Author Archives: Judith El Masri
Protecting the Covid-19 Heroes and Is Help on the Way?
First responders and health care professionals are at greatest risk of exposure to Covid-19, yet their daily job responsibilities are a crucial component of keeping the rest of the population healthy and virus free. Clearly without healthy first responders; police officers, EMT’s, firemen, doctors, nurses, hospital staff and the support staff, the rest of… Read More »
Texas Drone Law Fight in Federal Court Continues
This week amidst news regarding the horrible toll Covid-19 is taking on our country, the continuing political saga regarding the presidential election, and post-Thanksgiving weight gain (on top of the Covid weight gain) a federal judge in Austin, Texas signed an order denying the State’s request to dismiss the suit regarding the constitutionality of… Read More »
Zooming on Zoning? Citizens Can Home in on City Hall, Literally and Figuratively
I have lived in Houston, Texas for a long time but the one thing that still bothers this Yankee transplant is the lack of zoning. Even my gated pocket of urban single-family homes is right next to a large apartment complex on one side and warehouses on the other. Granted, I live in the… Read More »
Justice Ginsburg Remembered: A Champion for Equal Protection
Today is the first time in American history a woman lies in repose in the United States Capitol. Surely there were many “firsts” for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“RBG”) in her lifetime, including the first female attorney to argue at the U.S. Supreme Court. RBG was an accomplished attorney, professor, U.S. Circuit… Read More »
Texas Cities Facing Tight Budgets Could Be Pressured by State on Police Funding
Calls for police reform and defunding the police are not new. A social movement has existed at least for as long as I can remember calling for police reform, and I am a member of Generation “X”. For those of you that don’t know, Generation “X” is smack dab between Baby Boomers and Millennials…. Read More »
Texas Measures Regarding Law Enforcement Interaction with the Public
Since the murder of George Floyd, law enforcement both at the local and federal level has been in the news. Admittedly, it is not fair to judge all law enforcement officers based on the illegal, racist, or unprofessional behavior of a few but many states, including Texas, have had police encounters that have led… Read More »
Injuries from “Less Lethal” Crowd Control Measures Raise Questions amid Ongoing Protests
As protests have swept through cities across the country, the use of crowd control methods by law enforcement are on full display. The use of oleoresin capsicum (pepper spray), conducted energy devices (Tasers, stun guns), and impact rounds (beanbag rounds, rubber bullets) for crowd control purposes has come under increased scrutiny. Proponents hail these… Read More »
Covid-19’s New Normal: What’s Next & The Future For Local Government?
In Texas, many of us are headed back to work in offices that have been empty. What is next? What does the future hold? Can you envision a post-pandemic existence? In Texas it appears social distancing has worked, but it is impossible to know since our testing levels are reportedly low. You can check… Read More »
Stay-at-Home Work and Providing for Paid Leave
According to major news outlets, 90% of Americans are currently under a stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health emergency. Apart from orders to stay home, many are unable to go to work due to voluntarily quarantining because of travel, suspected exposure to COVID-19, having to care for children home from… Read More »
Secret Recordings at Work? Privacy and Recordings in Texas
Everyone or nearly everyone has a cell or mobile phone that enables photography, audio recording, and video recording with little effort. But what about being recorded without your knowledge –particularly when you are at work? Can you legally be recorded without your consent or knowledge? The old-fashioned term “wire-tapping” (in our wireless age) is… Read More »