criminal justice

Senate Approves Loser-Pays Bill

By Morgan Smith May 24, 2011

The Senate unanimously passed a major tort reform bill today that would allow courts to grant attorneys' fees to prevailing parties under certain circumstances. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
How Do You Solve a Problem Like a Data Breach?

By Matt Largey, KUT News May 24, 2011

It’s been more than a month since state officials acknowledged they'd exposed millions of Texans' Social Security numbers and other information online. Matt Largey of KUT News reports what the state's been doing to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again. Full Story
Woman's Death in East Texas Jail Sparks Legislation

By Brandi Grissom May 24, 2011

Beginning next year, jails like the one in Gregg County where Amy Lynn Cowling died could be required to tell state officials how many staff members leave their jobs every month. Experts say there likely is a correlation between high staff turnover rates and increased deaths. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Callie Richmond
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith May 21, 2011

Root and Galbraith on a Dallas billionaire's radioactive waste dump victory, Grissom on the passage of eyewitness ID reform, Hamilton on the old grudges bedeviling the debate over higher ed, Philpott on the status of congressional redistricting, Ramsey on Rick Perry's un-campaign for president, Ramshaw on why medical schools are the scorned children of the state's education budget, my session-wrap interview with three veteran Democrats, M. Smith on why Rob Eissler can't pass mandate relief for school districts and Stiles on who's giving what to which Texas candidates in 2011-12 congressional races: The best of our best content from May 16 to 20, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Updated: Forensic Science Commission Bill Revived

By Brandi Grissom and Julián Aguilar May 20, 2011

A bill that would clarify and expand the jurisdiction of the Forensic Science Commission appeared to have fizzled in the Texas House. But tonight lawmakers revived the bill and voted it out of committee. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Updated: Wentworth Blasts Straus Over Campus Carry

By Christopher Smith Gonzalez May 20, 2011

State Sen. Jeff Wentworth charged today that his San Antonio colleague, House speaker Joe Straus, used undue influence last night to strip an amendment allowing concealed handguns on college campuses out of a fiscal matter's bill. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Eyewitness ID Reform Headed to Perry's Desk

By Brandi Grissom May 18, 2011

The Senate today approved a measure that would reform the way law enforcement officers conduct identification lineups, a measure that criminal justice advocates hope will mean fewer wrongful convictions in the future. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Senate Approves Anthony Graves Compensation Bill

By Brandi Grissom and Julián Aguilar May 18, 2011

The Texas Senate today passed a bill that would finally compensate Anthony Graves for the 18 years he spent behind bars convicted of grisly murders he did not commit. Full Story

Credit: www.anthonygraves.org
Lawmakers Target Prison School for Makeover

By Brandi Grissom May 16, 2011

Texas could save money, and prisoners could get a better education, some lawmakers say, if inmate learning programs were provided online. But correctional education experts and teachers say lawmakers’ ideas — particularly about online programs — show a lack of understanding about prison life. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey May 14, 2011

Aaronson on pork choppers, Aguilar on sanctuary cities legislation, Galbraith on Brownsville's ban on plastic bags, Grissom on Delma Banks and prosecutorial misconduct, Hamilton on a tough week for higher education in Texas, Philpott on wildfires and politics, Ramshaw on the state's pursuit of a federal Medicaid overhaul, M. Smith on what would happen if lawmakers don't rewrite school finance formulas, yours truly on the Lege as schoolyard and Stiles with interactive graphics on how the proposed Senate redistricting maps compare with current ones: The best of our best content from May 9 to 13, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
House Approves Four Loko Ban

By Becca Aaronson May 13, 2011

The Texas House passed a bill today on malt liquor drinks that contain caffeine, ginseng, taurine or guarana. The bill prohibits the sale, manufacture, import and possessing of alcoholic energy drinks, like the infamous Four Loko. Full Story
On the Records: Complaints Lead Valley Paper to Pull Salary Data

By Ryan Murphy May 12, 2011

In an apology issued Thursday morning, The Monitor announced that, in response to reader complaints, it will remove public school district salary data it posted earlier this week. Full Story
Ellis Urges Lawmakers to Act on Innocence Bills

By Aziza Musa May 11, 2011

Charles Chatman and other former prisoners who have been exonerated of their crimes are joining state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, in urging House lawmakers to act quickly and pass bills intended to reduce wrongful convictions. Full Story

Credit: The Dallas Morning News
30 Years Later, Banks, Prosecutor Face Off Again Over Death Penalty

By Brandi Grissom May 10, 2011

In a Texarkana courtroom Monday, Delma Banks Jr. faced again the district attorney's office that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled committed misconduct when it successfully fought to send him to death row in 1980 for the shooting death of 16-year-old Richard Whitehead. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Amendments Piled Onto Education Finance Bill

By Becca Aaronson May 9, 2011

Senators today amended an education finance reform bill to allow community college students to carry concealed handguns on campus, increase the cost of cigarettes and allow drastic changes to university administration. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Wentworth Gets a Win for Campus Carry

By Aziza Musa May 9, 2011

Sen. Jeff Wentworth is relentless with campus carry, and today, the San Antonio Republican got his way. Full Story
Loser-Pays Bill Clears Texas House

By Morgan Smith May 9, 2011

Texas got one step closer today to becoming one of the few states with a rule that awards legal fees to prevailing parties in lawsuits. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Senate OKs Concealed Carry for Lawmakers

By Becca Aaronson May 9, 2011

Texas lawmakers — current and former — may soon be able to pack heat at church, the hospital, a sporting event or even bars. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Death Row Inmate Faces Same Prosecutors Who Committed Misconduct

By Brandi Grissom May 8, 2011

At a hearing Monday in a Bowie County state district court, lawyers for Delma Banks Jr. will ask the court to disqualify prosecutors who the U.S. Supreme Court ruled suppressed evidence and deliberately covered up mistakes in a 1980 murder trial that sent the young black man to death row. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith May 7, 2011

Aaronson on the latest attack on Planned Parenthood, Aguilar previews the sanctuary cities debate, Grissom on a death row inmate's unsuccessful appeal, Hamilton on the UT System's faculty "productivity" data dump, Philpott on the prospect of lawsuits over education cuts, Ramsey on puppies and other distractions, Ramshaw on a tobacco fight, my interview with the presidents of UT-Austin and Texas A&M, M. Smith on a former State Board of Ed member who may have violated state ethics law, Stiles interactively displays the effects of House redistricting and Tan on the Senate budget end game: The best of our best content from May 2 to 6, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman