A Williamson County judge will consider silencing parties to the murder case against Mark Alan Norwood. He is charged with the 1986 beating death of Christine Morton, whose husband spent nearly 25 years in prison for the crime.
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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University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
UT/TT Poll: Texans Split on Re-electing Perry
Gov. Rick Perry told us on Tuesday that he may run for re-election. Voters aren’t sold, according to a new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson interactively charts the legal wrangling between Texas and the feds, Aguilar on what Obama’s budget means for the border, Galbraith on congressional ambivalence about a wind tax credit, Grissom on cuts to crime victims services, Hamilton on UT-Austin’s plan to boost graduation rates, Ramsey on our woefully low voter turnout, Ramshaw on a new Super PAC targeting incumbents of both parties, Root on conservative opposition to the Keystone pipeline and M. Smith on cash-starved school districts in the advertising game: The best of our best content from February 13-17, 2012.
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Criminal Justice
Investigation Sought Into Violence at Youth Prisons
A Tribune report on increasing youth-on-youth violence at Texas Juvenile Justice Department facilities has advocates calling for an investigation into systemic problems at the agency.
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Criminal Justice
Crime Victims Services Bracing for Major Cuts
The Texas attorney general’s office is advising agencies that serve crime victims to prepare for big cuts during the next budget cycle because of a severe shortfall projected for the state’s crime victims fund.
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Criminal Justice
Pipeline Companies Fighting for Property Rights
The Texas Supreme Court could decide by this week whether it erred in allowing pipeline companies to force their way onto private land. As Dave Fehling of StateImpact Texas reports, the legal wrangling comes as drilling in the state is surging.
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Criminal Justice
State Seeking Room for Mentally Ill Inmates
A judge’s expected ruling forcing the state to find room to treat mentally ill inmates is sending officials in search of space at already-full mental hospitals.
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Criminal Justice
Williamson County Grand Jury Indicts Norwood
Mark Alan Norwood, a 57-year-old Bastrop resident, was indicted today by a Williamson County jury for the 1986 murder of Christine Morton, whose husband, Michael Morton, spent 25 years wrongly imprisoned for her death.
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Criminal Justice
Breast Cancer Group Drops Support of Planned Parenthood
The Dallas-based breast cancer prevention group Susan G. Komen for the Cure has halted its financial support of Planned Parenthood, yet another blow to the family planning organization that provides abortions in some of its clinics.
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Criminal Justice
Legal Dispute Leaves Poor Defendants in Limbo
In rural Val Verde County, defendants who are too poor to afford their own lawyers have waited years for resolution of their cases. As a new legal battle between their lawyers and the county begins, their day in court remains elusive.
