Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Hays County debate over due-process resolution ends with commissioner tabling his own proposal
Summary
Commissioner Walt Smith introduced a resolution on constitutional protections and habeas corpus that drew lengthy public comment and opposition; an amendment to remove a passage referencing Jan. 6 failed and Smith ultimately tabled the resolution for later discussion.
Hays County Precinct 4 Commissioner Walt Smith introduced a resolution calling for the county to affirm "constitutional and humane treatment of all individuals" in custody and to demand transparent, timely notification when people are detained. The item drew more than an hour of public comment and debate during the June 24 Hays County Commissioners Court meeting before Smith tabled his own measure.
The resolution invoked the U.S. Constitution, citing the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments and the writ of habeas corpus in Article I, Section 9, and said the county should urge other local governments across Texas to adopt similar language. Smith said the measure was meant to highlight alleged gaps in how some people are treated after arrests, arguing there were "over 5,000 people arrested" in the January 6, 2021, federal cases and that "less than half of those people were ever charged." He said he would be willing to remove a paragraph that specifically referenced the Jan. 6 defendants to create a narrower, county-focused resolution.
Why it matters: The item touched on two issues that county residents and speakers repeatedly raised — protections for people in detention…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
