‘Suicide by Cop’: How a Poorly Defined Term Shifts Accountability for Lost Lives
Austin officers killed an unarmed 17-year-old at a park last month in what the chief swiftly deemed "suicide by police." Some call the concept a type of "junk science."
Michelle Pitcher
Michelle Pitcher is a staff writer at the Texas Observer covering criminal justice. She received her master’s in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley and was part of the team at The Marshall Project that won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. Her reporting has been featured on NPR, FiveThirtyEight, The Dallas Morning News, and more. Michelle was born and raised in Dallas and is now based in Austin.
Articles by Michelle Pitcher
Houston Is Testing Whether Trump’s ICE Is Above Texas Law
After the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, local authorities have struggled to stake their claim on an investigation into a killing within the most populous Texas city’s limits.
A Jailhouse Snitch and the System that Made Him
Pamela Colloff’s debut book is a propulsive study of a fatally flawed tactic beloved by prosecutors in Texas and beyond.
Ken Paxton’s Glass House
A rhetorical analysis of the numerous political stones cast from the Texas attorney general's office during his run for U.S. Senate
Texas’ Top Criminal Court Has Stymied the State’s ‘Junk Science’ Law. Will SCOTUS Intervene?
If the U.S. Supreme Court renders a decision in favor of Charles Flores and others, it would likely force the Court of Criminal Appeals to relax its extremely strict handling of appeals based on shoddy and outdated science.
A Looming Execution Raises Questions of Race, Responsibility, and Rap
James Broadnax is set to be executed April 30. But someone else has admitted to the crime.
‘Riding Shotgun’
The Observer has forayed into podcasting with the story of the dubious capital conviction of Charles Flores.
Sanctioned Judge Upsets Incumbent in Dallas District Attorney Race
Amber Givens beat out two-term DA John Creuzot in Tuesday’s primary, sending shockwaves through the local political and courthouse scene.
A Motley Crew of Dems Vie to Become New Bexar County DA
Eight candidates are running to be the Democratic nominee in the open race for the district attorney’s office. None are frontrunners.
Uvalde Trial Raises Question of Whether Police Stop School Shootings
Since Columbine, expectations for cops have been clear. But reality often hasn’t measured up.