Tribpedia: Wallace Jefferson

Tribpedia

Wallace Jefferson, born 1963, is an appellate lawyer and the first black chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court.

Jefferson, a Republican, was appointed as a justice the court in 2001 by Gov. Rick Perry and, in 2002, won a statewide election to the office. Perry in 2004 appointed Jefferson as chief justice, an office to which he won a ...

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Hearing on Innocence Commission Bill Draws Heated Testimony

Sen. Joan Huffman joins moderator James Henson in a discussion of law and order issues in the upcoming 83rd legislative session during the Texas Tribune Festival, 2012.
Enlarge photo by: Bob Daemmrich
Sen. Joan Huffman joins moderator James Henson in a discussion of law and order issues in the upcoming 83rd legislative session during the Texas Tribune Festival, 2012.

A Senate committee hearing turned explosive on Tuesday when the brother of a wrongfully convicted man who died in prison railed against a senator who opposes the creation of an innocence commission. The brother of Tim Cole told Sen. Joan Huffman she should get another job and stormed out of a committee hearing while muttering expletives.

Senators John Whitmire, D-Houston, l, and Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, congratulate Michael Morton, r, at the court hearing in Georgetown on April 19, 2013.
Enlarge photo by: Bob Daemmrich
Senators John Whitmire, D-Houston, l, and Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, congratulate Michael Morton, r, at the court hearing in Georgetown on April 19, 2013.

House Shows Support for Innocence Commission Bill

UPDATED: The House on Tuesday endorsed a bill that would create a state panel to investigate wrongful convictions. Similar legislation has been defeated in the past, but this time it has drawn supporters many consider unlikely.

Enlarge graphic by: Todd Wiseman

High Court: Broken Bed Falls Under Malpractice Cap

Is a hospital bed an integral part of medical care? As a federal judge considers the constitutionality of Texas’ 2003 medical malpractice reform — and Gov. Rick Perry campaigns for more lawsuit restrictions — the state Supreme Court has ruled that hospital injuries seemingly unrelated to doctor error can fall under Texas’ stringent medical malpractice caps. Some legal observers say the decision is a perversion of legislative intent, but tort reform advocates contend the high court simply closed a huge loophole in liability reforms.