Weather-related prison evacuations, legal battles over execution drugs and death sentences, and reform efforts at the Texas Legislature led the state’s criminal justice headlines in 2017.
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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Courts
Court of Criminal Appeals to review Paxton prosecutor pay ruling
The state’s highest criminal court agreed Wednesday to intervene in prosecutors’ long-running fight to get paid for their handling of the securities fraud case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
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Texas Elections 2018
A Texas House candidate mocked a sheriff on social media. Did he violate the law?
Bo French says the “Thief Bill Waybourn” Facebook page he created to mock Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn was merely satire. Three law enforcement groups are calling it a “scandalous crime.”
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Congress
Former Texas Solicitor General James Ho wins confirmation for federal court
James Ho, a well-respected Dallas attorney and former state solicitor general, was confirmed Thursday to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. He joins Don Willett, a longtime Texas Supreme Court justice who was confirmed Wednesday.
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Criminal Justice
Texas leads the nation in executions, but its death row population is dropping
Texas executed more people than any other state this year, but fewer new death sentences has led to a shrinking death row population.
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Politics
Texan Don Willett confirmed by U.S. Senate to federal 5th Circuit Court
The U.S. Senate confirmed Don Willett, a Texas Supreme Court justice, to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday. A confirmation vote on Jim Ho, a former state solicitor general, is expected later this week.
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Criminal Justice
Paul Pressler, former Texas judge and religious right leader, accused of sexually assaulting teen for years
A lawsuit filed this fall alleges that Paul Pressler, a former state judge, lawmaker and leader on the religious right, repeatedly sexually assaulted a young man over a period of decades, beginning when the boy was just 14.
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Criminal Justice
District attorney who prosecuted Jeff Wood now wants him off death row
The prosecutor in the death penalty case of a man who didn’t kill anyone has asked the parole board and Gov. Greg Abbott to change his sentence to life in prison.
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Criminal Justice
Three women indicted in death of impaired woman in state facility
Five months after the death of a severely disabled woman in a state facility, three employees have been indicted on felony murder charges.
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Criminal Justice
Texas senators discuss closing youth lockups amid sexual abuse scandal
Several state senators indicated at a Tuesday committee hearing that they would be open to closing at least some of Texas’ five remaining remote lockups for committed youth.
