Texas law bans the sale of synthetic kratom, but it isn’t enforced. Earlier this year, legislation died in the Texas House to ban the natural plant, too.
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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Uvalde school shooting
After local agencies release Uvalde shooting records, calls continue for Texas DPS to follow suit
Local records released this week — after a yearslong lawsuit —affirm previous reporting about law enforcement’s flawed response to Texas’ deadliest school shooting.
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‘Trey’s Law’ Frees Sex Abuse Victims to Tell Their Stories
A new Texas law, Trey’s Law, bans NDAs in child sex abuse settlements, empowering survivors to speak out. It voids past agreements and promotes accountability for institutions that hide abuse.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Senate approves bill to protect Texans from real estate fraudsters
Senate Bill 15 seeks to prevent the use of fraudulent deeds to sell someone else’s property or take out loans. It now heads to the House, where its fate is uncertain.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Senate passes bill to ban THC — again
The Senate’s decision signals another potential standoff with Gov. Greg Abbott, who vetoed a similar ban earlier this year as he called for more regulations instead.
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Criminal Justice
Former Sid Miller allies told police the ag commissioner feared the DEA, told a friend to get rid of marijuana
Miller denies wrongdoing after allegations surfaced during an investigation into one of his aides, who pled guilty to bribery. The agriculture commissioner has not been charged with a crime.
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Criminal Justice
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals pushes death row inmate’s case back to trial court
Dissenting judges expressed frustration over a lack of clarity on why the case of David Leonard Wood, whose execution in March was halted, was remanded to the lower court.
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Criminal Justice
Judge sets Robert Roberson’s execution date for Oct. 16
Roberson’s attorneys have asked the state’s Court of Criminal Appeals to pause his execution until the court has considered his case.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Senate committee doubles down on THC ban, saying state and local governments don’t have the resources for regulations
Senate Bill 5 would ban products containing any detectable amount of any cannabinoid, creating criminal offenses for possession of hemp-derived THC.
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Operation Lone Star
Texas judge dismisses case against migrant deported to El Salvador for being an alleged gang member
DPS troopers labeled Pedro Luis Salazar-Cuervo, who remains in a Salvadoran prison, a Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang member based on a photo of him with a tattooed man.