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.
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
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.
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Criminal Justice
ATF: Two-Thirds of Guns Recovered in Mexico Come From the U.S.
An estimated 68,000 of the more than 99,000 guns submitted to U.S. authorities by Mexican law enforcement for tracing had origins here, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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Criminal Justice
Leppert Derides Opponents as “Empty Suits” in New Ad
In his latest television ad, U.S. Senate candidate Tom Leppert dismisses his Republican opponents as “empty suits” and compares them all to President Obama.
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Criminal Justice
Making the Trip From the Bench to the Grass Roots
How do you get state judges to go to a weekday afternoon reception in rural West Texas? It depends on who else is there — and what it could mean for their re-election bids.
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Criminal Justice
ALEC Will End Work on Gun Laws, Plano Legislator Says
The American Legislative Exchange Council is eliminating its committee that developed policies on crime and elections. State Rep. Jerry Madden, chairman of the committee, said the group will no longer focus on gun laws.
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Criminal Justice
Updated: Court Hears Challenge to Murder Conviction, Scent Lineups
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals heard from Megan Winfrey’s lawyer and the San Jacinto County district attorney Wednesday as Winfrey challenges her conviction for a 2004 murder.
