After Harris County’s move to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, Texas lawmakers disagree about whether local jurisdictions have the discretion to enact such policies.
John Whitmire
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Juvenile justice agency pushes back on claims of ineffectiveness
A Senate Finance committee workgroup has been tasked with exploring ways to improve the Texas Juvenile Justice Department as the agency defends itself from claims of inefficiency.
Posted in
Politics
Dan Patrick makes only one change atop Senate committees
Only one committee received a new committee chair in the Texas Senate. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, will chair the Senate Administration Committee.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Whitmire may avoid some pension votes amid conflict-of-interest concerns
After some Dallas City Council members voiced concerns this week over Whitmire’s work at a law firm whose client list includes city pension fund boards, the Houston Democrat said he would likely abstain from voting on Dallas-specific bills.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Trooper’s attorneys might ask judge to toss indictment in Bland case
Attorneys for the state trooper who arrested Sandra Bland are considering asking a judge to throw out his indictment for perjury.
Posted inState Government
Child Welfare Oversight, Teen Drivers’ Training and Trump’s Women Woes (Video)
In the Roundup: Child welfare agency failures, teen drivers could be taught how to deal with police and Trump’s challenges with Texas women.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Advocates Push For Early Release of Severely Ill Sex Offenders
A prisoner rights advocate thinks lawmakers should loosen restrictions on medical parole eligibility for sex offenders. A top state lawmaker on criminal justice issues agrees with her but says the issue is just too politically toxic.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Whitmire: Assault Rifle Used in Office Shooting
State Sen. John Whitmire said Thursday afternoon he believes the gun used in the predawn shooting of his Houston area-office was likely an AR-15 assault rifle. He said it’s too early to speculate about a motive or possible suspect.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Analysis: Legislators Seeking a More Efficient Approach to Jail Policies
The “lock-them-up-and-throw-away-the-key” crowd has given way to another wave — across party lines, by the way — that’s trying to rework everything from whom police take to jail to who remains there overnight.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Sandra Bland, Jail Standards Top Criminal Justice News in 2015
In 2015, Sandra Bland’s death jolted a conversation about inmate safety and mental health, while high-profile murder cases continued and Texas was criticized for the lengths it reportedly went through to find execution drugs for death row inmates.
