The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
Crafted carefully, state laws can be written that would allow Texas to crack down on undocumented immigrants and illegal border crossers without running afoul of the U.S. Constitution, a state attorney told lawmakers recently. Full Story
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Texas juries imposed new death sentences only twice in 2015 — the fewest since the death penalty was reinstated nationwide almost 40 years ago. Full Story
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Because of a recent spike in minors crossing the border illegally in the Rio Grande Valley, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that he is ordering the Texas National Guard to stay in the area through December. Full Story
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Every day, teacher Jody Addy walks through a metal detector, waits for a pat down, shows her ID and passes through locked gates before walking to her classroom in the middle of a maximum security prison in west central Texas. Full Story
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The Dallas County Sheriff fired back at what she called inaccurate rumors on her immigration policies during an interim House committee hearing Thursday. Lawmakers also heard about an ill-conceived law that is hindering the state's identification of criminals. Full Story
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As state officials consider licensing two private detention facilities as approved residential centers for undocumented children, they heard several hours of testimony in opposition to the move Wednesday. Full Story
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It'll be just another Wednesday morning on campus at UT-Austin as lawyers in Washington D.C. argue over the school's admissions process before the U.S. Supreme Court. Past student interest in the case has drifted to other concerns. Full Story
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The Supreme Court on Monday denied Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson III's petition to add another attorney to his team. Roberson has one more shot at delaying his execution with a petition arguing his rights were violated. Full Story
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A special U.S. immigration policy provision allows Cubans to apply for legal residency status after living in the country for a year. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar says that the provision needs another look. Full Story
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Two sets of attorneys who believe their client doesn't belong on death row are fighting not only the state of Texas but also each other as his case arrives at the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story
William Mason was again sentenced to death in Harris County last month after being granted a new punishment trial. He was originally sent to death row in 1992 for the kidnapping and murder of his wife. There are now 253 people in Texas living with a death sentence. See our updated database of these men and women. Full Story
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For more than six hours Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sat in a Collin County courtroom as his attorneys presented their list of reasons why securities fraud charges Paxton faces should be thrown out. Full Story
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The Obama Administration won a small but significant battle on Tuesday when the U.S. Supreme Court denied Texas’ request for an extra 30 days to respond to the White House’s petition for review of a controversial immigration case. Full Story
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How effective are hunger strikes by immigration detainees? Recent evidence seems to suggest they work for some groups but make matters worse for others. Full Story
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At least nine undocumented immigrant families have obtained Texas birth certificates for their U.S.-born children recently, but the trickle has done little to quell a legal battle over the state's strict policies on issuing the documents. Full Story
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A procedural game of chess continued Tuesday between the White House and Texas over the timing of a possible U.S. Supreme Court ruling on President Obama's controversial immigration plan. Full Story
The state of Texas can't claim an emergency to quickly grant licenses to two private detention centers holding undocumented immigrant families for the federal government, a state district judge has ruled. Full Story
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Attorneys for the family of the Irving high school student who made headlines after being arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school have sent letters demanding apologies and $15 million in damages. Full Story
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The Texas Attorney General’s office is asking the U.S. Supreme Court for an extra 30 days to respond to the Obama Administration's appeal of lower court rulings that have blocked controversial changes in immigration enforcement. Full Story
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A large number of Texans — mostly middle class — fall into a "justice gap" where they aren't poor enough to receive free legal aid provided to indigents but can't afford basic legal services on their own. Full Story
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