The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
With little money and swimming against the tide in conservative Texas, Democrat Sam Houston has little choice but to campaign for attorney general "the old fashioned way" — on the cheap, and largely from the front seat of his Toyota Prius. Full Story
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A judge ruled Monday that Gov. Rick Perry will have to appear at an Oct. 31 hearing related to his indictment. On that date, visiting Judge Bert Richardson said, he would take up two matters raised by the governor's legal team. Full Story
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A federal ruling that Texas' strict voter ID law discriminates against minority voters has kicked off a rapid-fire legal race over whether photo identification will be required on Election Day this November. Full Story
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Defense lawyers for Gov. Rick Perry have asked that a transcript of the grand jury witness testimony that led to his indictment be made in the event there was information provided that could prove his innocence. Full Story
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The Texas Division of Workers' Compensation is not maintaining race data on all valid worker injury claims, despite a law requiring it. Advocates say without the data it's impossible to tell if injured minorities face discrimination at work. Full Story
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Hopes are riding on a new effort in which tour buses will come to Ciudad Juárez regularly from El Paso. Officials want the tours to help shed Juárez's image as a danger zone and showcase the city as a destination for area tourists. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz called Monday for amending the U.S. Constitution to prevent either the federal government or the U.S. Supreme Court from overturning a state's ban on same-sex marriage. Full Story
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The justice track at the 2014 Texas Tribune Festival featured panel discussions on criminal justice reform, the Texas Supreme Court, same-sex marriage and the death penalty. Here's audio of each session. Full Story
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It’s been a decade since the lead juror in a rollover case against Ford Motor Co. sent a note to a judge that prompted Ford to settle the case for $3 million. On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court sent the case back to an appellate court again. Full Story
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A Texas parole commissioner has been indicted for tampering with a government record after a lawyer complained that at least five inmates were denied parole after she falsely said they had refused to sit for required interviews. Full Story
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Lawyers for Gov. Rick Perry on Friday requested that the indictment against the governor be dismissed, saying the special prosecutor in the case was never properly sworn in. Full Story
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Jack Stick, the top lawyer for the Health and Human Services Commission, asked an Austin judge on Thursday to suppress evidence in his DWI case, while prosecutors said blood test results proved his arrest two years ago was proper. Full Story
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The Obama administration deported a record-breaking 438,421 people in 2013, an increase of about 20,000 from 2012. That included about 198,400 immigrants with criminal records. Full Story
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For several years, residents in Maverick County have waged a war against a company that wants to mine low-grade coal on 6,300 acres of land in this impoverished borderland. A recent twist in the saga is giving them new hope. Full Story
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Siding with a decision made a year ago by a lower appeals court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday refused to reinstate money-laundering convictions against former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Full Story
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A multistate effort urging churches and other places of worship to provide sanctuary for undocumented immigrants began this month. The effort could come to Texas, where some leaders say such shelter is already being provided. Full Story
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The DWI case of Republican Jack Stick, the top lawyer for the state’s health care agency, is scheduled for a pretrial hearing next week after two years of delay. But it has received little attention from politicians or the media. Full Story
A federal program that transfers surplus military equipment to local communities is drawing a mix of responses from border officials whose regions have benefited from the initiative. Full Story
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Michael McCrum, the special prosecutor who secured an indictment against Gov. Rick Perry in August, said he expected to reply in October to a challenge filed by Perry's legal team. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry should not be excused from all hearings leading up to his felony trial, the special prosecutor in the criminal case said in a motion filed Wednesday. Full Story