The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
UPDATED: As a bipartisan group of senators purportedly moves closer to introducing a bill to overhaul the country’s immigration system, two Texas Republicans said they would file legislation to first ensure the border is secure. Full Story
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Private mental health care providers would be allowed into select jails to attempt to restore inmates to competency under a proposed pilot program. The restored inmates would then be able to stand for trial. Full Story
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A fight over what defense lawyers could do with information about their clients in criminal cases after prosecutors turn it over to them is threatening to stymie the “Michael Morton Act.” Full Story
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A jury in March found Mark Alan Norwood guilty of the 1986 murder of Christine Morton, and he was sentenced to life in prison. This photo slideshow provides an overview of the timeline and characters in the tragic case. Full Story
A jury in March found Mark Alan Norwood guilty of the 1986 murder of Christine Morton, and he was sentenced to life in prison. This photo slideshow provides an overview of the timeline and characters in the tragic case. Full Story
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The prosecutor who secured Mark Norwood's murder conviction says that if Michael Morton had not fought from prison to prove his innocence in his wife's murder, the DNA testing that led to Norwood’s conviction might not have been done. Full Story
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The Texas Forensic Science Commission has concluded that the potential reversal of thousands of drug convictions by the Court of Criminal Appeals is due to a DPS employee's incompetence, but that not all of the drug samples are necessarily compromised. Full Story
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Discussions on gun control are replete with arguments about background checks, ammunition limits and issues related to mental-health awareness. Gun running to Mexico, however, remains a key concern, a new study shows. Full Story
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Prosecutors in the Texas attorney general's office and lawyers for death row inmate Hank Skinner have signed an agreement this week to allow more DNA testing in the 1993 triple murder for which he was sentenced to death. Full Story
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UPDATED: The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to increase the range of potential punishment for hit-and-run accidents that result in deaths. Full Story
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Lawmakers will debate different approaches to graffiti in a House committee hearing on Tuesday. While some argue for less harsh punishments, others say tougher consequences are the way to reduce graffiti crimes. Full Story
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Family members of Christine Morton and Debra Baker filled a Tom Green County courtroom with tearful hugs and relieved smiles on Wednesday after a jury found Mark Alan Norwood guilty of murder. Full Story
After peaking in September, applications for deferred action have dropped off dramatically. Immigration attorneys think most eligible undocumented immigrants are in a wait-and-see mode amid the federal immigration reform debate. Full Story
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The Court of Criminal Appeals continued to reverse more convictions of drug offenders on Wednesday after a former employee with a DPS crime laboratory in Houston may have fabricated the results of thousands of drug tests. Full Story
A panel of Senate lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill that aims to prevent wrongful convictions by requiring prosecutors to share evidence with defense attorneys in criminal trials. Full Story
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After calling just three witnesses on Mark Norwood's behalf, lawyers for the man accused of killing Christine Morton in 1986 rested their case Tuesday afternoon. Full Story
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The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that attempts to bring more accountability to prosecutors who are accused of withholding evidence in cases that result in a wrongful conviction. Full Story
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State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, on Tuesday plans to present a revised version of his criminal discovery bill that would require only prosecutors to disclose information in criminal trials. Full Story
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While the country has been jogging toward its new position on gay marriage, polling numbers show Texans appear to have been moseying along in the same direction. Full Story
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Texas Supreme Court justices are elected by voters, and the campaign contributions they receive from law firms with an interest in their decisions have caused some to worry that justice is for sale. Full Story
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