Moore was resentenced from the death penalty to life in prison last year after the U.S. Supreme Court determined he was intellectually disabled. Since he had already served 40 years, he was immediately eligible for parole.
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.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Appeals court tosses order that required face masks, hand sanitizer for inmates at geriatric Texas prison
The lawsuit, filed in late March, argues the policies and practices to protect inmates at a geriatric prison were unconstitutional. But an appeals court said many of the practices ordered have already been implemented.
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Courts
Rejecting appeal, Texas Supreme Court blocks Austin’s paid sick leave ordinance
The high court let stand a lower court’s ruling that Austin’s paid sick leave ordinance is unconstitutional because it conflicts with the Texas Minimum Wage Act.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
As Texas inmates’ lawsuit over coronavirus response winds through courts, infections among prisoners surge
Judges questioned both the inmates’ arguments and state’s positions in a Thursday hearing. In April, the appeals court temporarily blocked a lower judge’s order against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice over its coronavirus practices and policies at a geriatric prison.
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Courts
Texas on the hook for $6.8 million after long voter ID fight
The state plans to appeal the Wednesday ruling from a federal judge in Corpus Christi.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Texas Supreme Court: Lack of immunity to coronavirus alone isn’t enough for mail-in ballot
Although the court sided with state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s interpretation of what constitutes a disability, it indicated that it is up to voters to assess their health and determine if they meet the state’s definition, which could allow them to vote by mail.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Some Texas hospitals continued to sue patients for unpaid medical bills during the coronavirus pandemic
Hundreds of debt collection lawsuits have been filed since Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster because of COVID-19 in mid-March, according to the Health Care Research and Policy Team at Johns Hopkins University.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: Politics and a pandemic jumble Texas elections
The partisan differences about voting by mail in Texas — Democrats want to expand it, Republicans believe it’s insecure — were in place long before COVID-19 came along. But the pandemic has escalated the debate.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Coronavirus throws Texas Supreme Court justices into the spotlight — and into Democrats’ crosshairs
In a year when four justices face reelection, the all-Republican high court has made a slate of controversy-generating decisions, including lifting a moratorium on evictions and — for now — limiting voting by mail in this year’s elections.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
How a Dallas salon owner changed Texas’ reopening debate
After Shelley Luther was jailed for opening her salon in blatant defiance of emergency orders, top Texas Republicans in all three branches of government scrambled to ensure her release.
