The executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance on how drug policies are making Texas’ criminal justice system “horrific,” and who has the most to gain and lose by amending current drug policies.
Judiciary of Texas
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Gets a D+ in Public Integrity Study
Texas has scored a 68 out of 100, placing 27th in a national state integrity study. The state got high marks for auditing and for monitoring pension funds, but not as high for accountability of the governor and legislators.
Posted in
Guides
Texplainer: What is a Court of Inquiry?
Hey, Texplainer: Courts of inquiry have been used to exonerate wrongfully convicted Texans and to look at earlier cases. When does a judge call for a court of inquiry, and what else can judges review in these proceedings?
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Legal Dispute Leaves Poor Defendants in Limbo
In rural Val Verde County, defendants who are too poor to afford their own lawyers have waited years for resolution of their cases. As a new legal battle between their lawyers and the county begins, their day in court remains elusive.
Posted in
Politics
Weekend Insider: Trying Old Cases, Internet Business Regulations
In this episode of Weekend Insider, reporter Brandi Grissom looks at the challenges that courts face when trying old cases. And Becca Aaronson tells us how proposed regulations on Internet businesses could affect Texas’ booming technology sector.
Posted in
Politics
Texas Primaries Await Supreme Court Ruling
Federal judges will have to move quickly if Texas is going to hold primary elections on April 3.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Video: Dogs’ Evidence Stands as Woman Waits in Prison
The dog-sniffing evidence that led to the conviction of her father for conspiring to commit murder was unreliable enough for him to be released from prison. So why is his daughter, Megan Winfrey, serving a life sentence for the same crime based largely on the same evidence?
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Court: Business Franchise Tax Isn’t an Income Tax
The Texas Supreme Court turned back a challenge to the state’s primary business tax, saying it doesn’t violate a constitutional ban on personal income taxes.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Lawyer Group Files Grievances Against Morton Prosecutors
A coalition of lawyers today filed grievances with the State Bar of Texas against former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson, his former assistant Mike Davis and current District Attorney John Bradley.
