Texas Appleseed and the Brazos County branch of the NAACP have filed a federal complaint against Bryan ISD, saying the school district’s reliance on ticketing as a form of discipline “disproportionately harms” black students.
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
Prison Employee Union Calls for Pay Raise
A union representing Texas prison employees is calling on the Legislature to consider a pay raise for correctional officers, citing a rise in drilling jobs that can be more lucrative than prison jobs.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Lawmakers and Judge Push for Legal Aid Funding
A Texas Supreme Court Justice and several lawmakers are pushing to raise the amount of money that can be given by the attorney general’s office to indigent legal aid services groups.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Meth Seizures Increase on Texas-Mexico Border
For the second consecutive year, seizures of methamphetamine in the Laredo customs district — the country’s busiest land port — climbed significantly.
Posted in
Trouble in Mind
Andre Thomas: Where Mental Health and Criminal Justice Collide
The case of death row inmate Andre Thomas offers a lens through which to examine the effects of a long underfunded mental health system and raises important questions about how Texas punishes the mentally ill.
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Trouble In Mind: A Timeline
This timeline provides an in-depth look at some of the key moments in the case of Andre Thomas, a mentally ill death row inmate who began exhibiting signs of mental illness as a boy and committed a brutal triple murder in 2004. Blind because he pulled out both of his eyes while behind bars, Thomas awaits a federal court’s decision on whether he is sane enough to be executed.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Cruz Talks Guns, Deflects Hagel Accusations
Calling President Obama’s recent gun control initiatives “cynical” and “wrong,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said on Tuesday that lawmakers “should focus our efforts on deterring and punishing violent criminals.”
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Updated Interactive: Payouts to Exonerated Texas Prisoners
Texas has paid 89 exonerees nearly $61 million since 1992, according to data from the Texas comptroller’s office. Use this interactive to see how much money the state has paid to exonerated prisoners by fiscal year.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Moody Files Open Discovery Bill
A bill filed by state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, on Monday would require prosecutors and defense lawyers in criminal cases to open their files to their opponents. It could have momentum in the wake of Michael Morton’s exoneration.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Call for a New Execution Date Revives Race Debate
Harris County prosecutors will seek a new execution date on Monday for death row inmate Duane Buck. His defenders say race played a role in his death sentence. Prosecutors say courts have “thoroughly reviewed” and rejected his claims.