Courts

Central Texas river authority, lakefront property owners reach settlement to avoid draining four lakes — for now

by Chase Karacostas

The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and property owners in Guadalupe and Gonzales Counties agreed to not drain four lakes held up by 90-year-old dams, on the condition that recreational use of the lakes is banned. Full Story 

Federal judge orders Galveston County to have defense lawyers at bail-setting hearings

by Jolie McCullough

Galveston County, like Harris and Dallas, was sued for bail practices that lawyers and judges have said discriminate against poor criminal defendants. Full Story 

"We failed as an agency": Texas prison officials admit violating court order on air conditioned units for inmates

by Jolie McCullough

Texas Department of Criminal Justice Executive Director Bryan Collier was questioned in court for about two hours for not complying with a court order to keep some Texas prisoners in air conditioned housing. Full Story 

How a decade of voting rights fights led to fewer redistricting safeguards for Texas voters of color

by Alexa Ura

In a state with a long history of discrimination, lawmakers on Tuesday will kick off the 2021 round of political mapmaking — the first in nearly half a century without federal oversight. Full Story 

San Antonio sued for excluding Chick-fil-A from airport

by Acacia Coronado

The lawsuit, filed by five area residents, cites state legislation passed this year that outlaws government retaliation based on “membership in and support to religious organizations.” Full Story 

“The stakes could not be higher”: Judge threatens to lock up Texas prison officials over air conditioning violation

by Jolie McCullough

A federal judge was visibly frustrated Friday as he suggested that putting state officials in uncooled cells might be the only way to get their attention after they broke a settlement agreement to keep some inmates in air conditioning. Full Story 

Lawyers say the Texas judge who presided over this Jewish death row inmate's trial later called him anti-Semitic slurs

by Chase Karacostas

Lawyers for Randy Halprin, a member of the "Texas Seven," are requesting a stay of his execution amid allegations that the judge who handled his case made racist and anti-Semitic comments during his time on the bench. Full Story 

TribCast: Behind the new Texas laws that take effect Sept. 1

by Emily Ramshaw and Michael Rey de Leon

On this week’s TribCast, Emily talks to Ross, Alexa, Alex and Neena about the biggest new state laws taking effect Sept. 1, a crisis facing indigent defense in Texas, the new Texas secretary of state and the latest from the presidential campaign trail. Full Story 

How judicial conflicts of interest are denying poor Texans their right to an effective lawyer

by Neena Satija, Texas Tribune and Texas Monthly

For decades, Texans who can’t afford a lawyer have gotten caught in a criminal justice system that’s crippled by inadequate funding and overloaded attorneys. A growing body of caseload data — and a recent lawsuit — point to an even more fundamental hazard: the unchecked power of Texas judges. Full Story 

5th Circuit upholds Indian Child Welfare Act as constitutional, reversing lower court

by Emma Platoff

The appeals court overturned a 2018 decision from a federal district judge who ruled that the law, which gives adoption placement preference to Native American tribes, was unconstitutional. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged the law in 2017. Full Story 

With a new vacancy on the Texas Supreme Court, attention turns to diversity concerns

by Emma Platoff

Gov. Greg Abbott has his third opportunity to appoint a judge to the state's highest civil court. His first two picks were white men. Full Story 

U.S. Senate confirms Texas Supreme Court Justice Jeff Brown to the federal bench

by Emma Platoff

The nod creates a vacancy on the state's highest civil court, giving Gov. Greg Abbott his third opportunity to make an appointment. Full Story 

Harris County agreed to reform bail practices that keep poor people in jail. Will it influence other Texas counties?

by Jolie McCullough

Commissioners approved a settlement aiming to end yearslong litigation over Harris County's misdemeanor bail system. Similar lawsuits in Dallas and other Texas cities also target how bail is set for people charged with felonies. Full Story 

Federal judge in California halts Trump’s latest asylum ban

by Maria Sacchetti and Spencer S. Hsu, The Washington Post

The judge said that Congress' laws should not be overridden by "executive fiat." But the decision came hours after another federal judge declined to halt the policy, setting up a potential race to appellate courts over the matter. Full Story 

Implementation of San Antonio paid sick-leave requirement delayed amid court fight

by Alex Samuels

The ordinance was supposed to go into effect Aug. 1 but now will be delayed until Dec. 1. It requires businesses with more than 15 employees to allow workers to accrue 64 hours of paid sick leave per year. Full Story 

Texas AG Ken Paxton's criminal case likely to face further delays as attorneys revive fights over venue, prosecutor pay

by Emma Platoff

Attorneys in the securities case against Paxton brought back long-running fights this week with the potential to derail the 4-year-old case even further. Full Story 

State leaders again want to review how Texas elects judges. Will they end partisan judicial elections?

by Emma Platoff

After an election that swept scores of Republican judges out of office, Gov. Greg Abbott is eyeing judicial selection reform. Advocates hope that the perennial issue may finally draw some attention. Full Story 

A judge ordered the end of migrant family separations last year. But a report says 30 kids remain in custody without their parents.

by Lara Korte

The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform issued subpoenas earlier this year after the federal agencies overseeing immigration policy refused to provide information voluntarily. Full Story 

Judge dismisses part of Texas' "sanctuary city" lawsuit against San Antonio

by Emma Platoff

In its first enforcement action under a controversial new law, Texas sued San Antonio last year, alleging that the city had broken the law in December 2017. Full Story 

In El Paso court, migrants no longer get legal advocates or pre-hearing briefings on their rights

by Julián Aguilar

El Paso's backlogged immigration court recently halted programs designed to aid asylum seekers as they navigate a complicated legal system. "The confusion in the courtroom is palpable," says one advocate. Full Story