The district attorney in Tyler County, where the grand jury indicted Netflix, is the son of U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, who has labeled the movie child pornography.
Courts
Stay up to date on Texas courts with in-depth coverage of major rulings, judicial elections, criminal justice, and the judges shaping state law from The Texas Tribune.
Texas U.S. Attorney John Bash, tapped to investigate Obama administration for “unmasking,” resigns
Gregg Sofer — who was a counselor to the U.S. attorney general and formerly worked in the Western District of Texas office — was named as his successor.
Who is Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general accused of bribery and abuse of office?
Paxton said Monday he wouldn’t resign. Here’s what we know so far about the latest allegations against Texas’ top legal official.
Doctors and White House send mixed signals on President Trump’s health
A day after Trump was hospitalized for COVID-19, he appeared on video saying he was “starting to feel good”. Meanwhile, an increasing number of Republican officials and key congressional members announced they had also contracted the virus, casting doubt on the timing of U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
Voters, voting rights groups sue Gov. Greg Abbott over order to close ballot drop-off locations
In two separate federal lawsuits filed on behalf of older voters, groups including the Texas and National Leagues of United Latin American Citizens, the League of Women Voters of Texas and the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans asked that the federal courts overturn the governor’s order, which forced Travis and Harris counties — two of the state’s most important Democratic strongholds — to shutter a number of drop-off sites they had already opened this week.
The U.S. census will continue through October, paving the way for more Texans to be counted
Experts say the extension could help the historically undercounted state regain lost ground. Texans are already responding to the census at a substantially lower rate than the national average.
Analysis: The confounding commotion around voting in Texas
Voting and election cases are piled up in the courts in Texas, and the days between now and Nov. 3 are growing short. Some of the rules could change while we’re voting. But vote anyhow.
No straight-ticket voting for Texas’ 2020 election, federal appeals court says
A three-judge panel on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a 2017 state law ending the popular one-punch option — and admonished a lower court judge for trying to bring the practice back so soon before early voting starts Oct. 13.
Veteran, war hero, defendant, troll: Man who raised millions for border wall uses social media to attack his detractors
Brian Kolfage, who’s charged in a case where he’s accused of defrauding thousands in a “build the wall” effort, has used personal attacks and misinformation against perceived opponents.
Federal appeals court temporarily blocks ruling that reinstated straight-ticket voting in Texas
A federal judge’s ruling temporarily reinstating the practice of one-punch voting has been put on a temporary hold as judges on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals weigh the issue.

