Democrat Keith Hampton is focusing his campaign to lead the state’s top criminal court on winning over Republicans. That is the key, he says, to defeating controversial long-time Judge Sharon Keller.
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
Civil Rights Group Questions Open-Records Fee
A civil rights group is protesting a new $30 fee for submitting comments on pending open-records requests to the state attorney general’s office. The group also wants to know where the money generated from the fee goes.
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Criminal Justice
Innocence Project Set to Grade Lineup Policies
Texas lawmakers passed a law they hoped would prevent faulty eyewitness identifications, which have been the leading cause of wrongful convictions. The Innocence Project of Texas is checking to see if the law is being implemented.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Considering Death Row for Organ Donation
Recovering organs from willing convicted murderers may seem like a reasonable method to reduce the organ waiting list, but the proposal is fraught with challenges that make it unlikely to ever be an option.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Michael Griffiths: The TT Interview
The incoming director of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department on how his experience has prepared him for his new role and how he’ll solve the problems that have long plagued the state’s juvenile system.
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Criminal Justice
Phoenix Program Aims to Transform Troubled Youths, Juvenile Facilities
For youths who are considered some of the most troubled in the juvenile justice system, the Phoenix Program is a last chance to straighten their paths. For the troubled juvenile system, it may be the road to reform.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Juvenile Justice Board Hires New Agency Leader
The Texas Juvenile Justice Board on Friday voted to hire Michael Griffiths to be the next leader of the youth justice agency as it struggles to improve security and safety at its juvenile correctional facilities.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Survey: Local Juvenile Programs Underfunded
Instead of continuing to spend millions on problem-plagued secure facilities operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, juvenile justice reform advocates say legislators should invest more in local probation departments.
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Criminal Justice
Lubbock Judge: Obama Re-election Could Spark U.N. Takeover, Civil War
A Lubbock County judge is making headlines after suggesting that President Obama might hand over sovereignty of the United States to the United Nations, possibly igniting in a civil war.
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Criminal Justice
Judge Signals Intent to Side With State, Against Condemned Inmate
A judge in Montgomery County plans to recommend that the state move forward with the execution of Larry Swearingen, who argues that science proves he is innocent of the 1998 murder for which he was condemned to die.
