A recent state audit revealed lapses in the Texas Medical Board’s oversight of pain management clinics. The agency says new funding from legislators will allow increased monitoring to curb the proliferation of “pill mills.”
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
With Help From Business Group, Criminal Justice Priorities Pass
For the state’s largest business association and criminal justice reform advocates, the 83rd legislative session was successful despite Gov. Rick Perry’s veto of a key measure that they said would have made it easier for former inmates to find work.
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Criminal Justice
U.S. House Immigration Bill Sets Up Reform Fight
As stakeholders focus on the U.S. Senate during the debate on comprehensive immigration reform, the lower chamber has begun marking up a measure that would expand immigration enforcement powers to local law enforcement.
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Criminal Justice
Lawmakers Ponder Fix in Sentencing Guidelines for Teen Murderers
Constitutional questions could plague the capital murder legislation under consideration in the current special legislative session, according to some juvenile justice advocates.
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Criminal Justice
ICE Director to Leave Office in July
John Morton, who has overseen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since 2009, is resigning from his post.
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Criminal Justice
A Simple Story Made Complicated by Politics
District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg’s story was primarily about a public fall from grace. When Gov. Rick Perry stripped funding from the public integrity unit she runs, it also became a story about a political power grab.
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Criminal Justice
Exoneree Faces Ex-Wife in Compensation Lawsuit
Ten years after he was sent to prison for sex crimes he didn’t commit, Steven Phillips and his wife divorced. In 2009, he was exonerated and awarded nearly $6 million in compensation. His ex-wife says she’s entitled to some of it.
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Criminal Justice
Newsreel: Special Session, Special Items, Clock Ticking
This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: It’s week three of the special session, and Gov. Rick Perry has added a few more items to the agenda, including abortion restrictions, transportation and criminal sentencing for teenagers.
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Criminal Justice
Senate Approves Life With Parole for 17-Year-Old Murderers
The Senate on Friday approved a measure that would require judges and juries to sentence 17-year-olds convicted of capital murder to life in prison with the chance of parole after 40 years.
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Criminal Justice
A Special Session for Self-Made Emergencies
Special sessions are for emergencies — for finding solutions to problems that can’t wait for the next regular session. Sometimes, the emergencies are beyond anyone’s control. Sometimes, like now, they’re manufactured in Austin.
