The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
The Texas Supreme Court could decide by this week whether it erred in allowing pipeline companies to force their way onto private land. As Dave Fehling of StateImpact Texas reports, the legal wrangling comes as drilling in the state is surging. Full Story
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A judge's expected ruling forcing the state to find room to treat mentally ill inmates is sending officials in search of space at already-full mental hospitals. Full Story
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Mark Alan Norwood, a 57-year-old Bastrop resident, was indicted today by a Williamson County jury for the 1986 murder of Christine Morton, whose husband, Michael Morton, spent 25 years wrongly imprisoned for her death. Full Story
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The Dallas-based breast cancer prevention group Susan G. Komen for the Cure has halted its financial support of Planned Parenthood, yet another blow to the family planning organization that provides abortions in some of its clinics. Full Story
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The Travis County district attorney's office is considering a review of the 1985 murder of Natalie Antonetti. Dennis Davis was convicted in 2011 of her murder, but the killing is eerily to two others that have been connected to another man. Full Story
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Hey, Texplainer: Courts of inquiry have been used to exonerate wrongfully convicted Texans and to look at earlier cases. When does a judge call for a court of inquiry, and what else can judges review in these proceedings? Full Story
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In rural Val Verde County, defendants who are too poor to afford their own lawyers have waited years for resolution of their cases. As a new legal battle between their lawyers and the county begins, their day in court remains elusive. Full Story
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A report out today from the consumer advocacy group Texas Watch blasts the Texas Supreme Court for a decade of decisions that favor corporate interests and benefit the rich at the expense of consumers. Full Story
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Despite the State Bar of Texas' suggestion to hold off on creating simple divorce forms, the Texas Supreme Court has decided not to halt the work of task force charged with creating forms that improve access to the courts for the poor. Full Story
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Nearly five years into a legal battle over the constitutionality of Texas' $5-per-patron strip club fee, the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to take up the adult entertainment industry's case against the state. Full Story
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The Texas Supreme Court is preparing to help out poor Texas couples who want to split up with a simple divorce form. But some family lawyers say breaking up is much harder to do. Full Story
Root on the end of Rick Perry's presidential campaign, Murphy on what happens to his campaign cash, Ramsey on his next act, Ramshaw, Aaronson, Murphy, Chang and Seger interactively chart the rise and fall of his run, Aguilar talks Juárez violence with a documentary filmmaker, Galbraith on the tug-of-war over surface water, Grissom and Murphy on three decades of capital punishment in Texas, Hamilton and Aaronson on our workforce needs in 2018 and Tan on the state's much-reduced list of women's health clinics: The best of our best content from January 16-20, 2012. Full Story
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In the state's largest-ever Medicaid fraud recovery, Johnson & Johnson agreed Thursday to pay Texas $158 million to settle a lawsuit over its efforts to get the schizophrenia drug Risperdal on an approved list for the state's poorest patients. Full Story
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Ross, Reeve, Brandi and Thanh look ahead to the South Carolina primary, look back on the history of the death penalty in Texas, and discuss the current state of women's health clinics in the state. Full Story
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Mark Norwood, who is charged with the 1986 murder of Christine Morton, appeared for the first time in court today. Full Story
Thirty-five years ago today, the state of Utah restarted the death penalty in the United States when Gary Gilmore was executed. Texas followed suit in 1982 and since then has executed 477 men and women, more than any other state. Full Story
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It's no longer unusual for juries to see evidence from decades-old cases, because of DNA testing and other technological advancements. But the cases present myriad challenges to defense lawyers and prosecutors alike. Full Story
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State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado’s hand-written resignation letter comes as the agency starts an unprecedented review of arson cases following the Texas Forensic Science Commission’s examination of the Cameron Todd Willingham case. Full Story
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The State Bar of Texas has dismissed a grievance filed against Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley in the case of Michael Morton, whose wrongful conviction for murder was reversed last year. Full Story
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Texans will close out 2011 with more questions than answers, from the outcomes of redistricting and Gov. Rick Perry's presidential bid to the effects of lawmakers' multibillion-dollar budget cuts. Here’s hoping 2012 brings some resolution. Full Story
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