The latest courts news from The Texas Tribune.
The court found that the woman who sued didn't prove that the female coworker who harassed her was gay, so it's not clear that the incident constituted "sexually motivated touching." Full Story
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The U.S. Department of Justice's directive tells federal prosecutors on the southwest border to prosecute all Department of Homeland Security referrals for alleged violations of federal immigration illegal-entry laws. Full Story
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A mandate handed down by the Trump administration designed to speed up activity within the country’s clogged immigration court system could actually have the opposite effect, the president of the National Association of Immigration Judges said Wednesday. Full Story
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The chairman of the House Business & Industry Committee said he was "stunned" to learn there is an obscure law that makes it easy for rent-to-own companies to file criminal charges against customers who fall behind on payments. The committee is looking at changing the law after a joint investigation by The Texas Tribune and NerdWallet. Full Story
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A federal judge has ruled that Texas violated the federal National Voter Registration Act. The fix he orders could introduce the state's first online voter registration system. Full Story
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As a longtime aide to Greg Abbott, Andrew Oldham has helped Texas fight the federal government. If he's confirmed to the federal bench, he could rule on the same type of cases. Full Story
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Opponents of Senate Bill 4 have asked a federal appeals court to reconsider a decision that allowed most of the controversial immigration enforcement law to go into effect. The case could eventually end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story
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Republican congressional candidate Chip Roy joins the TribCast crew to discuss his upcoming runoff. Plus, we tackle the 2020 census, the March for Our Lives protests and whether Rex Tillerson could be the University of Texas System's next chancellor. Full Story
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Another prominent Democrat has announced plans to run for Senate District 19, a San Antonio-based seat currently held by a longtime state lawmaker recently convicted of 11 felonies. Full Story
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Rosendo Rodriguez was executed Tuesday for killing a Lubbock prostitute and tossing her body in a dumpster in a suitcase. His final appeals questioned the medical examiner's testimony that she was sexually assaulted before her death. Full Story
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In addition to taking covert videos of Texas lawmakers in 2015, the American Phoenix Foundation allegedly planted an intern in state Rep. James White's office in 2013 in an attempt to catch the Hillister Republican engaging in fraud. Full Story
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Carlos Ayestas, 48, said he wants to explore evidence of his mental illness, brain injuries or drug use that wasn't brought up during his trial for the murder of a 67-year-old woman. Full Story
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The plaintiffs in the case include a Haitian ethics teacher fleeing political persecution, a Honduran national who alleges persecution for being gay and asylum seekers from Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela and Cuba. Full Story
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Attorneys and immigrants' rights groups who fought against Senate Bill 4 say their next move isn’t exactly clear, but they insist they have a handful of options remaining. Full Story
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As the case over Senate Bill 4 plays out, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that most of the immigration enforcement legislation can remain in effect. Full Story
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Seven of 13 sitting Texas district attorneys who faced 2018 primary challengers lost their races. Whether that's normal turnover or part of a larger focus on criminal justice reform, several experts say it's no longer safe to be an incumbent prosecutor. Full Story
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Gutierrez is running for Texas Senate District 19, a Democratic-leaning San Antonio district that overlaps with his own and is held by a senator who was recently convicted of 11 felonies. Full Story
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The device was used as punishment for refusing to answer a judge’s questions properly during his 2016 trial on charges of soliciting sexual performance from a 15-year-old girl. Full Story
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Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller narrowly won the Republican primary Tuesday night, overcoming a challenger who knocked her for her multiple ethical controversies. Full Story
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Though the DACA program is still in effect, thousands demonstrated in El Paso and elsewhere across the country to demand Congress come up with a legislative fix to protect the young undocumented immigrants known as "Dreamers." Full Story
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