Corrections Agency Punishes 4 in Prison Officer's Murder
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has disciplined four employees in connection with an inmate's murder of French Robertson Unit correctional officer Mari Johnson in July. Full Story
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![Dillion Gage Compton allegedly attacked and killed Correctional Officer Mari Johnson on Saturday, July 16th, 2016, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.]()
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DACA Gave Thousands of Undocumented Texans Hope. Will it Survive?
Undocumented immigrants in Texas are taking a glass-half-full approach as a 2012 initiative that has benefited hundreds of thousands of immigrants marks its four-year anniversary. But will that optimism last after the November election? Full Story
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![Immigrants and activists participate in press conference and rally on Nov. 19, 2015, before a 37-mile march to show support for immigration reform. The marchers planned to walk for three days, from the federal immigration detention facility in Taylor to the Texas Governor's Mansion in downtown Austin.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Laredo Plastic Bag Ban Tossed by Court
A state appeals court has struck down a plastic bag ban in Laredo in a high-profile fight over local control that could ultimately impact similar laws in other Texas cities. Full Story
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Conservative Lawmaker Battling to Stop a Texas Execution
State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, a staunch conservative, is trying to stop the upcoming execution of Jeff Wood, who was sentenced to death even though he killed no one. Full Story
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![State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, is hoping to stop the upcoming execution of Jeff Wood.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Starbucks in Havana? Close, But No Cigar
After more than 50 years of tension, normalizing relations between the United States and Cuba is going to take a while, and businesses eager to trade with the island nation best be patient, officials say. Full Story
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![Yasmanny Alcantara, 20, sits in front of a mural near the home of Cuban artist Jose Fuster.]()
Credit: Julián Aguilar / The Texas Tribune -
Texas Officer's Killing Exposes the Ruthless Inner Workings of the Mexican Mafia
The 2014 execution-style killing of a San Antonio-area police officer with ties to the Texas Mexican Mafia is a stark example of how the self-proclaimed "gang of all gangs" operates. Full Story
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![Julian Pesina in his Balcones Heights police uniform.]()
Credit: Courtesy of The Washington Post and the San Antonio Express-News -
Texas Facing Hurricane Season with Drained Disaster Relief Fund
As Texas takes on another hurricane season, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office has nearly committed all of the 2016-17 emergency funds reserved for state disaster recovery efforts in the aftermath of floods and other natural disasters. Full Story
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![Drivers attempt to cross the floodwaters on Highway 59 in Houston on April 18, 2016.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Paxton Opinion Blesses Courtroom Prayers, Chaplain Program
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a legal opinion Monday supporting a Montgomery County courtroom chaplaincy program — and the use of prayer to open legal proceedings. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton testifies how his faith is getting him through his recent legal woes during a speech to a gathering at the Republican Party of Texas gathering in Dallas May 14, 2016.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune/Bob Daemmrich -
From Michael Morton's Wrongful Conviction to Exoneration (Timeline)
In the 30 years since Christine Morton was murdered, her husband Michael Morton has been wrongfully convicted of killing her and fought for sweeping changes to state law. Look back at his case and the developments since his release. Full Story
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![Michael Morton was released on a personal bond in October 2011 after spending nearly 25 years in prison for murdering his wife. DNA evidence ruled him out as Christine Morton's killer.]()
Credit: Illustration by Callie Richmond -
How Michael Morton’s Wrongful Conviction Has Brought Others Justice
Thirty years ago, a Williamson County murder set in motion a shoddy prosecution that led to the wrongful conviction of Michael Morton. It's a miscarriage in justice that's still felt in the state's criminal cases. Full Story
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![Michael Morton stands for his February 1987 mugshot (left) and a portrait 25 years later, taken at the Williamson County Courthouse on Feb. 6, 2013.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
Judge Doesn't Rule in Texas' Lawsuit Over Transgender Protections
In the first hearing over a Texas-led lawsuit against the federal government, state attorneys argued that the Obama administration’s guidelines to accommodate transgender students unconstitutionally “hold a gun to the head” of states and school districts. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Texas Seeks Temporary Block of Rules for Transgender Students
The legal distinction between gender identity and sex will be central as Texas on Friday tries to block the Obama administration's order that public schools accommodate transgender students. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton holds a press conference on June 9, 2016 in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to discuss the filing of a lawsuit against the state of Delaware]()
Credit: Bill Clark for The Texas Tribune -
Prison Guard's Convicted Killer Wins Another Execution Stay
Robert Lynn Pruett, convicted in the 1999 stabbing death of a state correctional officer, has won another stay of execution from a Court of Criminal Appeals judge. His lethal injection was set for August 23. Full Story
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![Robert Pruett, seen here in a 2013 interview, was sentenced to death in 2002 for the murder of correctional officer Daniel Nagle.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
Congressional Panel Extends Review of Roger Williams Ethics Case
Congressional ethics investigators have decided to take a further look at U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, over a legislative amendment he pushed that allegedly benefited his car dealership. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Texas Prepares to Execute A Man Who Killed No One
Jeff Wood was outside in a pickup when his partner killed a Kerrville convenience store clerk in 1996, but he was sentenced to death under Texas' felony murder statute, commonly known as the law of parties. 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.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
Texas Capitol Entrance Open: Keep Calm and Carry On, Y’all
The main entrance to the Texas Capitol is open and bustling again, a few weeks after the state Department of Public Safety temporarily closed it citing security concerns. Full Story
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![The south entrance of the Texas Capitol.]()
Credit: John Jordan -
Family of "Clock Boy" Ahmed Mohamed Files Lawsuit Against Former School
Nearly one year after 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for bringing a “suspicious-looking” homemade clock to class, his family has filed suit against his former school district, the principal of the high school and the city of Irving. Full Story
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![Ahmed Mohamed.]()
Credit: Dallas Morning News -
Texas High Court Carves "Monstrous Loophole" for Government Secrets
McAllen taxpayers cannot find out how much their city paid Enrique Iglesias to sing at a holiday concert, and that's just one example of the fallout from a Texas Supreme Court decision that is shielding many business secrets from the public. Full Story
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Credit: The Sunlight Foundation -
In Dirty Bomb Prevention, Texas Fails a Crucial Test
An investigation in Texas has exposed gaping holes in state and federal regulations that undermine the nation's claim to be the best in the world at blocking this potential terrorist threat. Full Story
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![Large quantities of radioactive materials stored in a single location, like these at an oil well-logging storage site, are particularly vulnerable to theft for use in a dirty bomb, the Department of Energy and the Government Accountability Office determined in 2014, yet the Nuclear Regulatory Commission still allows the practice.]()
Credit: National Nuclear Security Administration / GAO -
After Shooting, Dallas Police Recruits Say They're More Committed Than Ever
It’s been almost a month since a gunman opened fire on police officers in downtown Dallas. Since then, the department has been sorting through a deluge of job applications. Full Story
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![Dallas police academy recruits line up in formation. They’ll complete a nine-month training course before going out on patrol.]()
Credit: Christopher Connelly
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