The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
A gruesome murder in a Texas hotel room and a 9-year-old’s futile effort to call 911 has sparked a national petition — and prompted federal officials to seek a legislative remedy. Full Story
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Texas' recent designation as one of six test states for a federal project that seeks to expand the use of drones is spotlighting how far apart border lawmakers are on using more unmanned aircraft for border security. Full Story
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An East Texas judge says he should be able to intervene when the jail isn't providing medical care he deems adequate. The county says the judge is overstepping the bounds of his authority. Full Story
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In the wake of more violence and a resolution urging the U.S. to grant asylum to Mexicans, activists are urging lawmakers to review aid aimed at helping to end that country's drug war. Full Story
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The Supreme Court of Texas heard arguments Thursday morning in a case that could determine whether Texas courts can force individuals to remove remarks from the internet if they are found to be false or defamatory. Full Story
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The Texas Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday morning in an online defamation case that could have far-reaching effects on individual freedom to post online. Full Story
Lawmakers passed a bill that requires a study of solitary confinement in Texas prisons, but the panel charged with hiring a third party to conduct the research does not have money to fund the study. Full Story
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The Federal Aviation Administration has selected Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi as a test site to further study the uses of unmanned aircraft systems. Full Story
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Lawyers for Iraq War veteran John Thuesen are appealing the former Marine's death sentence for a double murder, arguing that his original trial lawyers didn't adequately explain the post-traumatic stress that Thuesen had suffered. Full Story
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John Thuesen and his lawyers are appealing his death sentence for a 2009 double murder, arguing that the former Marine's post-traumatic stress wasn't adequately explained to jurors. Full Story
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Fallout from the high-profile Michael Morton exoneration along with more prison closures and growing concerns about the mentally ill in Texas prisons dominated criminal justice headlines in 2013. Full Story
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Democrats say the the decision by Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Lawrence Meyers to leave the Republican Party gives them something to build on for the 2014 elections. But GOP officials see no evidence of a sea change. Full Story
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Steadfast supporters of comprehensive immigration reform say that to have a chance for any change in 2014, they may have to be content with legislation that only addresses some of their overall objectives. Full Story
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In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union alleges that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in El Paso subjected a U.S. citizen to unwarranted searches, including vaginal probes and a CT scan. Full Story
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An Austin lawyer turned yogi hopes to make yoga commonplace behind bars in Texas. But financial and administrative challenges lie ahead. Full Story
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Texas' battle with the Environmental Protection Agency continues Tuesday as the state argues against another air pollution rule before the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story
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The Mérida Initiative, a $1.5 billion U.S. aid package whose beneficiaries include Mexico, has faced its share of criticism. But in Ciudad Juárez, many say they see the positive results of the initiative every day. Full Story
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In a new web video, attorney general candidate Dan Branch focuses on protecting the state's elections laws, concluding with a pledge to "stop Obama's Department of Justice from overturning our Texas voter ID law." Full Story
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The mother of twin sisters Mitzi and Nitza Alvarado Espinoza disappeared from their home in Mexico in 2009. Now exiled in El Paso, the sisters have formed a movement aimed at providing comfort to young victims of the drug war. Full Story
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If the state's Republican leadership succeeds, Texans could find themselves growing accustomed to the sight of openly carried handguns. Full Story
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