The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
For three of the state’s most experienced politicians, bad news comes with the territory. But bad news in the critical stages of an election is another, more serious, kind of trouble. Full Story
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Attacks on houses of worship like the 2017 Sutherland Springs shooting have prompted many religious groups to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours to bolster security. Full Story
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In an advertisement that will begin airing this weekend, Cuellar says he’ll “never stop fighting for South Texas.” Full Story
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A legal defense group is asking Travis County courts to throw out the arrests of hundreds of migrants swept up in the governor’s border initiative. The case is expected to draw in the Texas attorney general and address whether Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan is unconstitutional. Full Story
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Chad Christopher Stark from Leander is the first person arrested by a federal task force created in June to prosecute those making threats against election workers and public officials. Full Story
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There are almost no limitations in the state to how firearms can be sold privately, making it easy to get a gun without undergoing background check or creating a paper trail. Full Story
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An FBI spokesperson said the agency was present on two streets around Cuellar’s house in Laredo “conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity.” Full Story
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News of Congregation Beth Israel hostages' safe escape is met with intense relief, but communities feel pain and fear over the latest in a series of antisemitic attacks and incidents in Texas and beyond. Full Story
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The Travis County district attorney, a Democrat, says the Republican attorney general has four days to provide communications, multiple Texas news outlets first reported. Full Story
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A Travis County judge Thursday tossed out the trespassing charge of an Ecuadorian man who said he came to the United States seeking asylum. His lawyers argued that the governor’s directive to arrest migrants on state charges unconstitutionally usurps federal immigration law. Full Story
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Stewart Rhodes is accused of conspiring to oppose the transfer of presidential power by force. He and 10 others are the first to face charges of seditious conspiracy in connection with the 2021 siege. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott’s openness to marijuana decriminalization shows that the state, while conservative, isn’t immune to larger trends. Full Story
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“Small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday. Full Story
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Search warrants show that Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson is under scrutiny by state investigators, accused of illegally confiscating cash and a pickup truck from immigrants stopped by his deputies. Full Story
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After conservative backlash, Cruz took to a FOX News show — whose host also lambasted him — to backpedal from comments he made during a congressional hearing. Full Story
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Texas has among the highest number of residents charged in the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. At least five Texans have already been convicted. Full Story
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As 2021 comes to a close, here’s a look back at just some of our favorite images captured by Texas Tribune photographers all over the state — and across the nation — to tell the stories of Texans in a challenging year. Full Story
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On Monday, President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act, enacting provisions of the “I Am Vanessa Guillén Act.” The new law takes effect Jan. 1. Full Story
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The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles cited a procedural error for the decision but seemed to leave open the possibility that it would reconsider the issue in the near future. Full Story
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José Garza’s efforts have fueled one of the most heated showdowns playing out nationwide between police and prosecutors who have vowed to overhaul the criminal justice system. Full Story
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