The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
The state put to death 13 men this year. That's more than half the total number of people executed in the entire country: 25. Still, the death row population — both here and nationwide — is at a historic low. Full Story
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A state appeals court ruled Texas' "revenge porn" law unconstitutional. Now, the state's highest criminal court will decide. Full Story
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Braziel's attorneys failed to secure a delay in the execution after last-minute argument that prosecutorial conduct tainted his trail. He was the 13th and final inmate Texas put to death this year. Full Story
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Only one person of color has ever served on the Richardson ISD board. Now, he's suing the district over its method of electing school board members, alleging it denies people of color a fair say in who represents them. Full Story
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Researchers reviewed prison data and surveyed more than 4,000 adults this summer to determine how incarceration affects family members of prisoners. Full Story
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The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments Thursday for Deanna Robinson's First Amendment case against the Hunt County Sheriff's Office. At issue is whether the sheriff's office was allowed to block her from its Facebook page. Full Story
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Thomas' conviction stands, but he is entitled to a new punishment hearing based on modern standards for assessing intellectual disabilities, the court ruled. Full Story
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In a case that alleges overzealous business regulation, Spec's, the state's largest liquor store chain, is suing the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for “wrongfully and maliciously” trying to impose huge fines and sanctions on the retailer. The state says it's immune from such suits. Full Story
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On Nov. 19, the Texas Attorney General's Office backed Plano in a heated lawsuit over the city's development plan. On Nov. 20, the agency said it had made a mistake. Full Story
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The court ruled Nov. 21 that six-figure payments for the prosecutors' work were outside legal limits. Full Story
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Garcia was executed Tuesday night. He was the fourth of the "Texas Seven" inmates executed after the group escaped the Connally Unit in 2000 and killed Irving Police Officer Aubrey Hawkins during a Christmas Eve robbery. Full Story
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The grand jury decided to indict Guyger on a murder charge for the Sept. 6 killing of Jean, an unarmed black man. Full Story
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The attorney general's office seeks more than $11 million in fines against San Antonio and accuses the city of "thwarting federal immigration enforcement." Full Story
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Greenpark Compounding Pharmacy has been selling Texas drugs for lethal injections for three and a half years, according to a BuzzFeed News report. Full Story
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A bill aiming to detach the ombudsman from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice died in 2017. But news from the past year makes advocates hopeful that 2019 will be different. Full Story
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The Trump administration has struck a deal with Mexico's incoming government to remake border policy. Full Story
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The court denied relief on Wednesday to Wood, who never killed anyone, granting the state the opportunity to set another execution date for the 1996 murder of a store clerk in Kerrville. Full Story
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The court agreed in December to weigh in on an obstacle to Paxton’s long-running legal drama, a fight over more than a year’s payment for the prosecutors working on the case. Full Story
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The case was being challenged in the Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals. Full Story
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The court threw out Turner's conviction because his defense attorneys said at trial that he had committed murder, even though Turner wanted to maintain his innocence. Full Story
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