Texas Executes Man Courts Recognized as Mentally Ill
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/03/21/adam_ward-2.jpg)
-
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice) -
Sandra Bland Case: Fired DPS Trooper to Appear in Court Tuesday
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/01/07/Encinia_Booking.jpg)
![The January 2016 booking photo (left) of Brian Encinia, the DPS trooper who pulled over and arrested Sandra Bland.]()
Credit: Waller County Sheriff Dept. -
State Contractors Must Use E-Verify, AG Says
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/E-Verify_QuestionMark.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Judge: Lawyer for Fired Trooper Must Offer Better Reason To Delay Sandra Bland Lawsuit
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/03/16/Encinia-Bland.jpg)
![Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia]()
Credit: Waller County Sheriff's Office -
In Texas Obama's Supreme Court Nominee May Draw Attention for EPA Rulings
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/03/16/Garland-Merrick.jpg)
![Merrick Garland, President Obama's Supreme Court nominee]()
-
Survey Captures Security Fears Among Judges
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/10/05/HechtN39athan.jpg)
![Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Voices from the Border: Illegal Crossings and Deportations
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/03/09/MHN_TTBORDER_038.jpg)
![Milton Otoniel Lopez Chupin, from Santa Tecla Libertad, El Salvador, in the courtyard at the Casa del Migrante migrant shelter in Matamoros, Mexico, on Nov. 3, 2015.]()
Credit: Martin do Nascimento -
Conviction Integrity Units Expand Beyond Lone Star State Roots
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Jail-Cells.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Thomas Bougher -
Whitmire: Assault Rifle Used in Office Shooting
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/09/22/7C2A9337.jpg)
![Sen. John Whitmire D-Houston during a September 22 Senate Criminal Justice Committee hearing]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Nearly 3 Years Later, Program to Drug Test Unemployed Not in Place
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
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Federal Appeals Court Will Revisit Texas Voter ID Law
The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Wednesday to take up the Texas voter ID case, adding another chapter to the law’s convoluted journey through the federal court system. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/09/15/VoterRegistration-ID.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Man Who Killed 5 Executed Wednesday
More than 18 years after killing five people with five shots from a hunting rifle, Coy Wayne Wesbrook, 58, was executed Wednesday evening. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/03/07/Coy_Wesbrook.jpg)
![Coy Wayne Wesbrook]()
-
Baylor Says It's Improving Handling of Sexual Assault Cases
At a hearing in Austin Tuesday, Baylor University officials didn't address specific incidents that have put the school under a national microscope and raised concerns that it routinely ignores the needs of victims. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/07/06/Baylor-Campus.jpg)
![Baylor University in Waco, Texas.]()
Credit: Mike Davis -
Juvenile Offenders Find Rehabilitation Through New Work Program
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department has developed a pilot program that places a handful of young offenders in on- and off-facility jobs if they have already earned a high school diploma or GED. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/02/29/EDIT_1-20-16-Miriam_00039.jpg)
![Miriam works at the AG-Mart Pet Supply Store in Brownwood, Texas as part of her TJJD work program on January 20, 2016.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill -
For New UT-Dallas President, Campus Carry Debate is Personal
After watching in horror nine years ago as the building that housed his office at Virginia Tech University was attacked by a gunman, Richard Benson is preparing to lead a Texas university about to implement a new campus carry law. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/03/03/UTD-Pres.jpg)
![Richard Benson, the incoming president of the University of Texas-Dallas.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber -
Roundup: Travis County GOP's New Chairman, Abortion Law, Sandra Bland
In the Roundup: Republicans in the state's capital city are calling for the new Travis County GOP chairman to be removed from office. Also this week, the U.S. Supreme Court took up Texas’ restrictions on abortion clinics and the arresting officer of Sandra Bland is no longer employed by the state. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/030416_Still.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Laredo Mayor Doesn't Rule Out Voting for Trump
The mayor of a Texas border city whose population is 96 percent Hispanic and home to the country’s largest inland port said on Wednesday that even though he is opposed to a wall on the border, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of voting for Donald Trump. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/08/03/ScottBall_DonaldTrumpLaredoTX7232015-0133.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Scott Ball -
Trooper Who Arrested Sandra Bland Formally Fired
Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw has issued a termination letter for Brian Encinia, the trooper who arrested Sandra Bland. Full Story
![The January 2016 booking photo (left) of Brian Encinia, the DPS trooper who pulled over and arrested Sandra Bland.]()
Credit: Waller County Sheriff Dept. -
Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Texas Abortion Restrictions
During oral arguments Wednesday in a case challenging the constitutionality of Texas’ abortion restrictions, U.S. Supreme Court justices focused on what role the rules played in closing dozens of clinics. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/03/02/SC-3.jpg)
![Protesters hold signs in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. as Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt is argued inside.]()
Credit: Allison Shelley -
Incumbents Holding Supreme Court Seats, Criminal Court Runoffs Likely
Lawyers arguing in front of the Texas Supreme Court next year likely won’t need to memorize any new faces. All three Republican incumbents running for reelection are winning their primary races. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/03/01/TexasSupremeCourtBuildingTT.jpg)
![Texas Supreme Court Building]()
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2115f1476d71fc7646bf5a1a8ff3bfd3/BD%20INC%20Perry-Conference-Drug%20Testing%202012)