State agencies and the companies they contract with must use the E Verify system to screen for undocumented workers, Attorney General Ken Paxton said in an opinion Thursday.
Criminal Justice
Get the latest Texas Tribune coverage on criminal justice, including crime, courts, law enforcement, and reforms shaping the state’s justice system.
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Criminal Justice
Judge: Lawyer for Fired Trooper Must Offer Better Reason To Delay Sandra Bland Lawsuit
A federal judge on Thursday said attorneys for fired Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Brian Encinia haven’t yet offered a good enough reason to keep a civil rights lawsuit filed by the mother of Sandra Bland from moving forward.
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Criminal Justice
In Texas Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee May Draw Attention for EPA Rulings
D.C. Circuit Chief Judge Merrick Garland has a history with cases involving the Environmental Protection Agency, which Texas has sued 24 times since Obama took office.
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Criminal Justice
Survey Captures Security Fears Among Judges
A survey taken after Travis County state District Judge Julie Kocurek was shot last fall in the driveway of her Austin home found that hundreds of Texas judges have feared for their safety at least once in the last two years.
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Bordering on Insecurity
Voices from the Border: Illegal Crossings and Deportations
Every month, busloads of deported undocumented immigrants arrive at the southern border, returning to Mexico after serving prison time in the United States. Meanwhile, other migrants prepare to attempt illegal border crossings. This story is part of our “Bordering on Insecurity” series.
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Criminal Justice
Conviction Integrity Units Expand Beyond Lone Star State Roots
Dallas County established the first conviction integrity unit in the United States in 2007. Now there are 24 such units across the country that work to identify and correct false convictions.
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Criminal Justice
Whitmire: Assault Rifle Used in Office Shooting
State Sen. John Whitmire said Thursday afternoon he believes the gun used in the predawn shooting of his Houston area-office was likely an AR-15 assault rifle. He said it’s too early to speculate about a motive or possible suspect.
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Criminal Justice
Nearly 3 Years Later, Program to Drug Test Unemployed Not in Place
Nearly three years after Texas enacted a law requiring some applicants for unemployment benefits to pass a drug test, the state has yet to test a single applicant, and it remains unclear when the program will get going.
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Criminal Justice
Federal Appeals Court Will Revisit Texas Voter ID Law
The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Wednesday to take up the Texas voter ID case, adding another chapter to the law’s convoluted journey through the federal court system.
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Criminal Justice
Man Who Killed 5 Executed Wednesday
More than 18 years after killing five people with five shots from a hunting rifle, Coy Wayne Wesbrook, 58, was executed Wednesday evening.
