The high-profile capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, the leader of Mexico’s ruthless Sinaloa drug cartel, should not stoke immediate fears of unrest on Texas’ southern border, analysts said Saturday.
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
Pregnant Inmates Find Help to Stay Out of Jail
A new Harris County Jail program is helping pregnant inmates and young mothers transition back into society. Its goal is to ensure they learn how to be good mothers and to avoid going back to jail.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Video: Pregnant Inmates Find Help to Stay Out of Jail
Mentoring Moms, a program at the Harris County Jail, teaches inmates who are pregnant or have young children how to find jobs, beat addictions and be better parents.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Expecting Pot Penalties to Decrease? Slow Your Roll
Gov. Rick Perry’s recent remarks about states’ rights and marijuana laws drew national attention, though his staff said they were nothing new. Despite the clamor over the remarks, Texans shouldn’t expect marijuana laws to change anytime soon.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Closing Corsicana: Lessons From a Shuttered Youth Detention Center
Since the Corsicana juvenile detention center was founded in 1887 as the Texas Orphan Asylum, the facility’s history has followed national trends in juvenile justice issues.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Seven Candidates Fight for Chance to Reshape Texas Criminal Court
At least three members of Texas’ highest criminal court will be replaced in the next year, and observers say the unusually high turnover could have a significant effect on the court’s decisions.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Abbott Defends “Third World” Corruption Remarks, Border Security Plan
Campaiging in El Paso, GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott on Monday said “third world” corruption is a problem across Texas, not just on the border, and he defended his border security plan.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
East Texas Town’s Stance on Famed Convict Changes Over 15 Years
When Bernie Tiede went to trial in 1999 for murdering a wealthy Carthage widow, many in the town wanted the young man to see a light punishment. But 15 years into his life sentence, many now say prison is where he belongs.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribLive: Van de Putte on Open Carry
At Thursday’s TribLive conversation, state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, a 2014 candidate for Texas lieutenant governor, talked about where she and state Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth, the Democratic frontrunner for governor, differ on open carry.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
DNA Hearing Brings Death Row Inmate’s Case Closer to Resolution
During a two-day DNA hearing that ended Tuesday, prosecutors argued tests confirmed Hank Skinner’s guilt in a 20-year-old triple murder, but his lawyers said the results raised too many questions to allow him to be executed.
