Michael Morton, who served 25 years in prison for the murder of his wife Christine, now will be released after DNA evidence linked another man to the crime and to another murder 16 months later.
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
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson on the shrinking of state government, Aguilar on the controversy over in-state tuition for the children of undocumented immigrants, Galbraith on Rick Perry vs. the EPA, Grissom on a startling development in a 25-year-old murder case, Hamilton on Ken Starr’s first year as president of Baylor, Ramsey on what inmates have to do with redistricting, Ramshaw on the state’s crisis in insurance coverage, Root on Perry’s presidential grind dance and Smith on obstacles to addressing childhood obesity: The best of our best content from Sept. 26-30, 2011.
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Criminal Justice
On the Records: Fact Checking Perry on Texas Economy Claims
The Tribune loves infographics, including the recent one posted by the Perry campaign called “State of Texas Economy.” But like all claims made by a political campaign, it deserves the scrutiny of a fact-checking exercise.
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Criminal Justice
Cattle Rustler Wins Release From Prison
Roddy Dean Pippin, the diabetic cowboy who has been in prison for more than eight years, will get to ride out of the big house next month after the state’s highest criminal court ruled today that he has done his time.
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Criminal Justice
DNA Test Links Morton Case to Unsolved Killing?
In a startling development, Travis County authorities are investigating whether an unsolved 1988 killing of an Austin woman is related to the 1986 murder of Christine Morton, for which her husband, Michael Morton, is serving life in prison.
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Criminal Justice
Travis County Attorneys May Hold Answers in 25-Year-Old Murder
Travis County prosecutors on Monday provided “powerful evidence” to a Williamson County district court that could be crucial in exonerating Michael Morton of the 1986 murder of his wife.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Ramshaw, Root and Philpott track the governor on the campaign trail, Tan and Dehn on high school football concussions, and Murphy and yours truly on the partisan climates of each district under redistricting maps: The best of our content from Sept. 19 to 23.
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Criminal Justice
Evolving Law Results in Unequal Pay to Exonerated Prisoners
How much Texas pays exonerated prisoners depends largely on when they were released and applied for compensation. Changes in the law over the last decade have created vastly different payouts for former prisoners, leaving some feeling doubly wronged.
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Criminal Justice
Updated: TDCJ Will End Final Feasts Before Executions
The long-standing tradition of allowing death row inmates one last meal of their choosing before they enter the execution chamber ends today, said Brad Livingston, executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
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Criminal Justice
Report: Police Lineup Protocol Can Be Improved
In Texas, eyewitness misidentifications have accounted for 80 percent of the 44 wrongful convictions overturned through DNA evidence. A new report released Monday urges significant changes in how police lineups are conducted.
