COVID-19 Update

The Harris County Law Library would like to keep our followers up-to-date with changes that some of our community resource partners have made to their services in light of COVID-19 and to provide our readers with some new developments.

Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL)

The staff at HVL are currently working remotely to continue to provide services to the public. Although they are no longer accepting in-person visitors, their commitment to the public continues with virtual pro se assistance and clinics. Please see HVL’s website for more information regarding these programs.

Harris County District Clerk

Effective March 18, 2020, the Harris County District Clerk’s Office suspended in-person services. Most services can be accessed directly through the office’s website, including sending payments, accessing and purchasing records, and more. The public is still able to call and email the office as well. Note that pro se litigants will be able to use the 24-hour filing drop box at the top of the stairs at 201 Caroline to the left of the building or mail in their filings. Please see the Harris County District Clerk’s website for the latest COVID-19 updates and court information.

TexasLawHelp.org

TexasLawHelp, one of our primary go-to sites for legal information and forms, has created a webpage to provide the public with links to news and information about the coronavirus (COVID-19). There, users will find:

  • links to major agencies and websites with the latest health information;

  • city and county-specific resources;

  • information about court closures, postponements, and updated procedures due to COVID-19;

  • information about legal rights;

  • information regarding free school meals during COVID-19 closure;

  • resources for uninsured Texans needing help with COVID-19 testing or treatment; and,

  • information about the coronavirus and child visitation.

State Bar of Texas

The State Bar of Texas has posted its response to the coronavirus pandemic. Its website has some useful information and links regarding court closures. It also has the latest guidance on court procedure, including any emergency orders issued by the Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals, including the March 17 order that clarified possession schedules in Suits Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship. There is also a link to the website of the Office of Court Administration for updated guidance on court procedures. For attorneys, there are links to free lawyer resources and webinars, and for the public, there are links to free legal resources.

 Harris County Attorney

Did you know that the Harris County Attorney has the authority to file civil lawsuits to stop price gouging? County residents who feel that they have been charged an exorbitant price for necessities, such as food, fuel, or medicine, and who have been unable to resolve the issue with the provider of those goods and services can contact the office of the Harris County Attorney for assistance at ConsumerHelp@cao.hctx.net.

Ready Harris

Ready Harris, a website designed to help the community stay informed and be prepared should a disaster or emergency strike, provides information on how to prepare for a disaster, provides access to real-time alerts, and connects users with tools to aid in planning, recovering, and staying safe. Aside from providing the latest information about coronavirus and any requirements, the website includes a list of Harris County services, facilities,and meetings that are closed or have restricted access.

Latest & Greatest – Representing People with Mental Disabilities: A Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Best Practices Manual

Edited by Elizabeth Kelley

Published by American Bar Association

KF 9240 .R47 2018

Photo Credit: Helen Hartman

A criminal defense lawyer’s job is never easy, and that job can become even more challenging if the client is one with a mental disability. In such cases, many more issues can arise. Not only does the lawyer need to be well versed in criminal law but also he should have some understanding of how those laws can affect a mentally disabled client.  Sound intimidating? It can be, but editor and criminal defense lawyer Elizabeth Kelley has been in your shoes and can offer some guidance in the form of a new book, Representing People with Mental Disabilities: A Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Best Practices Manual. Written by criminal defense lawyers and mental health experts, Representing People with Mental Disabilities delves into some of the unique issues faced by defendants with mental disabilities, such as competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and the use of mental disability as mitigation. In addition, there are discussions about forced medication, jail and prison conditions, and special courts, such as mental health courts and veterans treatment courts. On a more personal note, the editor has included chapters devoted to practical tips and advice for working with clients, families, and experts. 

Each chapter begins with an introduction by the editor, and in the back of the book, you will find a list of suggested works for further reading. These titles are arranged according to chapter and include books, articles, and websites. Representing People with Mental Disabilities is meant to be a practical guide and is “the resource [Elizabeth Kelley wishes she had when she] started practicing.” You can find it in the Criminal Law section at the Harris County Law Library.

Friday Firsts: Victoria Woodhull and Belva Lockwood, First Women to Run for President

“I cannot vote, but I can be voted for.”

— Belva Lockwood, National Women’s Equal Rights party candidate for president in 1884

Belva Lockwood may have been the fist woman to see her name printed on ballots (in nine states) in a presidential race, but she was not the first woman to run and campaign for the highest office in the land. That distinction goes to Victoria Woodhull, who ran on the Equal Rights Party ticket in 1872, twelve years before Ms. Lockwood. However, the Woodhull campaign was never officially recognized. She was a controversial candidate for many reasons including those captured here:

“She was under the constitutionally mandated age of 35. She did not receive any electoral votes and the popular votes were unrecorded. Women themselves could not legally vote until 1920. Her association with causes considered unseemly (such as free love and Communism) and with the black intellectual Frederick Douglass made her extremely controversial and unpopular. Historians tend to prefer to give the honor of “first” to the more “acceptable” Belva Lockwood.”

— Rhapsody in Book Weblog, March 16, 2009

Both of these women are remarkable figures from our nation’s history. They achieved many notable firsts for women in the law and should be remembered — among other accomplishments — for the following:

Victoria Woodhull, Library of Congress

Victoria Woodhull

  • Woodhull and her sister were the first female brokers on Wall Street.

  • Woodhull was the first woman to address a Congressional Committee. On January 11, 1871, Woodhull declared to the House Judiciary Committee that women had already won the right to vote under the recently enacted 14th and 15th amendments a bold statement that cemented her leadership role among suffragists.

  • Woodhull was the first woman to run for President. She promoted women’s suffrage, regulation of monopolies, nationalization of railroads, an eight-hour workday, direct taxation, abolition of the death penalty and welfare for the poor.

Belva Lockwood, Library of of Congress

Belva Lockwood

  • Lockwood was the first woman member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, admitted in 1879.

  • Lockwood was the first woman lawyer to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing Kaiser v. Stickney and later United States v. Cherokee Nation.

  • Lockwood was the first legitimate female candidate for President, earning roughly 4,000 votes.

Read Ms. Lockwood’s essay, My Efforts to Become a Lawyer, here.