The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
Ken Anderson, who oversaw Michael Morton’s wrongful murder conviction as a prosecutor, was sentenced to nine days in jail and will surrender his law license as part of a deal to resolve criminal charges and a civil lawsuit. Full Story
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Prisoner rights advocates often criticize the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, but experts agree that offender burials are one thing the state prison system does well, especially compared with other states. Full Story
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A member of the "DREAM 34" — a group that marched to the Laredo port of entry to criticize U.S. immigration policies and to seek political asylum — is facing deportation. He says his actions were the right thing to do. Full Story
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Leaders from state and national liberal organizations on Monday called on U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn to increase efforts to fill nine vacant federal judgeships that impact Texas. Full Story
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County probation chiefs want new authority to use pepper spray, saying proposed rules would provide more local control over how their facilities are operated. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said that despite reports that some Democrats are urging their colleagues not to work with Republicans on immigration reform, the party wants to see something pass before the year ends. Full Story
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UPDATED: The Court of Criminal Appeals has ordered a new hearing in the case of Marcus Druery to determine whether he is mentally competent to be executed. Full Story
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A top immigration lawyer says activist immigrants like the DREAM 9 in Arizona betray the cause they champion and can dilute important cases like that of Carlos Gutierrez, who sought asylum in the U.S. after criminal gangs cut his legs off. Full Story
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Months after lawmakers cut millions of dollars in funding for the state juvenile justice department and ordered the closure of a detention facility, movement to shutter a Corsicana facility for mentally ill youths remains stalled as state leaders reconsider its demise. Full Story
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A family is fighting to keep jailed the man suspected in their relatives’ deaths, while he pursues a chance to become eligible for parole. Full Story
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M. Smith on wasted private tutoring efforts, Satija on government protection for the lesser prairie chicken, Root finds a new nest of Democratic trial lawyers, Malewitz finds a border skirmish featuring mollusks, Hamilton with the latest on politics at the University of Texas, Batheja on the link between vehicle traffic and bond ratings, Aguilar finds some promise in a juvenile justice program in Eagle Pass and Aaronson covers the court fight over new abortion regulations: The best of our best for the week of Oct. 21-25, 2013. Full Story
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In the Eagle Pass area, the number of juvenile felony cases referred to Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Bruce Ballou has fallen more than 40 percent since 2012. It's a sign, he says, that his rehabilitative approach is working. Full Story
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Failures in the foster care system put children in Texas and across the nation at greater risk of falling into the sex trade, activists and lawmakers asserted Wednesday on Capitol Hill. Full Story
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Elected officials and business leaders in Presidio and its Mexican sister city, Ojinaga, are drafting their own safety plan, hoping the USDA will consider reopening a cattle inspection site in Mexico. Full Story
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UPDATED: Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst sent the president a letter demanding repayment for the more than $156.6 million that Texas counties have spent since 2011 on jailing undocumented immigrants with federal detainers. Full Story
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The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday filed a lawsuit against what the advocacy group claims are egregious abuses of power within the ranks of border law enforcement. Full Story
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Roughly a thousand people turned out at the Alamo on Saturday to protest current state law that prohibits the open carrying of handguns and other gun restrictions. Full Story
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UPDATED: U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says President Obama’s choice to succeed former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano lacks the experience to head the agency. Full Story
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The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Texas' challenge of federal regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources like power plants and factories. Full Story
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A state law passed in 2011 requires Texas jails to report monthly estimates of the cost to house undocumented immigrants. This interactive table shows the total number of immigrants housed and the cost to each county from October 2011 to September 2013. Full Story
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