The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
Ryan Patrick, who worked as a state district judge until losing a re-election campaign this past November, would become the top federal prosecutor in one of the busiest districts in the country. Full Story
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A 1995 murder of a Houston woman led a case to the nation's highest court Monday. The U.S Supreme Court heard arguments on the issue of federal funding in death penalty investigations during the appeals process. Full Story
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Kaufman County District Attorney Erleigh Wiley said her office had closed its investigation into whether Attorney General Ken Paxton acted illegally in accepting a $100,000 gift from a CEO whose company was under investigation for fraud. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers from both sides of the aisle said Friday they are mulling legislative reforms to criminal laws that allow rent-to-own companies to pursue felony theft charges against customers who default on payments for sofas, TVs and other merchandise. Full Story
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While other businesses have to use civil remedies when customers don't pay their debts, the rent-to-own industry has a special tool in Texas law that lets them file criminal charges, an investigation by the Tribune and NerdWallet found. Full Story
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Dozens of minors in jail or on probation in Harris County are facing new hurdles after Hurricane Harvey. A local nonprofit is expanding to help youth in the criminal justice system who've lost everything in the storm. Full Story
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Attorneys for state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, said Monday all criminal charges against her had been dropped. Full Story
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The Dallas Democrat, who was arrested for driving while intoxicated in June, said Friday she will pay a fine and be put on 12 months of probation. Full Story
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“The President is determined, first and finally, to build a wall at the border,” Sessions said during a 20-minute speech in downtown Austin in which he praised state Republicans who approved an anti-"sanctuary" law earlier this year. Full Story
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The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Friday that an undocumented teenager in Texas is not allowed to immediately have the abortion she has requested. Full Story
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The execution of Houston's "Tourniquet Killer" was delayed because prosecutors began to fear he would confess to another murder — one for which a fellow death row inmate faces execution next month. Full Story
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The execution of Clinton Young, convicted in a 2001 Midland-area murder, was stopped by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The courts will look into claims that Young's co-defendant lied in his testimony against Young. Full Story
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Anthony Shore, a convicted serial killer, is set to be executed Wednesday evening. His murders in the 1980s and 1990s went unsolved until 2003. Full Story
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The man convicted in a 1999 prison guard's murder always said he was framed by corrupt guards and inmates. After rounds of DNA testing that were deemed inconclusive, he was executed Thursday night. Full Story
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Prosecutors dropped one of their 13 felony charges against state Rep. Dawnna Dukes on Wednesday, acknowledging that their case against the Austin Democrat has weakened. Full Story
Robert Pruett faces his execution Thursday in the 1999 murder of a Texas prison guard. Pruett has consistently argued his innocence in the case, pushing for multiple rounds of DNA testing on crime scene evidence. Full Story
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In Houston, where flood damage took out the two most important criminal justice facilities, some defense attorneys are worried that trial delays are robbing their clients of justice. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Bill Flores said he supports a federal ban on a type of gun attachment used by the gunman in the Las Vegas mass shooting. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said hearings on the devices are warranted. Full Story
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Hector Medina was sentenced to death in 2008 after killing his two young children. Now, he's getting a new sentencing trial because his lawyer refused to present evidence to persuade jurors to opt for the lesser sentence of life without parole. Full Story
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Duane Buck, whose death sentence in a 1995 double slaying was appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court after allegations of racist testimony from an expert witness, had his sentence reduced to life in prison Tuesday. Full Story
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