Criminal justice

San Jacinto County Judge John Lovett Jr. was suspended indefinitely by the state's judicial conduct commission after being indicted on three criminal charges. It looks like his alleged crimes may all have been for the sake of open government.

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The state has given Travis County nearly $2 million to reform its indigent defense system. But a handful of Austin-area lawyers are still taking on far more cases than experts believe anyone could handle. 

 

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Erick Davila was executed Wednesday evening for a 2008 shooting at a child's birthday party that left his rival gang member's mother and 5-year-old daughter dead. His case was heard and ultimately rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.

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What started with a routine shoplifting call ended with the death of a 19-year-old Austinite in police custody. More than a year later, the public still hasn't seen video that would reveal what happened that day — because state law allows police to keep it secret.

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Last month's bombing spree "would have overwhelmed any major city police department," Austin's interim police chief told a congressional committee as he thanked state and federal agencies for their help in tracking down a serial bomber.

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Defense lawyers, legal groups and former federal judges also point to cases of people taken off death row as they oppose the state's push for faster federal death penalty appeals.

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The U.S. Department of Justice's directive tells federal prosecutors on the southwest border to prosecute all Department of Homeland Security referrals for alleged violations of federal immigration illegal-entry laws.

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The chairman of the House Business & Industry Committee said he was "stunned" to learn there is an obscure law that makes it easy for rent-to-own companies to file criminal charges against customers who fall behind on payments. The committee is looking at changing the law after a joint investigation by The Texas Tribune and NerdWallet.

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U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Rep. Jarvis Johnson joined Houston-area law enforcement officials to talk about policy with the community after the March shooting of Danny Ray Thomas.

 

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Crystal Mason said she had no idea she wasn't allowed to vote. “You think I would jeopardize my freedom?" she said according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Who would — as a mother, as a provider — leave their kids over voting?”

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People often use a shorthand to describe Austin: It's weird; it’s a progressive city; it’s a blueberry in a sea of tomato soup. But a sort of alternate reality exists for many residents of color. There have been moments over the past month that have highlighted this racial divide. 

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Rosendo Rodriguez was executed Tuesday for killing a Lubbock prostitute and tossing her body in a dumpster in a suitcase. His final appeals questioned the medical examiner's testimony that she was sexually assaulted before her death.

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“This is a defining moment for our city, our state and our country,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said at the city's Tranquility Park Saturday morning, speaking at one of several rallies in Texas that collectively drew tens of thousands of attendees.

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Social networking and surveillance technology played a big role in how Austin residents coped with a frightening few weeks. 

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The bill would hold government agencies accountable for failing to properly document individuals' criminal histories in the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

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Carlos Ayestas, 48, said he wants to explore evidence of his mental illness, brain injuries or drug use that wasn't brought up during his trial for the murder of a 67-year-old woman. 

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Authorities have identified the man as Pflugerville resident Mark A. Conditt. They say he died Wednesday in one of his own bomb blasts as they were trying to arrest him. 

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Supporters of strengthening gun control laws are planning March for Our Lives rallies Saturday in several Texas cities in hopes of encouraging Congress to take decisive action on the issue.

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Austin police on Tuesday night said the incident involved a Goodwill employee sorting through recent donations to find two “artillery simulators," one of which "initiated" in the employee's hand.

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The bomb explosions in Austin and Schertz left two people dead and several others injured. Wednesday morning, police say the man they believe is responsible detonated a bomb and killed himself. 

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