Execution halted days before Fort Worth man was set to die
Tilon Carter, 37, received a stay Friday afternoon from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. His execution was set for Tuesday. Full Story
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![Tilon Lashon Carter, sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of James Eldon Tomlin.]()
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In party-line vote, Senate committee advances sanctuary cities bill
After hearing more than 16 hours of testimony, the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee voted 7-2 along party lines early Friday morning to advance a bill that would punish local government entities and college campuses that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials or enforce immigration laws. Full Story
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![Critics of Senate Bill 4, a bill banning sanctuary cities, protest at the Texas Capitol as the bill is scheduled to be debated before the Senate State Affairs committee on Feb. 2, 2017.]()
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Texas House committee report lays foundation for 'Sandra Bland Act'
The Sandra Bland Act would address race, poverty, mental health and accountability in law enforcement and corrections, its author says. Full Story
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![Sandra Bland, who was found dead at the Waller County Jail in 2015.]()
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Ahead of Thursday hearing, Texas Senate adds muscle to anti-sanctuary city bill
Senate Republicans have updated their bill banning sanctuary cities in Texas to cover college campuses and expand potential punishments for local entities that choose to not enforce immigration laws. Full Story
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![Sen.Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, continues debate with Sen. Kirk Watson on HB3994 an abortion reform measure on May 25, 2015.]()
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Legislature should prioritize judicial security, Texas Supreme Court chief justice says
In his State of the Judiciary address Wednesday, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht discussed bail reform, the cost of legal expenses, mental health issues and a host of other topics. Full Story
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![Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht delivered his State of the Judiciary Address in the state House chamber on Feb. 1, 2017.]()
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In "sanctuary" fight, Abbott cuts off funding to Travis County
Gov. Greg Abbott has followed through on his threat to cut off state funding for Travis County over its new "sanctuary" policy. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott and Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez.]()
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Texas lawmakers aim to eliminate death penalty for convicts who didn't kill
At least two Texas Democrats and one Republican are pushing to reform the death penalty under the law of parties, which holds those involved in a murder equally responsible, even if they weren't directly involved in the actual killing. Full Story
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![Mitzie and Danny Wood, parents of Jeff Wood, at a rally in July 2016 at the Governor's mansion. Their son, Jeff, was sent to death row under the controversial law of parties statute.]()
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Trump picks Gorsuch for U.S. Supreme Court, bypassing Willett
President Donald Trump on Tuesday named U.S. appeals court judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court, picking him from a list of candidates that had included Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett. Full Story
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![Neil Gorsuch, a judge on the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.]()
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Execution halted for man convicted in Corpus Christi stabbing death
Two days before death row inmate John Ramirez was scheduled to be executed, a federal district court in Corpus Christi halted the execution. Full Story
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![John Ramirez, sentenced to death for the 2004 stabbing murder of Pablo Castro in Corpus Christi.]()
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Border Patrol agent convicted of corruption but not murder
Border Patrol Agent Joel Luna was found guilty of engaging in organized criminal activity, but a Cameron County jury acquitted him of murder. Full Story
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![Defense attorney Carlos Garcia (r.) confers with former Border Patrol agent Joel Luna.]()
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Juvenile justice advocates look to raise age of criminal responsibility to 18
Seventeen-year-olds can't vote, join the military or buy cigarettes or alcohol, but they're treated as adults in criminal cases in Texas. About 200 people rallied at the Capitol on Monday to change that. Full Story
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Trump says Lockheed Martin has cut $600 million from F-35 program
President Trump said Monday that Lockheed Martin has cut $600 million from its next lot of 90 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter planes, capping weeks of public criticisms of the program’s cost. Full Story
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![Fort Worth residents posed for photos on Dec. 21, 2016, with a model of the F-35 fighter plane, which is manufactured at a Lockheed Martin plant in the city.]()
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Texas rep placed under state protection after filing bill to ban abortions
State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, has been placed under the protection of the Texas Department of Public Safety after getting death threats following his filing of a bill to criminalize abortion in Texas. Full Story
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![State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, and State Rep. Molly White, R-Belton, during House budget debate Mar. 31, 2015.]()
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Here are four key criminal justice issues in the Texas Legislature
Texas lawmakers are likely to take a close look this legislative session at how law enforcement and civilians interact with each other. Full Story
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![Austin Police Department Senior Patrol officer S. Boughton uses radar to monitor vehicles along stretch of Austin highway in 2011.]()
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Trump's travel ban leads to immigrant detainments at Texas airports
Trump's executive order banning travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries led to the detainment of several travelers at Texas airports. Full Story
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Two sharply different portrayals of Border Patrol agent at murder trial
Devoted public servant who protected the nation’s borders and erred only by helping out his family? Or leader of a drug- and gun-trafficking enterprise? Those were the two portraits that emerged of Border Patrol Agent Joel Luna at his two-week murder trial. Now, a jury will decide his fate as early as Monday. Full Story
![Defense attorney Carlos Garcia (r.) confers with former Border Patrol agent Joel Luna.]()
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With executions down, will the death penalty disappear?
The death penalty has been slowly on the decline in the U.S. Tough-on-crime Texas has also seen a decline in its use. What could that mean for the future of the penalty here? Full Story
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![Texas' execution chamber in Huntsville.]()
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Federal court blocks Texas fetal remains burial rule
U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks ruled Texas cannot require health providers to bury or cremate fetuses, delivering another blow to state leaders in the reproductive rights debate. Full Story
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![Protesters of Texas' fetal remains burial rule gather outside the Governor's Mansion on Jan. 6, 2017.]()
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Texas executes man convicted in Dallas-area double murder
After a nearly four-hour delay while waiting on final appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court, Terry Edwards was executed Thursday night for a robbery turned murder he claimed he did not commit. Full Story
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![The clock nears 6 p.m. at the "Walls" unit in Huntsville, where Texas executes its prisoners, on Jan. 26, 2017.]()
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Jury to decide Border Patrol agent's fate
The fate of Border Patrol Agent Joel Luna and his Mexican-born brother Eduardo, both charged with drug trafficking and the murder of a would-be snitch, is set to fall to a Cameron County jury Friday after almost two weeks of testimony and sparring over evidence. Full Story
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![Chief Prosecutor Gus Garza walks by a safe brought into the courtroom as evidence during the murder trial of former Border Patrol agent Joel Luna and his brother Eduardo Luna Rodriguez.]()
Credit: Douglas Young for The Texas Tribune