The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
A former staffer for state Rep. Dawnna Dukes has claimed the Austin Democrat sought reimbursement from the state for travel payments she was not entitled to, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Full Story
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The Brownsville-based judge who halted President Obama’s 2014 executive action on immigration has decided that ethics classes are in order for the attorneys who defended the policy. Full Story
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A trio of Texas Republican lawmakers says the U.S. Library of Congress is bowing to political pressure by eliminating the terms “illegal alien” and “alien” from its search and subject heading classifications. Full Story
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An ambitious effort by the state's legal community to provide legal representation to immigrant children hasn't had quite the impact some had hoped. Full Story
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As the Great Depression was winding down, a variety show broadcast from the state prison in Huntsville began airing on the radio and collecting a devoted audience. A new book collects the stories of the men and women who performed on the show and at the annual Texas Prison Rodeo. Full Story
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Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett has made Donald Trump’s 11-person list of judges the real estate mogul would consider appointing to the U.S. Supreme Court if elected president. Full Story
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Federal officials stationed on the Texas-Mexico border called legal border crossers “whores” and “criminals” and subjected others to unwarranted searches and coercion, according to a complaint a civil liberties group submitted to the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general Tuesday. Full Story
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The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sent back to lower courts a case that pits religious groups against the Obama administration over a requirement that some employers provide birth control benefits to female employees. Full Story
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After a months-long delay, veteran State Department official Roberta Jacobson was finally confirmed as the country's next ambassador to Mexico, and her time could be limited as the Obama administration begins its final months. Full Story
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In the Roundup: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick discuss the ongoing controversy over bathroom policies and call for the state's Republican Party to unite behind the presumptive presidential nominee. Full Story
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Lawyers for Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday tried to cast doubt on the makeup of the grand jury that indicted him. They're hoping to overturn a lower court’s decision not to dismiss the securities fraud charges against him. Full Story
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Members of the University of Texas System Board of Regents expressed concern about their schools’ proposed rules for handguns on campus and signaled plans to attempt to change some of those policies before they go into effect on Aug 1. Full Story
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Revealing Texas' supplier of execution drugs could have a harmful effect on the provider and as a result leave the state empty-handed, a lawyer for the state suggested Wednesday during an appeals court hearing. Full Story
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Freed after a decade on Texas death row for a murder he says he didn't commit, Alfred Dewayne Brown thinks he's entitled to compensation from the state, but Comptroller Glenn Hegar is saying no. Full Story
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Throughout Mental Health Month in May, the Tribune is partnering with the Mental Health Channel and KLRU for a series focusing on some of Texas’ biggest challenges in providing mental health care. Full Story
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The Texas Department of Public Safety improperly monitored how its employees use gas payment cards and should better ensure personal information from background checks is secure, state auditors said in a report released Thursday. Full Story
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A Webb County jury Thursday gave Demond Bluntson a death sentence for the 2012 shooting death of his 21-month-old son and his girlfriend's six-year-old boy. It was the county's first death sentence in almost 25 years. Full Story
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Our Faces of Death Row app has some new features. Now, you can search for inmates by the county where the crime was committed and see who has an execution date scheduled. Full Story
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A New Orleans-based appeals court says the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's restrictions on beard lengths and religious head garments for inmates violate federal law. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants a lawsuit filed against his office by fantasy sports site DraftKings moved to Travis County. Full Story
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