When it comes to immigration-related legislation, this session is far different from the one two years ago. But several bills could still stir some heated debate once House committees take up the measures in the coming weeks. Full Story
Mark Norwood, accused of Christine Morton's 1986 murder, pleaded unsuccessfully on Wednesday for the judge to appoint new lawyers for him, saying his current representation isn't his "best bud." Full Story
A day after the premiere of a documentary about his tragic wrongful conviction, exoneree Michael Morton sat before a Senate panel and pleaded with them to approve a law that would ensure accountability for prosecutors. Full Story
Criminal defense lawyers who have led the fight against reciprocal discovery proposals in Texas are renewing their battle cries. The lawyers say the measure is unnecessary, expensive and wouldn't prevent wrongful convictions. Full Story
Amid a broader legislative push to help former prisoners re-enter society, state lawmakers on Monday were encouraged to limit the legal liability of businesses that hire ex-prisoners. Full Story
A Dallas County judge in 2008 found Ben Spencer innocent of the 1987 robbery and murder for which he is serving a life sentence. The state's highest court disagreed, though, and this month he will mark 26 years behind bars. Full Story
The results of the new University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll on everything from the top race of 2014 to the gun debate, Aaronson on Medicaid expansion, Aguilar on a financial thaw in the Mexican oil patch, Batheja on cents and sensibility, M. Smith on school choice, Rocha and Dehn on TWIA reform, Galbraith on water and fracking, Murphy’s interactive map of poverty in the state, E. Smith's TribLive interview with House Public Education Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock and Root on a lobby couple living large and reporting small: The best of our best content from March 4-8, 2013. Full Story
Two state senators filed a measure on Friday that they hope will bring more transparency to criminal trials and prevent wrongful convictions by requiring prosecutors and defense lawyers to share information. Full Story
Texas lawmakers are considering a bill filed by Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, that would require police and prosecutors to prove there is a probable cause of illegal activity before obtaining suspects' cell phone records. Full Story
The mental health code doesn't give police the right to take a gun from someone who is having a mental health crisis. Mental health advocates, judges and law enforcement officials are urging state lawmakers to address gaps like that one. Full Story
Texas legislators accidentally increased the penalty for theft of a penny to a state jail felony in 2011. Now, a lawmaker hopes to fix the statute, which was aimed at copper thieves. Full Story
Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson pushed lawmakers to establish a commission to investigate wrongful convictions at his biannual State of the Judiciary speech on Wednesday. Full Story
State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and other advocates want a new law to ensure that Texas doesn't execute offenders who are intellectually disabled. Prosecutors say the existing law already does that. Full Story
The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition has released a report calling on lawmakers to approve several bills that would increase supervision over the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which oversees the state’s prisons. Full Story
A bill in the Texas Senate would make the penalty for failing to stop and render aid in certain hit-and-run cases equal to that of intoxication manslaughter. It's a move lawmakers and law enforcement hope causes more drivers to do the right thing and stay put. Full Story
Barratry charges against state Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, were dropped on Wednesday following allegations of misconduct by the investigator who pursued the case against him. Full Story
Death row inmate Nelson Gongora's conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court, which said that a prosecutor's comments regarding his decision to not testify denied him a right to a fair trial. Full Story
“The border is safe.” That’s a common refrain from lawmakers who say the unprecedented buildup of law enforcement in the region has netted positive results. But as sequestration looms, lawmakers say federal inaction could put that reality in jeopardy. Full Story
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday issued an acquittal in the case of Megan Winfrey, 24, who has been behind bars since 2007 in a murder case in which her conviction was based almost entirely on evidence from dog-scent lineups. Full Story