The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Texas death row inmate Tuesday, sending his case back to the appeals court and invalidating the state’s method of determining if a death-sentenced inmate is intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for execution.
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
Texas death penalty juror hopes to change law as execution looms
As Paul Storey’s execution looms, one juror is asking the Texas Legislature to clarify the jury instructions in death penalty cases, claiming he didn’t know he alone could have stopped the sentence.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Stockman says he’ll be vindicated as lawyers brush off “deep state” blame
Former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, said Friday he will be vindicated in the conspiracy case against him while his lawyers brushed off the suggestion a “deep state” shadow government was behind his arrest.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Yet again, lawmakers poised to do little to help sex-trafficking victims
When it comes to child sex trafficking, Texas lawmakers are once again poised to focus on criminal enforcement this legislative session rather than providing resources to victims.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Senate panel OKs bill requiring schools to teach teens about interacting with police
The proposal, Senate Bill 30, is a bipartisan response to deadly encounters between law enforcement and civilians seen in recent years throughout the country.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
House committee makes changes to anti-“sanctuary” bill
More than 600 people signed up on Wednesday to testify before the House State Affairs Committee on the lower chamber’s version of the controversial proposal to outlaw “sanctuary” jurisdictions.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas proposal would limit prosecutors in grand jury proceedings
Grand jury reform legislation would allow suspects’ attorneys to be present during questioning and would prevent prosecutors from going to another grand jury if the first one declines to indict – unless there’s new evidence.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas executes Fort Worth man who killed a father and an infant
The state carried out its fourth execution of the year, putting to death 61-year-old James Bigby. He was convicted in the 1987 murders of his friend and a 4-month-old during a killing spree in Fort Worth.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Senators grill one another in tense hearing on property tax bill
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt’s attempt to limit when cities and counties can increase property tax collections without an election drew bipartisan opposition Tuesday. But many supporters also came to the bill’s defense.
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice, Politics, State Government
Here’s what the revised Texas bathroom bill means in plain English
State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, the author of the so-called “bathroom bill,” last week unveiled a revised version of Senate Bill 6. We’ve updated our plain English annotation of the bill to explain how it would impact communities across Texas.
