Some news for the armchair detectives second-guessing how U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death in Texas was declared over the phone: Not every dead body gets an autopsy, and Texas is no outlier in that department.
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
Baylor Opts Out of Campus Carry
Baylor University has opted out of Texas’ campus carry law, joining the long list of Texas private universities that have decided to continue banning handguns on their campuses.
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Criminal Justice
As Ciudad Juárez Prepares for Pope’s Historic Visit, So Do Activists
From city officials working to rebrand Ciudad Juárez as a safe and organized metropolis to the mother and daughter who met along opposite sides of a border fence, Pope Francis’ visit here is fraught with symbolism.
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Criminal Justice
Inmate Executed after 24 Years on Death Row
After 24 years on death row, a re-sentencing trial and an escape attempt, Gustavo Julian Garcia, 43, was executed Tuesday evening.
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Criminal Justice
Federal Lawsuit Claims Excessive Force by Austin Police
One week after an Austin police officer shot and killed an unarmed, black 17-year-old, two San Antonio tourists filed a federal excessive force lawsuit against several Austin Police Department officers.
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Criminal Justice
Rep. Ron Reynolds Fending Off Conviction, Challengers in Primary
He’s appealing a a five-count barratry conviction and facing a field of strong Democratic primary challengers, and yet state Rep. Ron Reynolds is surprisingly upbeat about his chances to keep his seat and his law license.
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Criminal Justice
Commission Wants Restriction of Bite-Mark Evidence
The Texas Forensic Science Commission on Friday recommended that prosecutors temporarily stop using bite-mark evidence in criminal cases until questions are answered about its scientific validity.
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Criminal Justice
Families Accuse Bank of Laundering Gang Money
The families of several U.S. citizens murdered in Mexico filed a lawsuit this week against HSBC Holdings and its subsidiaries alleging the company supported various drug cartel activities by laundering millions of dollars for gangs.
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Bordering on Insecurity
After Deportation, Killer Returned Easily to U.S.
Deported to his native Mexico for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl, Juan Leonardo Quintero returned to Houston and easily resumed his life. When he killed a police officer in 2006, Quintero became a poster child for loose border enforcement.
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Criminal Justice
Three Supreme Court Justices Face Challenges
In all three state Supreme Court seats up for election this year, Republican incumbents face primary challengers on March 1 – but that’s where the similarities end.
