Students and guest speakers at a Thursday evening forum lamented what they saw as misperceptions of firearms as they advocated for Texas Christian University to allow concealed firearms on campus.
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
Travis County Poised to File Its Own Volkswagen Lawsuit
Travis County would be the third county to pursue litigation independent of the state’s legal action against the auto company.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Panetti Case Highlights Cracks in Execution Law
The complex and protracted path Scott Panetti’s death row case has traveled illustrates how few safeguards Texas has to protect mentally ill killers from being executed.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Appeals Court Stays Julius Murphy Execution
East Texas inmate Julius Murphy’s execution is off the November calendar – for now. The Texas Criminal Court of Appeals on Monday stayed the 36-year-old’s execution, after his legal team presented claims of prosecutorial misconduct in his 1998 capital murder trial.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Cornyn: Mental Health Legislation Provides New Tools
In Austin on Monday, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn promoted federal legislation that would require mental health checks before denying anyone the ability to purchase firearms.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Abbott Enters Fray Over “In God We Trust”
In a letter to Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lent his full support to the Childress Police Department, which recently came under fire for displaying the motto “In God We Trust” on its patrol vehicles.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Death Row Inmate Claims Witnesses Coerced
Attorneys for East Texas inmate Julius Jerome Murphy, scheduled for execution in early November for killing a stranded motorist, claimed in court papers filed Friday that prosecutors threatened and coerced witnesses to unjustly convict him.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Lawmakers Jump into Tussle Over God’s Trust
A furor involving a small-town Texas police department and national secular organization has reached the state attorney general’s office, and may well wind up in court after that. At issue: Does slapping “In God We Trust” stickers on police patrol cars violate the U.S. constitution?
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Abbott Doles Out $133M for Law Enforcement, Victim Assistance
Gov. Greg Abbott’s criminal justice division is doling out $133 million in grants to local law enforcement agencies and victims’ assistance programs across seven Texas regions, he announced Friday.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Lawmaker Mulls Hearing on Juvenile Justice
State Sen. John Whitmire might call a hearing and seek leadership changes at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department after multiple reports of youths fighting, climbing onto rooftops and running away from staff in large numbers at youth correctional facilities.
