Texas lawmakers have mandated armed guards at every public school, panic buttons in classrooms and more staff training.
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
Texas inmates are being ‘cooked to death’ in extreme heat, complaint alleges
With the threat of another hot summer ahead, advocates asked a federal judge to declare 100-degree-plus conditions in uncooled Texas facilities unconstitutional.
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Criminal Justice
Travis County district attorney faces removal attempt under Texas’ “rogue” prosecutors law
A county resident accuses José Garza of “indiscriminately” pressing charges against law enforcement and refusing to prosecute certain crimes.
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Military Injustice
Soldiers charged with violent crimes will now face more scrutiny before they can leave the Army
The change comes after reporting from ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and Military Times revealed that hundreds of soldiers charged with offenses like sexual assault and domestic violence left the Army without facing courts-martial.
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Criminal Justice
Texas criminal appeals court removes Tomas Gallo from death row because of his intellectual disability
The court re-sentenced Gallo to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter.
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Criminal Justice
State district judge recommends overturning Melissa Lucio’s death sentence
In a rare joint statement, the district attorney and the defense agreed that prosecutors withheld evidence that could point to a Rio Grande Valley woman’s innocence in the death of her toddler.
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Criminal Justice
Man crashes stolen 18-wheeler into DPS office, killing one and injuring several others
Authorities arrested the driver, whom a local official said was denied a commercial driver’s license from the Brenham DPS station.
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Criminal Justice
Two Denton school district principals indicted on charges of illegal electioneering
A grand jury indicted the principals for allegedly using their school emails to encourage staff to vote for certain candidates in the March primary.
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Criminal Justice
Texas National Guard member charged with human smuggling after high-speed chase near the border
Authorities said the 26-year-old turned around at a Border Patrol checkpoint and fled from police in Kinney County.
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Graphics and data reporting
How Texas’ cash bail system and under-resourced jails can wreak havoc on women who are poor
In Texas, money can make a difference in how much time people who are legally presumed innocent sit behind bars awaiting the outcome of criminal cases.