Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot ignited a firestorm of controversy when he announced he wouldn’t prosecute some low-level crimes, including certain theft offenses. But he’s among many prosecutors turning their focus away from nonviolent offenses.
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.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas House passes bill allowing handgun owners to carry weapons in church
Consideration of the bill comes more than a year after a gunman killed 26 in a Sutherland Springs church.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas House passes religious liberty bill amid LGBTQ Caucus’ objections
What started as a sweeping religious refusals bill has been significantly watered down as it moves through the Texas Legislature. But LGBTQ advocates still fiercely oppose it, saying it perpetuates hateful rhetoric.
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Criminal Justice
In a nod to Texas, U.S. Department of Justice says FDA can’t regulate execution drugs
Texas has been fighting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ban on the state’s attempted import of lethal injection drugs. But the Justice Department says federal law doesn’t give the FDA oversight.
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Demographics
In long-winding case, court considers federal oversight of Texas redistricting
A panel of three judges heard arguments in the high-stakes fight that could return Texas to the days of federal supervision of its political maps.
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Texas Legislature 2019
With business groups’ backing, House panel adds non-discrimination protection to Senate bill
State Rep. Dade Phelan added the provision to a Senate bill that would bar cities from enacting rules on how businesses schedule their employees’ shifts. LGBTQ groups worried that without the language, businesses could pick which employees get certain benefits.
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Criminal Justice
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joins fight targeting Texas State Bar
The lawsuit has the potential to upend the structure of the entity responsible for regulating Texas’ legal profession. Critics suggest that Paxton’s involvement may be politically motivated.
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Criminal Justice
Execution stopped for Dexter Johnson, sentenced to death after Harris County rape and murder
Johnson was convicted in the 2007 murders of Maria Aparece and Huy Ngo in Harris County, a crime he committed at 18. He was set for execution Thursday before a court ruled that his new lawyer should have more time to look into federal appellate issues.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas House offers a new way to determine whether a defendant has intellectual disabilities — and is ineligible for execution
The lower chamber gave initial approval to a bill creating a pretrial process to determine if a capital murder defendant is intellectually disabled — more than 15 years after the U.S. Supreme Court said executing such prisoners is cruel and unusual punishment.
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Texas Voting Rights
Texas will end its botched voter citizenship review and rescind its list of flagged voters
The state had questioned the citizenship status of almost 100,000 registered voters, but many on the list turned out to be naturalized citizens.
