Barratry Charges Against State Lawmaker Are Dropped
Barratry charges against state Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, were dropped on Wednesday following allegations of misconduct by the investigator who pursued the case against him. Full Story
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Court Reverses Death Row Inmate's 2003 Conviction
Death row inmate Nelson Gongora's conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court, which said that a prosecutor's comments regarding his decision to not testify denied him a right to a fair trial. Full Story
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Border Officials: Federal Budget Inaction Could Weaken Security, Trade
“The border is safe.” That’s a common refrain from lawmakers who say the unprecedented buildup of law enforcement in the region has netted positive results. But as sequestration looms, lawmakers say federal inaction could put that reality in jeopardy. Full Story
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Acquittal Issued in Murder Case Based Largely on Scent Lineups
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday issued an acquittal in the case of Megan Winfrey, 24, who has been behind bars since 2007 in a murder case in which her conviction was based almost entirely on evidence from dog-scent lineups. Full Story
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Trouble in Mind: The Andre Thomas Story
This six-part series explores the intersections of the mental health and criminal justice systems in Texas, examining the case of Andre Thomas, a death row inmate who awaits a court decision on whether he is sane enough for execution. Full Story
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Report: Open Discovery Policies Could Thwart Wrongful Convictions
Widely variable discovery practices in Texas makes access to justice dependent upon where a defendant is charged, according to a report released Wednesday, giving weight to bills that would create uniform discovery procedures. Full Story
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Whitmire Bill Aims to Increase Prosecutor Accountability
In the wake of Michael Morton's high-profile exoneration, state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, filed a bill Tuesday that aims to ensure more accountability for prosecutors who are accused of withholding evidence. Full Story
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![Michael Morton, freed in 2011 after spending 25 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, takes the stand on Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, in the Georgetown Courthouse. Feb. 4, 2013.]()
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Lawmakers Debate Texting-While-Driving Ban
Lawmakers on Tuesday took their first crack at a bill designed to ban texting while driving, including reviewing statistics suggesting that bans in other states have not reduced accidents and are difficult to enforce. Full Story
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![Although Texas is one of 11 states without a state-wide ban on texting and driving, cell phone use while driving is illegal for those under 18 and in school zones.]()
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Andre Thomas: Questions of Competence, Justice
Andre Thomas' case raises critical questions about how the justice system deals with mentally ill defendants who commit heinous crimes and whether they should be exempt from the death penalty. Full Story
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Andre Thomas: A Struggle for Sanity Behind Bars
Andre Thomas is among thousands of mentally ill inmates in a sprawling state prison system that is struggling to keep pace with the increasing need for mental health care. Medical staff say they need more state funding. Full Story
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Andre Thomas: Gaps in the Mental Health Code
Hospitals don't have authority to detain people in mental crisis who voluntarily enter their facilities. Advocates for reform say that is one of many holes in the state’s nearly 30-year-old mental health code. Full Story
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Andre Thomas: Services Scarce for Troubled Youth
During his troubled adolescence, lawyers for death row inmate Andre Thomas say he never received the mental health care he needed. In Texas, there are few mechanisms to diagnose and treat youths who suffer from mental illness. Full Story
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Andre Thomas: The Mentally Ill, From Asylums to Jails
Texas has a long and unhappy history when it comes to mental health care. From the days of state-run asylums to underfunded local mental health services, those who have mental illness have faced daunting challenges finding care. Full Story
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![Andre Thomas in a photo taken during his teen years, left. Danny Thomas, Andre Thomas' father, top right. The State Insane Asylum in Austin, bottom right.]()
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Groups File Federal Complaint Over Bryan ISD Discipline Policies
Texas Appleseed and the Brazos County branch of the NAACP have filed a federal complaint against Bryan ISD, saying the school district's reliance on ticketing as a form of discipline "disproportionately harms" black students. Full Story
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Prison Employee Union Calls for Pay Raise
A union representing Texas prison employees is calling on the Legislature to consider a pay raise for correctional officers, citing a rise in drilling jobs that can be more lucrative than prison jobs. Full Story
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![The Cleveland Corrections Center, located 50 miles northeast of Houston, is a private prison operated by the GEO group under the authority of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.]()
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Lawmakers and Judge Push for Legal Aid Funding
A Texas Supreme Court Justice and several lawmakers are pushing to raise the amount of money that can be given by the attorney general's office to indigent legal aid services groups. Full Story
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Meth Seizures Increase on Texas-Mexico Border
For the second consecutive year, seizures of methamphetamine in the Laredo customs district — the country’s busiest land port — climbed significantly. Full Story
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Andre Thomas: Where Mental Health and Criminal Justice Collide
The case of death row inmate Andre Thomas offers a lens through which to examine the effects of a long underfunded mental health system and raises important questions about how Texas punishes the mentally ill. Full Story
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Trouble In Mind: A Timeline
This timeline provides an in-depth look at some of the key moments in the case of Andre Thomas, a mentally ill death row inmate who began exhibiting signs of mental illness as a boy and committed a brutal triple murder in 2004. Blind because he pulled out both of his eyes while behind bars, Thomas awaits a federal court's decision on whether he is sane enough to be executed. Full Story
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Cruz Talks Guns, Deflects Hagel Accusations
Calling President Obama’s recent gun control initiatives “cynical” and “wrong,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said on Tuesday that lawmakers “should focus our efforts on deterring and punishing violent criminals." Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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