunfels). Stickland will appear with Biedermann in Boerne, Fredericksburg and New Braunfels May 3-5.
