The state and local police reports, published Thursday night by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News, say that O’Rourke was involved in a drunken driving episode 20 years ago in which he crashed into another vehicle and sought to flee.
Jolie McCullough
Jolie McCullough was a reporter at The Texas Tribune from 2015 to 2023. She began as a data visualization journalist and then reported on criminal justice policy, ranging from policing and courts to prisons and the death penalty. She joined the Tribune from the Albuquerque Journal, her hometown newspaper. She previously worked at the Arizona Republic and is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Police officers are almost never convicted of murder. Body cameras may have made the difference in this Texas case.
After more than 13 hours of deliberation, jurors convicted former Balch Springs police officer Roy Oliver of murder in the fatal shooting of an unarmed, 15-year-old black teenager.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas spent $7 million to fight against A/C in a prison. It may only cost $4 million to install.
At a Capitol hearing, the Texas prison system’s director said exceptions in construction requirements allowed for the cost decrease.
Posted in
Immigration
U.S. is denying passports to Americans along the border, throwing their citizenship into question
The Trump administration is accusing hundreds, and possibly thousands, of Hispanics along the U.S.-Mexican border of using fraudulent birth certificates.
Posted in
Economy
U.S., Mexico reach partial agreement to resolve trade conflict, a step toward a NAFTA deal
The deal is the most significant step toward a new agreement since talks with Mexico and Canada began one year ago. But negotiators remain far from finishing their work.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas prisons dramatically cut the cost of inmate phone calls
Costs will drop from 26 cents per minute to 6 cents per minute.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Unusual murder trial underway for police officer who killed Jordan Edwards
Roy Oliver was indicted on murder and aggravated assault charges in the 2017 police shooting that killed the unarmed black teen.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Will a Texas law that overturns convictions based on bad science save this death row inmate?
The 2013 law was credited with stopping Robert Roberson’s execution two years ago, and his conviction is now under review in county court.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott proposes bail reform after death of DPS trooper
Abbott said he wanted to fix a flawed system in Texas that allowed the man suspected of killing a trooper last year to get out of jail on bond despite having been previously accused of assaulting a deputy.
Posted in
Families Divided
The Trump administration is making plans to detain more immigrants in Texas. Here’s where they would be held.
Several new facilities have already opened this summer, and the federal government has requested up to 15,500 beds at two Texas military bases.
