Texas executes triggerman in San Antonio murder-for-hire case
Texas executed hitman Ronaldo Ruiz late Tuesday night, 25 years after he killed a San Antonio woman for $2,000. Full Story
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![Death row inmate Rolando Ruiz was executed on March 7, 2017. He was convicted of murdering Theresa Rodriguez, 29, of San Antonio. He was hired by her husband, Michael Rodriguez, and his brother, Mark.]()
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U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Texas death row inmate
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Texas death row inmate Duane Buck, agreeing that his case was prejudiced by an expert trial witness who claimed Buck was more likely to be a future danger because he is black. Full Story
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![Former Texas death row inmate Duane Buck]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Republican lawmaker wants state funds for death penalty attorneys
Rep. James White's House Bill 1676 would create a state-funded office to represent death-sentenced inmates who can’t afford their own lawyer in their direct appeals to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Full Story
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![State Rep. James White, R-Hillister, speaks on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives on April 29, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Execution halted days before Fort Worth man was set to die
Tilon Carter, 37, received a stay Friday afternoon from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. His execution was set for Tuesday. Full Story
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![Tilon Lashon Carter, sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of James Eldon Tomlin.]()
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Texas lawmakers aim to eliminate death penalty for convicts who didn't kill
At least two Texas Democrats and one Republican are pushing to reform the death penalty under the law of parties, which holds those involved in a murder equally responsible, even if they weren't directly involved in the actual killing. Full Story
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![Mitzie and Danny Wood, parents of Jeff Wood, at a rally in July 2016 at the Governor's mansion. Their son, Jeff, was sent to death row under the controversial law of parties statute.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
Execution halted for man convicted in Corpus Christi stabbing death
Two days before death row inmate John Ramirez was scheduled to be executed, a federal district court in Corpus Christi halted the execution. Full Story
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![John Ramirez, sentenced to death for the 2004 stabbing murder of Pablo Castro in Corpus Christi.]()
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With executions down, will the death penalty disappear?
The death penalty has been slowly on the decline in the U.S. Tough-on-crime Texas has also seen a decline in its use. What could that mean for the future of the penalty here? Full Story
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![Texas' execution chamber in Huntsville.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Texas executes man convicted in Dallas-area double murder
After a nearly four-hour delay while waiting on final appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court, Terry Edwards was executed Thursday night for a robbery turned murder he claimed he did not commit. Full Story
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![The clock nears 6 p.m. at the "Walls" unit in Huntsville, where Texas executes its prisoners, on Jan. 26, 2017.]()
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Appeals denied, execution set for man in murder he says he didn't commit
A man who claims he is innocent is set to be executed Thursday evening in a robbery turned double murder in Dallas County. Full Story
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![Terry Edwards was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2002 murders of Mickell Goodwin and Tommy Walker.]()
Credit: TDCJ -
State Rep. Dutton renews uphill fight to abolish the death penalty in Texas
Every legislative session since 2003, Harold Dutton of Houston has filed at least one bill to end capital punishment in Texas. It’s often been a lonely quest. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Supreme Court to review Texas death penalty case
The U.S. Supreme Court said Friday it would review the legal complexities in a Texas death penalty case, where a man killed a 5-year-old and her grandmother. Full Story
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![Death row inmate Erick Davila was convicted of the 2008 murders of a Fort Worth woman and her five-year-old granddaughter.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Texas executes first person of the year
The first execution in Texas and the United States, for the killer of two men in Fort Worth after a fake drug deal, was held Wednesday evening. Full Story
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![Christopher Wilkins is scheduled to be executed on Jan. 11, 2017, for the 2005 murder of two men in Fort Worth.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Rodney Ellis leaves Texas Senate with criminal justice legacy
The 2017 legislative session will open without former state Sen. Rodney Ellis, a 26-year lawmaker who became a criminal justice reform titan in the upper chamber. Full Story
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![Retiring Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, listens to testimony during the Senate Committee on State Affairs hearing on religious freedom on Feb. 17, 2016.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Texas sues FDA over seized execution drugs
More than a year after the feds blocked Texas from importing an execution drug, Texas filed a lawsuit demanding a final decision on whether the drugs can be delivered. Full Story
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Texas judge who questions death penalty won't seek reelection
Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Elsa Alcala, a Republican, said the main reason she won't run is because of the “random and unreliable” results from partisan judicial elections. Full Story
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![Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Elsa Alcala.]()
Credit: Court of Criminal Appeals -
Use our database to learn more about prison units across Texas
Use the Tribune's Texas Prison Inmates database to learn more about Texas' prison units and the more than 143,000 inmates housed inside them. Full Story
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![The William G. McConnell Prison Unit in Beeville, Texas.]()
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In light of Arizona ruling, will Texas executions change? A Texplainer
Hey, Texplainer: A federal judge in Arizona just ruled that witnesses have the right to see the full process of an execution, including the administration of lethal drugs. Will this affect how Texas carries out executions? Full Story
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![The view of Texas' execution chamber from a witness viewing room.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
In an unusual year, Texas didn't lead the nation in executions
Texas didn't have the busiest execution chamber this year. In fact, it had the lowest number of executions in 20 years. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Waco man's death sentence, conviction thrown out over seizure of texts
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals threw out the conviction and death sentence of a Waco man Friday after ruling that the trial court's admission of text messages was unconstitutional because they were seized without a warrant. Full Story
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![Albert Love]()
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Execution halted again for Dallas man who killed his daughters
John Battaglia shot and killed his two young daughters in 2001. He now has another chance to prove he is mentally incompetent to be executed. Full Story
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![John Battaglia and his two daughters, Liberty (left) and Faith, who he murdered on May 1, 2001.]()
Credit: Dallas County Court files
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