The Obama administration has asked a Brownsville-based judge to rethink an order that requires the federal government to turn over the private information of thousands of undocumented immigrants.
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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Mental Health Matters
Issue of Mental Health Assessment a Focus as 3 Fight Death Sentences
Criminal justice experts say that determining mental health can be hard for anyone, including judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors and jurors. They say the issues revealed in three cases are key in furthering the discussion in how mental health is gauged when weighing the death penalty for killers.
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Criminal Justice
Texas Court Halts Execution in Dallas Murder
The execution of a man whose original trial included a hypnotized eyewitness was stopped by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Friday evening.
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Criminal Justice
Cost of Texas Child Support Overhaul Doubles to $420 Million
The state’s sidelined child support overhaul is now back on track, but its cost has more than doubled to $420 million and it is now two years behind schedule.
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Criminal Justice
As El Paso Sees Surge of Cuban Migrants, Calls for Policy Shift Grow Louder
As El Paso draws record numbers of Cubans seeking refuge, the city’s Democratic congressman said he favors repealing a decades-old provision that gives those migrants a special status here.
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Criminal Justice
Texas Sues Feds Over Transgender Bathroom Directive (Video)
In the Roundup: Texas files suit against the federal government, again – this time over President Obama’s transgender bathroom directive. Plus, attorneys for Texas were back in court this week defending the state’s Voter ID law and voters settled a slew of runoff races in Tuesday’s election.
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Bordering on Insecurity
Border Patrol Agent Indicted in Sweeping Drug Probe
A U.S. Border Patrol agent has been indicted in a sweeping corruption probe into a drug ring that allegedly recruited law enforcement officials to steal dope from traffickers.
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Criminal Justice
Mexico OKs “El Chapo’s” Extradition to the U.S.
Mexican cartel kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is one step closer to facing charges in the United States after Mexico’s secretariat of foreign relations said the Sinaloa cartel boss can be extradited.
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Criminal Justice
Former Dukes Staffer: Lawmaker Sought Payment for Days She Wasn’t at Capitol
A former staffer for state Rep. Dawnna Dukes has claimed the Austin Democrat sought reimbursement from the state for travel payments she was not entitled to, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
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Criminal Justice
Judge Orders Ethics Classes for Justice Department Attorneys in Immigration Case
The Brownsville-based judge who halted President Obama’s 2014 executive action on immigration has decided that ethics classes are in order for the attorneys who defended the policy.
