The Texas Forensic Science Commission’s investigation of the science used to convict Cameron Todd Willingham may be at an end after the state’s top attorney ruled that the panel cannot consider evidence in cases older than 2005.
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
Criminal Appeals Court Grants Rare Execution Stay
In a rare move Thursday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state’s highest criminal court, stayed the scheduled Aug. 18 execution of Larry Swearingen, convicted of the 1998 rape and murder of 19-year-old Melissa Trotter.
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Criminal Justice
Tracking the Money: Presidential Candidates and Texas
Texans are already opening their pocketbooks to show support for their favorite presidential candidates. The Tribune’s visualizations of data from federal campaign finance reports reveal who has collected and spent the most in Texas.
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Criminal Justice
DPS Can’t Reveal Cost to Protect Perry, Purges Records
State officials said Friday they can’t reveal how much money taxpayers are spending to protect Gov. Rick Perry — and that records of security costs compiled before 2008 have been “purged.”
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Criminal Justice
On the Records: Shifting Unemployment Rates in Texas
New Texas Workforce Commission stats show that Texas has gained more than 220,000 jobs since last year. Check out this visualization of unemployment rates broken down by city for June 2010 and June 2011.
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Criminal Justice
Thompson Feeds Her “Little Dogs” and Throws a Bone to Bigger Ones
Rep. Senfronia Thompson’s almost 40-year House tenure is defined by her defense of the underserved. But her legislative career is peppered with occasional paradoxes.
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Criminal Justice
Updated: Court Declines Stay for 9-11 Revenge Killer
U.S. Distict Judge Lee Yeakel today denied Rais Bhuiyan’s request to the stay the execution of Mark Stroman, the man who shot him and killed two others and is scheduled to die tonight for his crimes.
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Criminal Justice
State Seeks Clearance for Political Maps
Texas bypassed the Obama administration’s Department of Justice on Tuesday, opting to ask a panel of federal judges in Washington, D.C., to review the state’s new maps for congressional, legislative and State Board of Education districts.
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Criminal Justice
Inside Houston’s Harris County Jail
Lt. Ronny Taylor talks about some of the security measures in place to prevent inmates from escaping from the Harris County Jail in Houston.
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Criminal Justice
In Texas, Jailbreaks Aren’t Like the Movies. Usually.
A favorite plot device on television and in movies, jailbreaks, at least in Texas, are pretty rare. But that doesn’t stop inmates from trying. And trying.