The award is the largest the Texas conspiracy theorist has been ordered to pay as part of three defamation lawsuits against him for falsely claiming that the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, was a hoax.
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
U.S. Supreme Court rejects request to review Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas’ case
Thomas’ attorneys appealed saying that some members of the jury that sentenced him had expressed racist views. In their dissent, the court’s three liberal justices wrote that Thomas’ conviction and death sentence were unconstitutional.
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El Paso shooting
Chaos surrounding rookie El Paso DA Yvonne Rosales fuels concerns about Walmart massacre prosecution
Mistakes and backbiting have engulfed the El Paso County district attorney’s office. Some question whether she is competent to handle one of the most high-profile death penalty cases in recent Texas history.
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Courts
In heated exchange, federal judge demands True the Vote identify who provided access to poll worker data
The Texas nonprofit has spread voter fraud conspiracy theories for years. Konnech Inc. accuses the organization of defamation and computer fraud in a lawsuit.
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Texas 2022 Elections
How the debunked conspiracy film “2000 Mules” became Texas Republican orthodoxy
Watchdog groups fear the film will fuel chaos in the upcoming midterm elections and could be a pretext for more restrictive voting laws in the future.
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Public Education
Texas Supreme Court weighs whether to allow state’s education agency to oust Houston school board
Among other issues, the court will consider whether a law that updated the education code last year has any bearing on TEA Commissioner Mike Morath’s attempt to replace HISD’s board members over low academic scores.
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Courts
Federal judge curtails protections for LGBTQ workers, trans kids in response to Texas lawsuit
Ruling in a suit brought by Texas, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk vacated guidance on gender-affirming care for children and pronouns, dress and bathroom protections for LGBTQ workers.
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Criminal Justice
Brittney Griner’s wife says WNBA star is at “weakest moment” before final hearing could send her to a Russian labor camp
The two-time Olympic champion’s wife spoke out for the first time since Griner’s sentencing two months ago in an interview with CBS’ Gayle King.
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Criminal Justice
Texas executes John Ramirez for the 2004 murder of a Corpus Christi man
Earlier this year, Ramirez won a legal fight to have his pastor beside him at his execution.
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Immigration
DACA remains intact as appeals court sends case challenging its legality back to lower court in Texas
The latest ruling in the long-running legal fight over the program doesn’t change the status quo for the program, which protects some undocumented immigrants from deportation and gives them work permits.