Williamson County officials have arrested a 53-year-old former Garland resident in the 1980 murder of Mildred McKinney. The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office says it identified the DNA and a fingerprint of Steven Alan Thomas at the crime scene.
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
TABC Looking to Speed Up Alcohol Permitting
The director of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission told lawmakers on Wednesday that the agency is working on plans to make obtaining a beer or liquor license simpler and faster.
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Criminal Justice
New Facility is Haven for Victims of Sex Trafficking
Freedom Place, outside of Houston, is Texas’ first privately run safe house that provides long-term housing for American girls who are victims of sex trafficking.
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Criminal Justice
Supreme Court Justice Faces Tough Runoff
A Texas Supreme Court GOP runoff has eight-year incumbent David Medina defending his spot against John Devine, a former district court judge known for his battle to keep the Ten Commandments displayed in his courtroom.
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Criminal Justice
Texas Will Change Its Lethal Injection Protocol
For Yokamon Hearn’s scheduled execution on July 18, officials plan to administer a lethal dose of pentobarbital instead of the three-drug cocktail that has been used since Texas reinstated the death penalty in 1982.
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Criminal Justice
Video: Errors in Judgment: Seeking Solutions
Michael Morton’s exoneration last year brought to a crescendo in Texas calls for change in the way that prosecutors are regulated. Morton and others discuss whether there is a need for more accountability for state lawyers and how it ought to be accomplished.
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Criminal Justice
Prosecutor Errors Haunt Long Exoneration Fight
Kerry Max Cook is battling with prosecutors to clear his name of a 1978 murder conviction, and says his mission is doomed if he must fight in Smith County. That’s where a court ruled misconduct had “tainted this entire matter from the outset.”
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Criminal Justice
Nearly a Quarter of Overturned Convictions Involve Prosecutor Error
At least 86 Texans’ convictions were overturned between 1989 and 2011. A Tribune analysis finds that in nearly 25 percent of those cases, courts ruled that prosecutors made mistakes.
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Criminal Justice
TJJD Board Approves Reforms Aimed at Reducing Violence
UPDATED: The Texas Juvenile Justice Department’s board voted on Friday to implement new reforms aimed at reducing violence in the state’s troubled youth lockups. It also named Jay Kimbrough interim executive director.
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Criminal Justice
Death Sentence Thrown Out in 2005 Murder Case
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned a death sentence for Manuel Velez, citing inaccurate testimony during Velez’s sentencing.