Overview

• Nine Latino Democratic officials and operatives, including former Bexar County Democratic chair Juan Manuel Medina, pleaded not guilty on August 13 in Pearsall to third-degree felony vote-harvesting charges that carry up to 10 years in prison.
• Attorney Gerry Goldstein submitted a motion to dismiss the indictment, arguing that SB1’s vote-harvesting provisions are vague, overbroad and infringe on First Amendment rights.
• A state judge is scheduled to review the constitutional challenge in early October, marking the next step in the legal battle over Texas Senate Bill 1.
• These charges represent the second round of indictments brought by Attorney General Ken Paxton’s election integrity unit against prominent Latino Democratic operatives since May.
• Latino advocacy groups and Democratic leaders condemn the prosecutions as politically motivated efforts to suppress voter participation in South Texas.