The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
For this week's playlist of the news, we’re using our reporters' own predictions for 2015. Kicking things off: “The Best Is Yet To Come,” by Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, backed up by the Count Basie Orchestra. Full Story
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Rick Perry will leave behind a criminal justice system in healthier shape than when he stepped in as governor. Terri Langford writes that how instrumental Perry was in improving it remains an open question. Full Story
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Boiling down Gov. Rick Perry’s legacy into a few bullet points isn’t easy. But reporters Reeve Hamilton and Jay Root look at some things people will surely remember years after Perry has left office. Their feature kicks off our 10-part series, The Perry Legacy. Full Story
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The news crews have drifted away, and the national spotlight has turned elsewhere. But Central American immigrants continue to cross illegally into Texas, and their numbers seem to be growing again. Full Story
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Almost a decade after voters overwhelmingly added it to the Texas Constitution, the clock may be running out on the state's gay marriage ban. Full Story
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A Rio Grande City teacher acquitted on charges of having an improper relationship with a student may remain in the classroom as he continues to appeal the revocation of his teacher certificate, the Texas Supreme Court ruled on Friday. Full Story
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Federal immigration agents apprehended nearly 97,000 more people trying to enter the U.S. illegally through Texas’ southern border during the 2014 fiscal year than they did in 2013, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday. Full Story
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Since capital punishment was reinstated by the Supreme Court in 1976, the cost of carrying out a death penalty trial has risen steadily. Full Story
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Texas Tech University expelled Tim Cole after he was arrested in 1985 and charged with rape. Cole died in prison, but DNA evidence cleared the way for a posthumous pardon in 2009. Now there's a push for Tech to award Cole an honorary degree. Full Story
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The homicide rate in El Paso has almost doubled since last year. But officials say it doesn't have anything to do with Mexican cartels and spillover violence. Full Story
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After eight years of growth, change and public corruption scandals, new leaders in Laredo and Webb County are greeting 2015 with a sense of optimism. Full Story
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At our 12/11 conversation, incoming Texas Senators Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and Van Taylor, R-Plano, talked about what the next legislature should handle the issue of border security. Full Story
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The state's highest criminal court on Wednesday ruled that a Houston teen should not have been tried as an adult and spelled out better guidance for courts to consider before transferring youth defendants into the adult court system. Full Story
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As the state and Scott Panetti's defense team battled over whether his execution should be halted last week, a four-page affidavit provided a tantalizing peek into the mental health care Texas has provided for the schizophrenic death row inmate. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General and Gov.-Elect Greg Abbott on Sunday declined to throw his support behind any the Texas Republicans rumored to be considering a run for the White House in 2016. Full Story
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The Texas prison system is making it easier for family members to visit loved ones behind bars, hoping to strengthen social networks inmates need when they are released. Full Story
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The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday halted the execution of a Texas death row inmate with a history of schizophrenia, just hours before he was to be put to death in Huntsville. Full Story
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said on Tuesday that a new border security task force is coming to the U.S.-Mexico-border as part of President Obama's executive action on immigration. Full Story
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The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles won't recommend a reprieve for convicted killer Scott Panetti, leaving it up to Gov. Rick Perry to decide if he will delay Wednesday's scheduled execution of the schizophrenic death row inmate. Full Story
After delays and bickering over who should pay for security measures, a new rail line connecting Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley is expected to open in February. Full Story
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