Planned Parenthood has managed to stay open in Texas despite the state’s best efforts to shut it down. But a lawsuit in front of a conservative judge poses an existential threat.
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
Accomplice tied to Vanessa Guillén’s slaying given 30-year prison term
Cecily Aguilar, 25, pleaded guilty last year to helping her boyfriend, Spc. Aaron Robinson, dismember and bury the remains after Robinson bludgeoned 20-year-old Guillén to death in April 2020 at Fort Hood.
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Criminal Justice
A prison guard says she was forced to stay at her post during labor pains. Texas is fighting compensation for her stillbirth.
The seven-months-pregnant officer reported contraction-like pains at work, but said she wasn’t allowed to leave for hours. The anti-abortion state is fighting her lawsuit, in part by saying her fetus didn’t clearly have rights.
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Ken Paxton Impeachment
Federal grand jury reportedly calls witnesses related to Ken Paxton
The Austin American-Statesman reported that the grand jury has been convened in San Antonio. The identities of the witnesses and the focus of the inquiry remain unclear.
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Righting the Rule of Law
How the Texas AG’s office became a pipeline for conservative federal judges
In just a few decades, the Texas attorney general’s office became a powerhouse in national legal fights over abortion, health care and immigration. Here’s a timeline of how it happened.
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Criminal Justice
“A place of torment”: 22 families, former inmates sue Harris County over jail conditions
A federal lawsuit accuses the sheriff’s office of violating the constitutional rights of inmates, dozens of whom have died or been injured at the jail in recent years.
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Righting the Rule of Law
Part 2: Texas backlash to Obama fueled conservative drive to reinterpret U.S. Constitution
Barraging the Obama administration with lawsuits, the Texas attorney general’s office wasn’t just trying to block policies. It was injecting disruptive, overtly Christian legal philosophies into the mainstream, and grooming a generation of conservative legal warriors.
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The 2023 Texas Tribune Festival
T-Squared: The wait is over. Our full program for TribFest23 is here!
We’re bringing people together for talks that will examine education, Texas’ energy future, the 2024 races for U.S. Senate and president, and the state of democracy.
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Texas Abortion Restrictions
Texas AG appeals judge’s order that allows women with complicated pregnancies to get abortions
State District Court Judge Jessica Mangrum on Friday issued a temporary exemption to Texas’ abortion ban. Hours later, the attorney general’s office filed an appeal, which blocked the order.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
LGBTQ+ advocates sue to block Texas’ new law that could criminalize some drag performances
State officials backing Senate Bill 12 have said they want to protect children from seeing sexually explicit performances. But new legal challenges say the law is so broad and vague that it criminalizes constitutionally protected expression.