The fact that Scott Panetti is facing lethal injection on Dec. 3 despite a 30-year history of documented mental illness demonstrates that the ambiguities of the legal standard of “competency” he helped to define are far from resolved.
Maurice Chammah
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Closing Corsicana: Lessons From a Shuttered Youth Detention Center
Since the Corsicana juvenile detention center was founded in 1887 as the Texas Orphan Asylum, the facility’s history has followed national trends in juvenile justice issues.
Posted in
State Government
Exoneree, Still in Prison, Denied Compensation
UPDATED: The Texas Supreme Court issued an opinion Friday denying compensation to Michael Blair, who was exonerated of murder charges in 2008, but is still serving time in prison for child sexual assault convictions.
Posted in
Energy
Fort Worth Floats Idea of Privatizing Water Services
The city of Fort Worth has appointed a task force to see whether the city might save money by putting some of its water services in public-private partnerships. Experts say a number of issues could arise if such partnerships are instituted.
Posted in
Politics
Perry Condemns Decision to Admit Openly Gay Scouts
UPDATED: Gov. Rick Perry has condemned the decision by Boy Scouts of America’s national leadership on Thursday to admit openly gay scouts.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Business Association Scores Victories on Criminal Justice Agenda
This session, the Texas Association of Business put a focus on legislation related to criminal justice, as it advocated for bills aimed at helping ex-offenders get jobs. Here’s a look at legislation that the group backed.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Prison Officers’ Union Unhappy With 5% Pay Raise
Correctional officers in a statewide union say that a 5 percent pay increase lawmakers have proposed in the state budget is not sufficient to stymie the corruption and reduce physical dangers they face every day.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Adding More Exemptions, Senate Approves Drone Bill
Police officers, oil and gas pipeline inspectors, news photographers, and movie producers may now all have access to drone footage under certain conditions in language added to legislation banning the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as it passed the Texas Senate.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Campus Carry Bill Passes Senate Committee
A measure by state Rep. Allen Fletcher, R-Cypress, that allows college students, faculty and staff to carry concealed handguns on campus is heading to the full Senate after a committee approved the measure Tuesday.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Hearing on Innocence Commission Bill Draws Heated Testimony
A Senate committee hearing turned explosive on Tuesday when the brother of a wrongfully convicted man who died in prison railed against a senator who opposes the creation of an innocence commission.
