The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
As public scrutiny of the state's execution process is increasing, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is more strictly implementing a media viewing policy that means fewer witnesses to the controversial procedure. Full Story
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UPDATED: Two years after President Obama announced his executive decision on deferred action, benficiaries are nothing the anniversary with gratitude and trepidation. And they now have instructions on renewing their status. Full Story
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New court data show that the number of tickets written by public school police officers for student misbehavior has fallen 71 percent since new laws designed to reduce the procedure went into effect late last year. Full Story
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The increase of unaccompanied children caught crossing the Mexican border into the U.S. has prompted the Obama administration to create a multiagency task force to address the issue. Full Story
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A small but expensive and ever-growing group of Texas inmates requires dialysis. Fewer than 230 inmates who receive dialysis treatment account for about 3 percent of the entire prison system's pharmaceutical budget. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. John Cornyn made his first-ever trip to Ciudad Juárez on Friday and said he felt safe in the border city. He said that was partially due to U.S. help in Mexico, and also said the U.S. bears some responsibility for the violence. Full Story
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Reversing his stance in three previous rulings, Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott on Thursday ruled that the state prison system can withhold information about the suppliers of drugs used in lethal injections. Full Story
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Treaty investor visas allow foreign nationals to live and work in the U.S. if they make substantial investments here. Some visa holders are crying foul over new renewal requirements, and some advocates worry the changes could impact some border cities' economies. Full Story
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The Michael Morton Act is raising awareness about the importance of discovery in criminal cases, lawyers say. But both prosecutors and defense lawyers agree there are still some kinks to iron out. Full Story
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A new treatment for hepatitis C is considered a breakthrough for people with the liver disease. But the high cost of the drug has complicated efforts to get the medication to Texans who receive government-subsidized health care. Full Story
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A Native American tribe has added a new layer to the border wall debate. Lipan Apaches allege the fence discriminates against them because they've been forced to give up some tribal land to accommodate it. Full Story
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As Mexico plans to deploy federal forces to a border state to quell a rash of violence there, U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela says a U.S. endorsement will help the strategy succeed. But analysts have some serious concerns about the strategy. Full Story
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Last year, lawmakers told the Texas Juvenile Justice Department to close a facility, and the agency drew up plans to shutter its aging Corsicana detention center. Now, lawmakers are keeping it open at a cost of $100,000 a month. Full Story
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A federal appeals court halted the Texas execution of Robert James Campbell just hours before he was to be put to death Tuesday based on questions about whether the 41-year-old inmate is mentally disabled. Full Story
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Filmmaker Richard Linklater always thought life in prison was too harsh for Bernie Tiede, the East Texas mortician who murdered his 81-year-old companion. Now — in large part because of Linklater's film on him — Tiede is no longer behind bars. Full Story
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At our May 8 TribLive conversation, state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, a Republican candidate for Texas attorney general in 2014, laid out the case against his rival in the May 27 runoff, state Sen. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney. Full Story
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Full video of my May 8 TribLive conversation with state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, a Republican candidate for Texas attorney general in 2014. Full Story
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Defense lawyers say that information about the drug Texas uses in executions – pentobarbital — is shrouded in secrecy. And they worry a dearth of information could lead to cruel and unusual executions. Full Story
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A Catholic philanthropic organization has thrown its support behind a mining company and one of its employees who are being sued after three undocumented immigrants were killed during an incursion onto private property in Brooks County. Full Story
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Nearly two decades after Bernie Tiede shot 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent and tucked her body in a deep freezer, a judge has released him on bond. The filmmaker Richard Linklater will house Tiede in his Austin garage apartment. Full Story
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