Legislation that would create sentencing guidelines for 17-year-old murderers and increase funding for road construction were not the target of state Sen. Wendy Davis’ filibuster, but died amid her high-profile effort.
Brandi Grissom
Brandi Grissom worked at the Tribune from its launch in 2009 until 2014, rising to the rank of managing editor. In addition to editing duties, Grissom led the Tribune's coverage of criminal justice issues. During her tenure at the Tribune, she was chosen as a 2012 City University of New York Center on Media, Crime and Justice/H.F. Guggenheim Journalism Fellow and was a fellow at the 2012 Journalist Law School at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Grissom, along with Tribune multimedia producer Justin Dehn, received a 2012 regional Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting for work on the case of Megan Winfrey, who was acquitted of murder in February 2013 after the Trib’s coverage brought statewide attention the case. Grissom joined the Tribune after four years at the El Paso Times, where she acted as a one-woman Capitol bureau. Grissom won the Associated Press Managing Editors First-Place Award in 2007 for using the Freedom of Information Act to report stories on a variety of government programs and entities, and the ACLU of Texas named her legislative reporter of the year in 2007 for her immigration reporting. She previously served as managing editor at The Daily Texan and has worked for the Alliance Times-Herald, the Taylor Daily Press, the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung and The Associated Press. A native of Alliance, Neb., she has a degree in history from the University of Texas.
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Visualization: Executions on Perry’s Watch
Wednesday’s execution of Kimberly McCarthy for the 1997 stabbing death of her neighbor will mark Texas’ 500th execution since 1976 and the 261st during Gov. Rick Perry’s tenure. Use our interactive to view information on each execution under Perry.
Posted in
Health care
Liveblog: Abortion, Protests, Transportation as Session Nears End
UPDATED: The Senate is standing at ease as supporters of Senate Bill 5 work to get enough lawmakers in the room to suspend the rules and bring the abortion regulation legislation up.
Posted inState Government
Slideshow: Scenes From Abortion Debate at Capitol
Activists on both sides of the controversial abortion legislation under consideration in the Legislature this weekend came from across the state to fill the Capitol.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
House Debates Sentencing for 17-Year-Old Murderers
The Texas Legislature has moved closer to passing a bill that would solve constitutional problems that have left prosecutors without sentencing options for some juveniles convicted of capital murder.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Lawmakers Ponder Fix in Sentencing Guidelines for Teen Murderers
Constitutional questions could plague the capital murder legislation under consideration in the current special legislative session, according to some juvenile justice advocates.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Exoneree Faces Ex-Wife in Compensation Lawsuit
Ten years after he was sent to prison for sex crimes he didn’t commit, Steven Phillips and his wife divorced. In 2009, he was exonerated and awarded nearly $6 million in compensation. His ex-wife says she’s entitled to some of it.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Senate Approves Life With Parole for 17-Year-Old Murderers
The Senate on Friday approved a measure that would require judges and juries to sentence 17-year-olds convicted of capital murder to life in prison with the chance of parole after 40 years.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Complaint Targets Process Used by Truancy Court
A complaint being filed with the U.S. Department of Justice seeks to declare that a Dallas County court’s process of prosecuting truancy as a crime is unconstitutional. But officials in the county say the initiative has been a model of success.
Posted in
State Government
Anti-Fraud Unit Would Be Hobbled by Funding Cut, Director Says
Gov. Rick Perry would deal a “huge blow” to prosecutors who handle public fraud and corruption cases if he carries out a threat to end state funding for the state’s public integrity unit, the unit’s director said.
