The grand jury decided in December not to indict anyone for Bland’s death. But the door remains open for other charges, special prosecutor Darrell Jordan said, though details of what the grand jury is examining are confidential.
Johnathan Silver
Johnathan Silver reported on the state’s criminal justice system for the Tribune from 2015 to 2017. Previously, Johnathan was a Texas Associated Press Managing Editors Buster Haas intern and staff reporter at the Victoria Advocate. A Fort Worth native, Johnathan graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington with bachelor’s degrees in political science and criminal justice – and a graduation mug from The Shorthorn, the campus student newspaper.
Posted inState Government
Paxton Asked About Crosses on Sheriff’s Cars
A district attorney in West Texas is asking Attorney General Ken Paxton’s opinion on whether sheriff’s deputies can sport cross-shaped stickers on their patrol cars.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Sandra Bland, Jail Standards Top Criminal Justice News in 2015
In 2015, Sandra Bland’s death jolted a conversation about inmate safety and mental health, while high-profile murder cases continued and Texas was criticized for the lengths it reportedly went through to find execution drugs for death row inmates.
Posted inState Government
Sandra Bland Case: No Indictments, But “It’s Not Over”
A Waller County grand jury did not indict anyone in connection with the death of Sandra Bland, who was found hanged in a Texas jail cell in July, but the special prosecutor says other charges are still being considered.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
FanDuel, DraftKings Push Paxton Petition
The fantasy sports industry wants its Texas customers to sign petitions urging Attorney General Ken Paxton to leave sites like FanDuel and DraftKings alone, claiming they can legally operate in Texas.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Appeals Court Maintains Execution Stay
Death row inmate Randall Mays’ case will return to a Henderson County courtroom to determine whether he is competent enough to be executed after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals continued his stay of execution Wednesday.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
New Death Sentences in Texas Drop To 40-Year Low
Texas juries imposed new death sentences only twice in 2015 — the fewest since the death penalty was reinstated nationwide almost 40 years ago.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Teacher in Maximum-Security Prison Almost Missed Her Calling
Every day, teacher Jody Addy walks through a metal detector, waits for a pat down, shows her ID and passes through locked gates before walking to her classroom in the middle of a maximum security prison in west central Texas.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
High Court: Texas Death Row Inmate Can’t Add Another Lawyer
The Supreme Court on Monday denied Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson III’s petition to add another attorney to his team. Roberson has one more shot at delaying his execution with a petition arguing his rights were violated.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Lawyers Fight For, and Over, Death Row Inmate
Two sets of attorneys who believe their client doesn’t belong on death row are fighting not only the state of Texas but also each other as his case arrives at the U.S. Supreme Court.
