In the wake of a midterm election that saw four major state appeals courts flip on partisan lines, Hecht called on lawmakers to consider changing Texas to a system of merit selection and retention elections.

Two years after a bail reform bill died in the Legislature, new bail legislation has other factors working in its favor.

Nearly two decades after the U.S. Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional to execute those with intellectual disabilities, Texas still has no process on determining the condition — leaving life-and-death decisions in the hands of courts with very different methods.

Jennings was put to death Wednesday for the 1988 murder of Elston Howard. The long sentence was complicated by constantly evolving death penalty laws.

Justices questioned whether revealing the name would risk physical harm to the supplier — or only hurt its business.

The Texas House wants to give the state prison system $160 million more to help care for inmates. The Senate wants to cut funding.

Judge Elsa Alcala ended her tenure critical of the death penalty and often pleading for policy changes from the state Legislature.

Blaine Milam was convicted in the 2008 East Texas death of his girlfriend's 13-month-old baby.

The chamber voted on a resolution that moves misconduct complaints to a committee with subpoena power.

Police use asset forfeiture to seize cash, cars and other property that they suspect is part of criminal activity. As our December story explains, they don't have to get a conviction, but property owners have to prove they're not a criminal.

The state put to death 13 men this year. That's more than half the total number of people executed in the entire country: 25. Still, the death row population — both here and nationwide — is at a historic low.

Law enforcement leaders say civil asset forfeiture is a necessary tool for fighting crime, but several lawmakers see it as a violation of Americans’ civil liberties. Texas legislators are poised to take up the issue once again in 2019.

It was the second time the appellate court has stopped an execution this month.

The court will hold oral arguments on whether to name a past supplier of the execution drug in January.

For the second time this year, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday halted an execution based on a 2017 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.