The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
The national union that represents more than 16,000 agents of the United States Border Patrol issued its first-ever endorsement of a presidential candidate on Wednesday by throwing its support behind Republican Donald Trump. Full Story
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A federal appeals court on Wednesday stayed the execution of a Dallas accountant who shot and killed his two daughters in 2001. John Battaglia's lawyers argue he is not mentally competent enough to be put to death. Full Story
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Texas Tech University plans to ban guns in its recreation center, chapel and some dorms but won't prevent students with concealed handgun licenses from carrying in classrooms, according to an operating policy issued Tuesday. Full Story
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When former Gov. Rick Perry ordered state agencies to use E-Verify in 2014, his plan was criticized for not having an enforcement mechanism. But a senate bill designed to make Perry's mandate a bona fide law also lacks teeth. Full Story
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A Texas-based Planned Parenthood affiliate on Thursday moved to join a federal lawsuit filed in California against the anti-abortion group behind undercover videos of the organization’s clinics. Full Story
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During an hours-long committee on border security and immigration Wednesday, a Republican sheriff was called out for doing what some argue only Democrats do: Let deportable immigrants out of jail. Full Story
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Two Texas congressmen have introduced legislation designed to roll back the automatic benefits and legal status that Cuban immigrants receive shortly after reaching U.S. ports. Full Story
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In another major case concerning Texas women’s reproductive care, the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday will consider if the right to religious freedom is broad enough to completely exempt religious nonprofits from providing women access to contraceptives through their insurance plans. Full Story
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Former Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Brian Encinia appeared before a state district judge Tuesday and entered a not guilty plea to a perjury charge stemming from his arrest of Sandra Bland. Full Story
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When former Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Brian Encinia steps into a Waller County courtroom on Tuesday for his arraignment, he will move forward with one of three battles he is fighting since he arrested Sandra Bland last year. Full Story
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Adam Kelly Ward, whom appeals courts recognized as mentally ill, was executed Tuesday evening for the 2005 shooting death of a code enforcement officer. Full Story
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Even as President Obama moves to normalize relations, Cuban refugees continue pouring into Texas through Laredo in record numbers. Full Story
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State agencies and the companies they contract with must use the E Verify system to screen for undocumented workers, Attorney General Ken Paxton said in an opinion Thursday. Full Story
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A federal judge on Thursday said attorneys for fired Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Brian Encinia haven't yet offered a good enough reason to keep a civil rights lawsuit filed by the mother of Sandra Bland from moving forward. Full Story
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D.C. Circuit Chief Judge Merrick Garland has a history with cases involving the Environmental Protection Agency, which Texas has sued 24 times since Obama took office. Full Story
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A survey taken after Travis County state District Judge Julie Kocurek was shot last fall in the driveway of her Austin home found that hundreds of Texas judges have feared for their safety at least once in the last two years. Full Story
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Every month, busloads of deported undocumented immigrants arrive at the southern border, returning to Mexico after serving prison time in the United States. Meanwhile, other migrants prepare to attempt illegal border crossings. This story is part of our "Bordering on Insecurity" series. Full Story
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Dallas County established the first conviction integrity unit in the United States in 2007. Now there are 24 such units across the country that work to identify and correct false convictions. Full Story
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State Sen. John Whitmire said Thursday afternoon he believes the gun used in the predawn shooting of his Houston area-office was likely an AR-15 assault rifle. He said it's too early to speculate about a motive or possible suspect. Full Story
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Nearly three years after Texas enacted a law requiring some applicants for unemployment benefits to pass a drug test, the state has yet to test a single applicant, and it remains unclear when the program will get going. Full Story
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