The Court of Criminal Appeals continued to reverse more convictions of drug offenders on Wednesday after a former employee with a DPS crime laboratory in Houston may have fabricated the results of thousands of drug tests.
Maurice Chammah
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Criminal Justice
Updated: Senate Committee Approves Michael Morton Act
A panel of Senate lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill that aims to prevent wrongful convictions by requiring prosecutors to share evidence with defense attorneys in criminal trials.
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Criminal Justice
Senate Passes Prosecutor Accountability Bill
The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that attempts to bring more accountability to prosecutors who are accused of withholding evidence in cases that result in a wrongful conviction.
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Bidness As Usual
Judicial Donations Raise Questions of Partiality
Texas Supreme Court justices are elected by voters, and the campaign contributions they receive from law firms with an interest in their decisions have caused some to worry that justice is for sale.
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Health care
Lawmakers Discuss Regulating Ownership of Large Animals
A House committee discussed whether to regulate the ownership of “big cats and nonhuman primates” at a hearing Wednesday. Animal rights groups say these animals are a threat to public safety, while owners of tigers, lions and other large cats say they already face enough regulation.
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Criminal Justice
Lawmakers Urge New Hearing in Death Penalty Case
More than 100 elected officials, religious officials and lawyers have sent a letter to the Harris County district attorney’s office urging a new hearing in the case of Duane Buck, who they say was unfairly sentenced to death because of an expert witness’s testimony.
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Criminal Justice
Senate Committee Passes DNA Testing Bill
UPDATED: Attorney General Greg Abbott is supporting a bill by state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, that would require DNA testing of “all biological evidence” in cases where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
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Criminal Justice
Lawmakers Mull Bills to Keep Federal Gun Laws Out of Texas
A House committee on Wednesday debated several bills that would make it a crime to enforce new federal gun laws in Texas.
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Criminal Justice
Lawmakers Urged to Protect Businesses That Hire Ex-Prisoners
Amid a broader legislative push to help former prisoners re-enter society, state lawmakers on Monday were encouraged to limit the legal liability of businesses that hire ex-prisoners.
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Criminal Justice
Legislature May Restrict Use of Cell Phone Records by Law Enforcement
Texas lawmakers are considering a bill filed by Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, that would require police and prosecutors to prove there is a probable cause of illegal activity before obtaining suspects’ cell phone records.
