Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn expressed concerns Thursday that the Orlando massacre was leading to a push for legislative action that would violate the Second Amendment.
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
Texas Loses Fight to Keep Syrian Refugees Out
Texas on Thursday lost its fight against the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state, ending a monthslong battle during which refugees from the war-torn country continued to arrive.
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Criminal Justice
Former Officer Escapes Death Sentence in Police Chief’s Murder
After a five-day sentencing trial, David Risner, a former police officer, was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the shooting death of Little River-Academy Police Chief Lee Dixon.
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Criminal Justice
Appeals Court Changes Texas Death Row Inmate’s Sentence to Life
A man who sexually assaulted and fatally stabbed a 68-year-old woman during a 1995 burglary in Hidalgo County will no longer face execution after he has been determined to be intellectually disabled.
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Bordering on Insecurity
State Scrambles to Fund Border Security Project
Wiping out the tall stands of Carrizo cane that give drug and human smugglers easy cover along the Rio Grande was deemed a border-security priority by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2015, but the program wasn’t funded.
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Criminal Justice
Misdemeanor Charge Against Anti-Abortion Activist Dropped
A Harris County judge has dropped one of the criminal charges against an anti-abortion activist who was indicted after making undercover recordings of a Houston Planned Parenthood facility.
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Criminal Justice
Patrick Takes Heat for Pre-Scheduled Posts After Orlando Shooting
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick drew outrage Sunday morning for pre-scheduled social media posts that said “man reaps what he sows” hours after a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. The posts had both been removed as of 11 a.m. Sunday.
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Criminal Justice
Paxton Lawyers Seek Dismisal of SEC Case
Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have asked a federal court to dismiss the federal securities fraud charges against him.
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Criminal Justice
After Outcry, Judge Delays Sanctions Against Obama Administration in Immigration Case
The Texas-based judge that earlier this year put a hold on President Obama’s executive order on immigration decided on Tuesday to also suspend a controversial punishment he had recently issued to the administration’s attorneys.
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Criminal Justice
District Attorney Drops Conviction Against Man Who Spent 20 Years on Death Row
Since 1977, prosecutors have said Kerry Max Cook raped, murdered and mutilated Linda Jo Edwards. On Monday, they set aside the conviction following claims of misconduct and DNA evidence tying another man to the crime.
