The insiders answered questions from the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll for the second week in a row, this time on the death penalty, education, top issues facing Texas, and whether the people they know would vote for a Mormon candidate with whom they agree on issues.
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
Lower Court Denies Skinner DNA Test, Appeal Planned
A Gray County District Court today denied DNA testing that death row inmate Hank Skinner has been seeking for a decade. Skinner’s lawyers plan to appeal the decision. His execution is scheduled for Wednesday.
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University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
UT/TT Poll: Mormon Candidates Face Hurdle
More than one in five Texas voters say most of the people they know would not vote for a Mormon presidential candidate even if they agreed with him or her on the issues, according to the new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll.
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Criminal Justice
How Do TxDOT’s New Salaries Compare to Other State Agencies?
TxDOT’s plan to hire five new executives — each paid up to at least $250,000 annually — has received heavy criticism. How do the salaries compare to those at other public entities? We checked our government salary database to find out.
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Criminal Justice
TYC Ends Contract With Doctor Who Gave Race Testimony in Court
The Texas Youth Commission terminated its contract Friday with a psychologist who testified repeatedly in death penalty cases that Hispanic and black men were more likely to be dangerous in the future.
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Criminal Justice
Former Morton Prosecutor Faces Questions on Alleged Misconduct
Former Williamson County district attorney Ken Anderson this morning entered a closed courthouse room where he faces Michael Morton and an inquiry into how prosecutors secured a wrongful murder conviction against Morton 25 years ago.
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Criminal Justice
Forensic Science Panel Recommends Wide-Ranging Arson Review
The momentous and long-awaited move was welcomed by the family of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was convicted of killing his three daughters in a 1991 arson fire. He was executed in 2004, and scientists have since discredited the science that was used to cement his arson conviction.
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Criminal Justice
Updated: Ex Morton Prosecutor Loses Testimony Fight
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied a request from former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson to keep him from providing testimony in an investigation of what led to the wrongful conviction of Michael Morton.
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Criminal Justice
Cornyn Presses for Fast and Furious Probe
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has asked congressional colleagues to investigate whether federal officials ran a gun-walking program in Texas similar to the controversial and now defunct Fast and Furious operation.
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Criminal Justice
Court Hears Challenge to State Business Tax
A successful challenge to the state’s primary business tax would throw lawmakers into special session to try to find enough money to pay for public schools, a lawyer for the state told the Texas Supreme Court today.