Criminal justice

The Texas Rangers have been investigating Karolyi Ranch since January, but lawyers for survivors say action from the state attorney general is needed as well. 

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The longtime law enforcement officer gained international attention helping Democrats topple a Republican establishment in Dallas County. But she's already had some stumbles as she attempts an ascent to the governor's office.

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On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Ross, Patrick and Jolie about Friday's lone Democratic gubernatorial debate, massive understaffing at one Texas prison and what runoff turnout might look like.

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The Telford Unit reports by far the most assaults on staff of any state-run lockup and has one of the highest rates of understaffing. Take a look inside the northeast Texas prison where guards and inmates alike are suffering.

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Paul Storey's case had been granted another review less than one week before he was scheduled to be executed. 

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“I never dreamt we’d get the Pack Unit air-conditioned,” the federal judge said at a Houston hearing.

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Nearly three years after his release from prison, Alfred Dewayne Brown is still trying to get state compensation for his years spent on Texas' death row. On Wednesday, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced an independent review of Brown's innocence claim.

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State Rep. René Oliveira, D-Brownsville, has been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, according to authorities.

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San Jacinto County Judge John Lovett Jr. was suspended indefinitely by the state's judicial conduct commission after being indicted on three criminal charges. It looks like his alleged crimes may all have been for the sake of open government.

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The state has given Travis County nearly $2 million to reform its indigent defense system. But a handful of Austin-area lawyers are still taking on far more cases than experts believe anyone could handle. 

 

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Erick Davila was executed Wednesday evening for a 2008 shooting at a child's birthday party that left his rival gang member's mother and 5-year-old daughter dead. His case was heard and ultimately rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.

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What started with a routine shoplifting call ended with the death of a 19-year-old Austinite in police custody. More than a year later, the public still hasn't seen video that would reveal what happened that day — because state law allows police to keep it secret.

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Last month's bombing spree "would have overwhelmed any major city police department," Austin's interim police chief told a congressional committee as he thanked state and federal agencies for their help in tracking down a serial bomber.

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Defense lawyers, legal groups and former federal judges also point to cases of people taken off death row as they oppose the state's push for faster federal death penalty appeals.

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The U.S. Department of Justice's directive tells federal prosecutors on the southwest border to prosecute all Department of Homeland Security referrals for alleged violations of federal immigration illegal-entry laws.

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The chairman of the House Business & Industry Committee said he was "stunned" to learn there is an obscure law that makes it easy for rent-to-own companies to file criminal charges against customers who fall behind on payments. The committee is looking at changing the law after a joint investigation by The Texas Tribune and NerdWallet.

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U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Rep. Jarvis Johnson joined Houston-area law enforcement officials to talk about policy with the community after the March shooting of Danny Ray Thomas.

 

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Crystal Mason said she had no idea she wasn't allowed to vote. “You think I would jeopardize my freedom?" she said according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Who would — as a mother, as a provider — leave their kids over voting?”

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People often use a shorthand to describe Austin: It's weird; it’s a progressive city; it’s a blueberry in a sea of tomato soup. But a sort of alternate reality exists for many residents of color. There have been moments over the past month that have highlighted this racial divide. 

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Rosendo Rodriguez was executed Tuesday for killing a Lubbock prostitute and tossing her body in a dumpster in a suitcase. His final appeals questioned the medical examiner's testimony that she was sexually assaulted before her death.

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