Court of Criminal Appeals: Flag Desecration Ban Violates Constitution
The state's highest criminal court ruled Wednesday that a Texas law banning defacement of the U.S.and state flags is unconstitutional. Full Story
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New Crime Lab Protocol Leads to Reviews of "Mixed DNA" Evidence
A new standard, used by crime labs in Texas and nationwide when analyzing multiple sets of DNA taken from evidence, has prompted questions and a review of court cases dating back to 1999. Full Story
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Court's Ban of Death Penalty Lawyer Will Stand
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday ruled it has no authority or jurisdiction to intervene in its sister court's ban of prominent death penalty lawyer David Dow. Full Story
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![Attorney David Dow.]()
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Texas Legislators Move Closer to Overhauling State's Grand Jury System
The Texas House on Sunday gave final approval to an overhaul of the state's grand juries, moving one step closer to getting rid of a controversial way of seating the panels. Full Story
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Abbott Signs Online Solicitation Measure Into Law
Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday signed into law a measure that makes online solicitation of a minor a punishable offense and changes the definition of a minor, calling it "regrettable that this bill is necessary." Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott at the Texas State Prayer Breakfast in Austin on May 4, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
House Gives Early OK to Expanding DNA Testing
The Texas House on Monday gave early approval to expanding DNA testing in criminal cases, an effort to prevent the incarceration of innocent Texans like Michael Morton, who spent nearly 25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Full Story
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The Playlist: Cruise Control
With a late night tweet, U.S. Sen Ted Cruz announced his candidacy for president then immediately hit the road, so we start our playlist with “Cruise Control” by the Dixie Dregs. Full Story
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Lawyer's One-Year Banishment Leads to Showdown
When the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals banished a prominent death row attorney this year, it set in motion an interesting showdown not only with the lawyer, David Dow, but one with its own glossier sibling, the Texas Supreme Court. Full Story
![Attorney David Dow.]()
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Court Suspends Lawyer for Death Row Inmate Over Late Filing
The Court of Criminal Appeals has suspended a criminal defense lawyer, arguing that he filed motions to stop executions too late. The move is part of a ongoing feud in Texas between such lawyers and judges who rule on their claims. Full Story
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![Texas Death Row inmate Miguel Angel Paredes.]()
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Ushering in Several Reforms, But Not Always Leading the Charge
Rick Perry will leave behind a criminal justice system in healthier shape than when he stepped in as governor. Terri Langford writes that how instrumental Perry was in improving it remains an open question. Full Story
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CCA Offers Guidance to Courts Trying Teens as Adults
The state's highest criminal court on Wednesday ruled that a Houston teen should not have been tried as an adult and spelled out better guidance for courts to consider before transferring youth defendants into the adult court system. Full Story
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![Detainees are moved from location to location within the Travis County Juvenile Detention Center in Austin, Texas, Monday, June 24, 2013.]()
Credit: Jennifer Whitney for The Texas Tribune -
Video: Looking to Avoid Confusion Over Voter ID Shuffle
Texas' voter ID law is in effect for the Nov. 4 general election. Election workers are working to help ensure there is no confusion as voters head to the polls. Full Story
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Criminal Appeals Court Judge Sues State Over Voter ID Law
While a federal judge in Corpus Christi mulls whether the state's requirement to show photo ID to cast a ballot violates the Voting Rights Act, a judge on the highest criminal appeals court in Texas has sued the state over its voter ID law. Full Story
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![Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Larry Meyers is shown in his office in 2013.]()
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Death Row Inmate Trottie Executed for 1993 Murders
UPDATED: Texas death row inmate Willie Tyrone Trottie was executed by lethal injection Wednesday evening in Huntsville for the 1993 murders of his ex-girlfriend and her brother. Full Story
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![Texas death row inmate Willie Trottie, scheduled for execution Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2014.]()
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Judge Agrees to Release Murderer "Bernie" Backed by Austin Filmmaker
Nearly two decades after Bernie Tiede shot 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent and tucked her body in a deep freezer, a judge has released him on bond. The filmmaker Richard Linklater will house Tiede in his Austin garage apartment. Full Story
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![Bernhardt "Bernie" Tiede exits the Panola County Court building with his attorney Jodi Cole after his hearing on Feb. 5, 2014 in Carthage. His attorney filed new evidence that could affect his punishment term. He has been serving time since August of 1997 for the murder of Marjorie Nugent.]()
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Appeals Court to Weigh Value of Advances in Forensic Evidence
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals will hear arguments Wednesday in a case that could determine how courts across the state apply a new law that allows courts to consider changing scientific evidence. Full Story
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![State Sen. John Whitmire, chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee]()
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The Playlist: If Trouble Was Money
Bernie Teide, convicted of murdering an elderly woman in Carthage 15 years ago, was back in court for proceedings reconsidering his life sentence, so we lead off this all-Texas Blues playlist with "How Long Blues" by T-Bone Walker. Full Story
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Seven Candidates Fight for Chance to Reshape Texas Criminal Court
At least three members of Texas' highest criminal court will be replaced in the next year, and observers say the unusually high turnover could have a significant effect on the court's decisions. Full Story
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Court Reverses DNA Testing Decision in Swearingen Case
UPDATED: The state’s highest criminal court on Wednesday reversed a lower court’s decision to allow further DNA testing in the case of death row inmate Larry Swearingen, sending his case back to a district court. Full Story
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![Death row inmate Larry Swearingen during an interview at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas. He was sentenced to death for the murder of Melissa Trotter. He says he is innocent and that she was killed while he was already in jail for other offenses.]()
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News App: Expanding the Ethics Explorer
We've expanded the officials in our Ethics Explorer to include the judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the members of the State Board of Education. We've also updated our existing analysis on members of the Legislature. Full Story
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