The Libertarian Party’s gubernatorial candidate talked to the Tribune on Friday about why more Texans should be armed, why same-sex unions should be allowed and her admittedly slim chances of dethroning Gov. Rick Perry.
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
Health Hacker?
The FBI is investigating whether a hacker broke into the state’s confidential cancer database, possibly accessing personal information and medical records. Health and Human Services Commissioner Tom Suehs says state health officials notified his office in early May that a hacker was holding the Texas Cancer Registry hostage and demanding a ransom. Suehs says preliminary investigation results from the FBI indicate the threat may be a hoax but that if private records were compromised, health officials will quickly notify the people listed in the registry.
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Criminal Justice
TribBlog: Tara Rios Ybarra in Federal Custody
The federal government’s roundup of dentists for medicaid fraud in South Texas has claimed its latest casualty: outgoing state Rep. Tara Rios Ybarra.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
M. Smith’s interview with the new chair of the Texas GOP, Philpott on Republicans and Tea Partiers living in harmony, Aguilar on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s not-yet-released strategic plan, Ramshaw’s tragic tale of out-of-state kids in Texas treatment centers, Grissom on how budget cuts could impact juvenile justice, Stiles’ awesome new population app, Galbraith on the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer, Hamilton’s interview with the commissioner of higher education and the debut of Hu’s new video debate series: The best of our best from June 14 to 19, 2010.
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Criminal Justice
TribBlog: Child Prostitutes Are Victims, Not Perps
That’s what the Texas Supreme Court said today when it ruled that children under the age of consent can’t be charged with selling sex.
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Criminal Justice
Cuts That Cost
After shocking abuse was uncovered at Texas Youth Commission facilities in 2007, lawmakers successfully overhauled the state juvenile justice system. Three years later, advocates worry that budget woes will halt that progress.
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Criminal Justice
On the Records: Mapping U.S. Growth by County
See how Texas’ fastest-growing areas compare with the 3,000 other counties across the country.
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Criminal Justice
Data App: Texas Population Estimates
Texas now has about 24.8 million residents, an increase of 3.9 million, or almost 20 percent, since 2000, and trails only California in the proportion of its residents who identify themselves as Hispanic. We’re also the third-youngest state, with a median age of 33; only Utah and Alabama have younger populations. These and other fun facts can be discovered in a new database application that helps explain and visualize how the makeup of Texas counties has changed since the last U.S. Census.
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Criminal Justice
Fewer Sex Offenders in the DPS Database?
There are more than 61,000 registered sex offenders in the Texas Department of Public Safety’s database. Some think the list includes people who aren’t a threat to society and that the stigma of being on it hurts them more than it helps the greater community. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune has this report.