A study of 41 local jails has found that juveniles awaiting trial often face hours of isolation daily or exposure to abuse by older inmates. County jails struggle to deal with a population they are not equipped or trained to handle.
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
Jay Kimbrough Returns to Youth Agency in Trouble
Gov. Rick Perry’s “happy warrior” is coming to the rescue again for the state’s troubled youth lockups. Jay Kimbrough will serve as special assistant for safety and security at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
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Criminal Justice
Video: Ted Nugent Unplugged
Ted Nugent unplugged: The rocker and Second Amendment defender weighs in on everything from Mitt Romney and the Trayvon Martin case to his theory that President Obama was raised by Communists. Viewer discretion advised.
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Criminal Justice
Rocker Ted Nugent is Bearing Arms and Cranking Up Controversy
If you thought a little Secret Service investigation or a $10,000 bear hunting fine would tame the “Motor City Madman,” well, you probably have never sat down for a chat with Ted Nugent.
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Criminal Justice
Pay to Pave
More energy producers are making “donations” to the Texas Department of Transportation to fix roads torn up by gas well operations.
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Criminal Justice
Weekend Insider: Ted Nugent Talks
This week in The New York Times and at texastribune.org, Jay Root talks with rock-and-roll star and Second Amendment advocate Ted Nugent.
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Criminal Justice
Top Criminal Court to Hear Skinner’s DNA Plea
The latest installment in death row inmate Hank Skinner’s quest for DNA testing comes today as his lawyers argue to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals that a change in state law should allow for testing in his case.
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Criminal Justice
DNA Exonerates Two More Inmates in Dallas County
Two men on Monday became the 31st and 32nd individuals to be exonerated by DNA evidence in Dallas County since 2001. Era Sundar of KUT News reports on the faulty eyewitness identification system that may have led to their incarcerations.
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Criminal Justice
Filing by Cook’s Lawyers Says DA Kept Murder Weapon as “Souvenir”
UPDATED: Former Smith County District Attorney A.D. Clark III denies allegations by Kerry Max Cook’s lawyers that Clark had kept the knife linked to Linda Jo Edwards’ fatal stabbing at his home.
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Criminal Justice
Amid Reports of Violence, Calls for Accountability, Reform at Youth Lockups
Five years after Texas lawmakers overhauled the juvenile justice system, reports of violence, inappropriate staff behavior and poor mental health services at youth lockups are spurring calls for accountability and continued reform.