Discussions on gun control are replete with arguments about background checks, ammunition limits and issues related to mental-health awareness. Gun running to Mexico, however, remains a key concern, a new study shows.
Courts
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Criminal Justice
Prosecutors, Defense Lawyers Agree to More DNA Testing in Skinner Case
Prosecutors in the Texas attorney general’s office and lawyers for death row inmate Hank Skinner have signed an agreement this week to allow more DNA testing in the 1993 triple murder for which he was sentenced to death.
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Criminal Justice
Senate Backs Bill Increasing Punishment for Fatal Hit-and-Runs
UPDATED: The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to increase the range of potential punishment for hit-and-run accidents that result in deaths.
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Criminal Justice
Graffiti Sentencing Reform Faces Uphill Fight in Legislature
Lawmakers will debate different approaches to graffiti in a House committee hearing on Tuesday. While some argue for less harsh punishments, others say tougher consequences are the way to reduce graffiti crimes.
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Criminal Justice
Tears and Relief After Norwood Found Guilty
Family members of Christine Morton and Debra Baker filled a Tom Green County courtroom with tearful hugs and relieved smiles on Wednesday after a jury found Mark Alan Norwood guilty of murder.
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Criminal Justice
Number of Deferred Action Applications on the Decline
After peaking in September, applications for deferred action have dropped off dramatically. Immigration attorneys think most eligible undocumented immigrants are in a wait-and-see mode amid the federal immigration reform debate.
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Criminal Justice
After Drug Lab Scandal, Court Continues to Reverse Convictions
The Court of Criminal Appeals continued to reverse more convictions of drug offenders on Wednesday after a former employee with a DPS crime laboratory in Houston may have fabricated the results of thousands of drug tests.
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Criminal Justice
Updated: Senate Committee Approves Michael Morton Act
A panel of Senate lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill that aims to prevent wrongful convictions by requiring prosecutors to share evidence with defense attorneys in criminal trials.
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Criminal Justice
Norwood’s Lawyers Rest Their Case in Murder Trial
After calling just three witnesses on Mark Norwood’s behalf, lawyers for the man accused of killing Christine Morton in 1986 rested their case Tuesday afternoon.
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Criminal Justice
Senate Passes Prosecutor Accountability Bill
The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that attempts to bring more accountability to prosecutors who are accused of withholding evidence in cases that result in a wrongful conviction.