The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
A lawsuit seeks to force Texas to fully air condition its prison system. Inmate advocacy groups say temperatures can push above 120 degrees in some units. Full Story
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The rest of the law goes into effect Sept. 1. It’s been challenged by tech industry groups and a free speech advocacy organization. Full Story
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Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Facebook parent company in 2022, claiming it had used personal biometric data without permission. Full Story
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A state appeals court ruled that Austin’s voter-approved ordinance obstructed the enforcement of state drug laws. The court rejected a similar ordinance in San Marcos last week. Full Story
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Texas dropped its lawsuit after federal health officials said they wouldn’t enforce a confidentiality regulation for minors. Full Story
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Ruben Gutierrez was sentenced to death for the 1998 Brownsville murder of an elderly woman. His execution was stayed in July. Full Story
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A federal judge has taken the Texas’ foster care system to task for 13 years. Reforms have been made. Now armed with private legal fire power, the state wants the judge off the case. Full Story
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A doctor says the government wants to punish him for calling attention to wrongdoing. Advocates say the families of trans kids are the ones at risk. Full Story
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Reed, on death row for more than 25 years, says he is innocent of the 1996 killing of Stacey Stites in Bastrop County. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office has accused Annunciation House, which operates a network of migrant shelters, of human smuggling. Full Story
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A state law passed last year requires pornographic websites to adopt age-verification measures, leading sites like Pornhub to block user access in Texas. Full Story
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The New Orleans-based court, which hears Texas cases, is pushing the federal judiciary to the right, even when it gets overturned by a higher court. Full Story
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The tech industry saw the measured ruling as a win. Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to continue defending the law. Full Story
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Former schools police chief Pete Arredondo faces 10 criminal charges, while former school district officer Adrian Gonzales faces 29 counts. Full Story
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Parents and medical providers of transgender adolescents sued Texas, challenging the constitutionality of a restriction on puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Full Story
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The ruling comes amid a nationwide surge in homelessness as high rents put pressure on low-income households and pandemic-era protections expire. Full Story
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Environmental experts say the ruling will pause measures to reduce smog in some states and influence suits in lower courts. Full Story
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Officer Chris Taylor was tried for murder last year, but jurors couldn’t reach a verdict. A grand jury this week declined to indict him on any criminal charges. Full Story
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Gonzales, who was on death row for the rape and murder of Bridget Townsend in Medina County, is the second person to be executed in Texas this year. Full Story
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Texas’ ban on transition-related care for minors is currently before the Supreme Court of Texas. Full Story
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