The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay in Barbee’s case. He was scheduled to be executed Oct. 2.
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
New Texas Laws 2019
Texas raises sentencing for hit-and-run car accidents to equivalent of DWI manslaughter
A new law increased the punishment for failing to stop and render aid to match the sentence for DWI manslaughter. The goal is to deter drunken drivers from leaving the scene of an accident.
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Courts
How hard-charging Dallas lawyer William Brewer III helped fuel a civil war inside the NRA
The well-known attorney’s hardball methods were labeled “Rambo tactics” long ago by other Dallas lawyers. Now the Democratic donor has emerged as a major figure in the fracturing of the powerful gun lobby.
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Criminal Justice
Crystal Mason’s ballot was never counted. Will she still serve five years in prison for illegally voting?
Her lawyers say if her sentence stands, it could discourage low-information voters from going to the polls at all.
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Environment
Central Texas river authority, lakefront property owners reach settlement to avoid draining four lakes — for now
The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and property owners in Guadalupe and Gonzales Counties agreed to not drain four lakes held up by 90-year-old dams, on the condition that recreational use of the lakes is banned.
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Criminal Justice
Federal judge orders Galveston County to have defense lawyers at bail-setting hearings
Galveston County, like Harris and Dallas, was sued for bail practices that lawyers and judges have said discriminate against poor criminal defendants.
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Criminal Justice
“We failed as an agency”: Texas prison officials admit violating court order on air conditioned units for inmates
Texas Department of Criminal Justice Executive Director Bryan Collier was questioned in court for about two hours for not complying with a court order to keep some Texas prisoners in air conditioned housing.
Posted in
Redistricting Texas
How a decade of voting rights fights led to fewer redistricting safeguards for Texas voters of color
In a state with a long history of discrimination, lawmakers on Tuesday will kick off the 2021 round of political mapmaking — the first in nearly half a century without federal oversight.
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State Government
San Antonio sued for excluding Chick-fil-A from airport
The lawsuit, filed by five area residents, cites state legislation passed this year that outlaws government retaliation based on “membership in and support to religious organizations.”
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Criminal Justice
“The stakes could not be higher”: Judge threatens to lock up Texas prison officials over air conditioning violation
A federal judge was visibly frustrated Friday as he suggested that putting state officials in uncooled cells might be the only way to get their attention after they broke a settlement agreement to keep some inmates in air conditioning.
