The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
The Texas Constitution prohibits government entities from recognizing domestic partnerships and offering those couples insurance benefits, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wrote in an opinion on Monday. Full Story
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Some parents and advocacy organizations say the state’s truancy laws are too harsh. The Senate passed a bill last week to change these laws, compromising with judges and district officials who said the reforms were too broad. Full Story
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The embattled district attorney of Travis County, Rosemary Lehmberg, apologized Saturday in an open letter to her constituents — and insisted she hopes to complete her term in office. Full Story
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A debate in the Texas House on a supplemental budget bill Friday veered into debates on the Travis County district attorney's drunken driving charge and the murder of two Kaufman County prosecutors. Full Story
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One of the most exalted elected positions in Texas politics — that of the law-and-order district attorney — doesn't come with as much job security as it used to. District attorneys in some of the state's biggest counties are fighting for their jobs. Full Story
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State lawmakers have filed roughly 100 gun bills this session — many drafted in the wake of the deadly December shooting in Newtown, Conn. Use our interactive to review the measures by subject and see which are getting the most traction in the Capitol. Full Story
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UPDATED: Williamson County state district Judge Ken Anderson has filed an appeal asking a court to rule that a warrant for his arrest should be void because it violates the statute of limitations. Full Story
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Some Texas lawmakers and stakeholders are taking issue with aspects of the federal immigration reform bill filed last week, with some questioning why the measure was crafted without mechanisms to avoid a future inflow of illegal migration. Full Story
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UPDATED: The House on Tuesday endorsed a bill that would create a state panel to investigate wrongful convictions. Similar legislation has been defeated in the past, but this time it has drawn supporters many consider unlikely. Full Story
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Officials of a prison workers' union say that understaffing had a role in the 1999 murder of a correctional officer, who was fatally stabbed by an inmate. They say such issues continue to exist and put officers in danger today. Full Story
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Attorneys presented oral arguments Wednesday at the Court of Criminal Appeals over whether Mark Fleming's rights were violated because prosecutors didn't have to prove he knew he was having sexual relations with a minor. Full Story
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The senior fellow for Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations on immigration reform, security in Mexico, the country’s budding prosperity amid an escalating drug war, and what the United States needs to understand. Full Story
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Lawmakers on Tuesday debated a bill that would allow death row inmates to appeal their sentences if they believe that race played a role in their punishment. Full Story
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A bill by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, would restore dedicated funds to a state agency that has helped recover 1.6 million stolen vehicles in Texas. In recent years, lawmakers diverted the funds to help balance the state budget. Full Story
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A new report out Tuesday urges lawmakers to reduce penalties for prostitution and send more defendants to diversion and intervention programs. Advocates argue it will save the state money. Full Story
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Senators passed Senate Bill 1611, also known as the "Michael Morton Act," which would require prosecutors to turn over evidence to defense lawyers in criminal cases. The chamber erupted in applause following the vote. Full Story
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Attitudes about gun control proposals among Texas Republicans provide a foundation for understanding Sen. Ted Cruz’s resistance to the apparent compromise taking shape in the U.S. Senate. Full Story
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"It looks as if we have a deal," Michael Morton said after Wednesday afternoon negotiations with senators and lawyers on a measure that would require prosecutors to turn over evidence to defendants in criminal cases. Full Story
Despite previous threats from the federal government to shut down Texas airports if state lawmakers limit the TSA's ability to conduct security screenings, Rep. David Simpson is pushing lawmakers to approve a so-called anti-groping bill. Full Story
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A panel of House lawmakers on Tuesday heard prosecutors and defense attorneys debate a bill that would allow prosecutors in child sex crime cases to bring in evidence of prior offenses, including accusations by other children. Full Story
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