State Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas, has filed long-shot House Bill 3080, which would prevent offenders proven to have had a severe mental illness at the time of their crime from being sentenced to death in a capital murder case.
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 executes triggerman in San Antonio murder-for-hire case
Texas executed hitman Ronaldo Ruiz late Tuesday night, 25 years after he killed a San Antonio woman for $2,000.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
To fight anti-“sanctuary” bill, Democrats may highlight “sanctuary industries”
Outnumbered and with time running out, Texas Democrats hoping to kill anti-“sanctuary” legislation are open to shining a spotlight on so-called “sanctuary industries” that often turn a blind eye toward hiring unauthorized labor.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Hundreds of Texans testify to senate committee on “bathroom bill”
The Senate State Affairs Committee took up the so-called bathroom bill on Tuesday and voted to send it to the full Texas Senate after hearing more than 13 hours of testimony.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Senate to vote only on law enforcement-related bills Monday
Only bills related to law enforcement will be considered in the Senate on Monday, the first day of the legislative session when the House and Senate are allowed to pass non-emergency legislation.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Civil asset forfeiture debate pits property rights advocates against law enforcement
Critics say the procedure deprives citizens of property without due process. Law enforcement officials say they are stopping crime.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Sandra Bland Act would change processes for law enforcement, jails
The bill’s proposals include limiting police searches during stops, adding reporting requirements for racial profiling and creating an independent ombudsman to monitor inmates’ rights and services.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Businesses line up against Dan Patrick’s high-priority insurance bill
Legislation that would make it harder for people to recover damages after an insurance claim has hit a wall of opposition from business interests.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Treat same-sex couples the same as others, Texas Supreme Court told
Same-sex couples are entitled to the same treatment as opposite-sex couples, a lawyer for the city of Houston argued before the Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday in a case challenging the city’s benefits policy for married same-sex couples.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Still no timeline for withdrawal of state troopers on border, Texas DPS chief says
The director of the Texas Department of Public Safety told lawmakers on Tuesday the agency can’t predict when it will be able to scale back its border security operations in the Rio Grande Valley.
