A state appeals court ruled Texas’ “revenge porn” law unconstitutional. Now, the state’s highest criminal court will decide.
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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Criminal Justice
Convicted murderer Alvin Braziel executed for killing Mesquite man and raping his wife
Braziel’s attorneys failed to secure a delay in the execution after last-minute argument that prosecutorial conduct tainted his trail. He was the 13th and final inmate Texas put to death this year.
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Dis-Integration
Richardson ISD’s student demographics have significantly changed. The makeup of its school board hasn’t.
Only one person of color has ever served on the Richardson ISD board. Now, he’s suing the district over its method of electing school board members, alleging it denies people of color a fair say in who represents them.
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Criminal Justice
Report highlights the trauma that thousands of Texas families have experienced with incarceration
Researchers reviewed prison data and surveyed more than 4,000 adults this summer to determine how incarceration affects family members of prisoners.
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Politics
Can public officials block users on Facebook? This Texas case could help answer that
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments Thursday for Deanna Robinson’s First Amendment case against the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office. At issue is whether the sheriff’s office was allowed to block her from its Facebook page.
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Criminal Justice
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturns death sentence for inmate Kenneth Wayne Thomas
Thomas’ conviction stands, but he is entitled to a new punishment hearing based on modern standards for assessing intellectual disabilities, the court ruled.
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Courts
Texas liquor giant Spec’s sues Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for “abusive” enforcement attempts
In a case that alleges overzealous business regulation, Spec’s, the state’s largest liquor store chain, is suing the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for “wrongfully and maliciously” trying to impose huge fines and sanctions on the retailer. The state says it’s immune from such suits.
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Criminal Justice
Texas executes Joseph Garcia, one of the “Texas Seven” prison escapees
Garcia was executed Tuesday night. He was the fourth of the “Texas Seven” inmates executed after the group escaped the Connally Unit in 2000 and killed Irving Police Officer Aubrey Hawkins during a Christmas Eve robbery.
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Politics
Why did the Texas AG get into — and then out of — a controversial lawsuit in his home county?
On Nov. 19, the Texas Attorney General’s Office backed Plano in a heated lawsuit over the city’s development plan. On Nov. 20, the agency said it had made a mistake.
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Criminal Justice
Ken Paxton prosecutors to seek rehearing in pay decision
The court ruled Nov. 21 that six-figure payments for the prosecutors’ work were outside legal limits.
