The death row inmate has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his execution, pointing to a codefendant’s confession in the shooting death of two people.
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
Two years after a judge recommended her murder conviction be tossed, Melissa Lucio still waits for freedom
A district judge provided two recommendations to the Court of Criminal Appeals in 2024, but the court’s process provides no details on when it will rule on the death row inmate’s innocence.
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Criminal Justice
Houston City Council approves gutting policy limiting ICE cooperation, civil rights groups say
In contrast to the civil rights groups’ assessment, Houston’s city attorney told council members that the amendment — crafted by the mayor’s staff and the governor’s office — brings no major changes.
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Criminal Justice
Austin expands encampment clean-ups, as shelter shortage leaves few options
The city has ramped up encampment enforcement while officials concede there aren’t enough beds for those displaced.
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Immigration
Texas cities try to address citizen anger over immigration crackdown without riling state leaders
For much of President Donald Trump’s second term, Texas city leaders have avoided opposing his immigration crackdown, but that’s changing — and sparking tensions with the state.
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Criminal Justice
Texas’ highest criminal court overturns sentence of inmate who has been on death row for 47 years
Clarence Curtis Jordan’s attorney said the intellectually disabled man didn’t have a lawyer to work on his behalf for nearly four decades.
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Criminal Justice
Federal trial over air conditioning in Texas prisons set to start Monday
About two-thirds of Texas prisons are not fully air conditioned, and dozens of inmates have died in the sweltering heat.
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Criminal Justice
Supreme Court rejects appeal from Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed
Reed has sought to test crime-scene evidence that he says will help clear him of the killing of 19-year-old Stacey Stites in 1996.
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Criminal Justice
Texas inmate seeks to stop looming execution after codefendant confesses to double murders
In his appeal, James Broadnax, who also wants a new trial, included a signed confession by his cousin saying he committed the 2008 Garland murders.
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Criminal Justice
Texas jails aren’t meeting deadlines to free inmates, costing some counties thousands in settlements
The state does not track the prevalence or provide guidance on the issue, leaving inmates to languish in jail and eventually sue counties for damages.
