Criminal justice

Wilson pleaded guilty to injury of a child and will be required to register as a sex offender.

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Galveston County, like Harris and Dallas, was sued for bail practices that lawyers and judges have said discriminate against poor criminal defendants.

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Texas Department of Criminal Justice Executive Director Bryan Collier was questioned in court for about two hours for not complying with a court order to keep some Texas prisoners in air conditioned housing.

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Soliz and another man were convicted in the shooting death of a Johnson County woman during a robbery in her home. His lawyers pushed to stop his execution, saying fetal alcohol spectrum disorder should be treated like an intellectual disability.

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A federal judge was visibly frustrated Friday as he suggested that putting state officials in uncooled cells might be the only way to get their attention after they broke a settlement agreement to keep some inmates in air conditioning.

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Lawyers for Randy Halprin, a member of the "Texas Seven," are requesting a stay of his execution amid allegations that the judge who handled his case made racist and anti-Semitic comments during his time on the bench.

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In a motion Thursday, the prisoners' lawyers asked the judge to hold prison officials in contempt and issue fines. They also accused the agency of hiding multiple instances of noncompliance with the court order.

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Crutsinger had pushed to stop his execution based on claims of bad lawyering during his trial and in the appellate process.

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David Turner says residents are still in shock. He’s unsure of the solution but is troubled that the gunman was able to obtain a firearm even after failing a background check.

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The governor tweeted Monday night that Texas is “working on a legislative package” and that “expedited executions for mass murderers would be a nice addition.”

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Abbott's tweet doesn't reveal the reason the Odessa man failed the background check or how he obtained the gun used in the mass shooting. Police say the gunman and his company both called 911 shortly before the rampage.

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Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, has received a wave of reactions — and criticism — following his tweets reacting to Saturday's Permian Basin shooting.

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Officials say the shooting began with a traffic stop in which the gunman shot a state trooper. Police say the gunman acted alone and was shot to death outside a crowded movie theater.

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“The officer will know prior to approaching the vehicle that this person might have a challenge speaking with him," says Jennifer Allen, whose son is the namesake of the Samuel Allen Law.

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House Bill 446, authored by state Rep. Joe Moody, lifts a ban on brass knuckles and similar self-defense items.

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On this week’s TribCast, Emily talks to Ross, Alexa, Alex and Neena about the biggest new state laws taking effect Sept. 1, a crisis facing indigent defense in Texas, the new Texas secretary of state and the latest from the presidential campaign trail.

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Swearingen consistently maintained his innocence in the strangling death of 19-year-old Melissa Trotter. Texas prosecutors, however, had no doubt he was her killer.

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For decades, Texans who can’t afford a lawyer have gotten caught in a criminal justice system that’s crippled by inadequate funding and overloaded attorneys. A growing body of caseload data — and a recent lawsuit — point to an even more fundamental hazard: the unchecked power of Texas judges.

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The line outside the funeral stretched several blocks. “I think our community lost something and this is our community grieving together," said local state Rep. Joe Moody.

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“What President Trump says, and what he does, does not just offend our sensibilities or our understanding of the traditions of this great country,” O'Rourke said. “It changes who we are as a country.”

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