Texas has joined six other states and a handful of Catholic organizations in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a new health care rule approved by the federal government that would require all employers to include coverage for contraceptives in employees’ health care benefits.
Attorney General’s Office
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Criminal Justice
State Seeks Gag Order in 1986 Murder Case
A Williamson County judge will consider silencing parties to the murder case against Mark Alan Norwood. He is charged with the 1986 beating death of Christine Morton, whose husband spent nearly 25 years in prison for the crime.
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Criminal Justice
Crime Victims Services Bracing for Major Cuts
The Texas attorney general’s office is advising agencies that serve crime victims to prepare for big cuts during the next budget cycle because of a severe shortfall projected for the state’s crime victims fund.
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Criminal Justice
Williamson County Grand Jury Indicts Norwood
Mark Alan Norwood, a 57-year-old Bastrop resident, was indicted today by a Williamson County jury for the 1986 murder of Christine Morton, whose husband, Michael Morton, spent 25 years wrongly imprisoned for her death.
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Criminal Justice
State Settles Largest-Ever Medicaid Fraud Suit
In the state’s largest-ever Medicaid fraud recovery, Johnson & Johnson agreed Thursday to pay Texas $158 million to settle a lawsuit over its efforts to get the schizophrenia drug Risperdal on an approved list for the state’s poorest patients.
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Criminal Justice
Putting the Pieces Together in Old Cases
It’s no longer unusual for juries to see evidence from decades-old cases, because of DNA testing and other technological advancements. But the cases present myriad challenges to defense lawyers and prosecutors alike.
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Criminal Justice
Lower Court Denies Skinner DNA Test, Appeal Planned
A Gray County District Court today denied DNA testing that death row inmate Hank Skinner has been seeking for a decade. Skinner’s lawyers plan to appeal the decision. His execution is scheduled for Wednesday.
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Criminal Justice
Forensic Science Panel Recommends Wide-Ranging Arson Review
The momentous and long-awaited move was welcomed by the family of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was convicted of killing his three daughters in a 1991 arson fire. He was executed in 2004, and scientists have since discredited the science that was used to cement his arson conviction.
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State Government
Science Panel Grudgingly Abides by AG Restrictions
Members of the Texas Forensic Science Commission today agreed that they will use an attorney general’s opinion that severely limits the panel’s jurisdiction as a guideline for future investigations — whether they like it or not.
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Criminal Justice
Skinner, Awaiting DNA Ruling, Gets New Execution Date
For the fourth time, the state of Texas is scheduled to execute death row inmate Hank Skinner for the 1993 murders of his live-in girlfriend and her two sons, potentially quashing his ability to request DNA testing under a new state law.
