A Houston lawyer with a long list of high profile clients has been tapped to be the prosecutor in the court of inquiry into possible misconduct in the case of Michael Morton, who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1987.
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
Death Row Case is About More Than Innocence
A federal judge said in a recent ruling that he has serious concerns about whether Rob Will committed the murder he was sent to death row for, but the law prevented him from doing anything about it.
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Criminal Justice
TABC Developing Apps to Curb Excessive, Underage Drinking
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission hopes a pair of apps will increase safety and compliance next year during spring break.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson and Tan interactively map women’s health program providers in Texas, Galbraith talks to the state’s climatologist about (what else?) the drought, Grissom with the latest on violence in youth prisons, Hamilton on why UTEP’s low four-year graduation rate may not matter, Murphy’s interactive comparing graduation rates and more at public universities in Texas, Ramsey on the redistricting end game (we think), Ramshaw on the state health commissioner’s attack on Planned Parenthood and Root on the closing of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s storied Austin bureau: The best of our best content from February 27 to March 2, 2012.
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Criminal Justice
Survivor of 1990 Attack Suggests Link to Murders
Police never identified the tall, thin, long-haired man who more than 20 years ago beat Debi Scott with a rotten log as she slept. She thinks her attacker was probably Mark Norwood, who is in Williamson County Jail awaiting trial on a murder charge.
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Criminal Justice
Harris County Stops Late Inmate Releases From Jail
Though a bill requiring that county jails release inmates only during daylight hours didn’t pass in the last legislative session, the Harris County Jail has implemented the policy.
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Criminal Justice
Agency Will Investigate Violence in Youth Prisons
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department’s independent ombudsman in a letter said she took seriously advocates’ request for an investigation and that she would conduct a thorough study. She expects to produce a report within six months.
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Criminal Justice
Texas Supreme Court Hands Victory to Landowners in Landmark Water Case
In a case with potentially vast implications for groundwater rules, the court has unanimously ruled in favor of two farmers in the San Antonio area who challenged a local aquifer authority’s restrictions on their well use.
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Criminal Justice
Texas Joins Lawsuit to Fight Contraceptive Rule
Texas has joined six other states and a handful of Catholic organizations in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a new health care rule approved by the federal government that would require all employers to include coverage for contraceptives in employees’ health care benefits.
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University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
UT/TT Poll: Economy, Border Issues Are Texans’ Biggest Concerns
At the national level, voters are concerned about pocketbook issues, while at home immigration is the top problem.
