A Blue Wave Could Sweep Greg Abbott’s Handpicked Houston Judges Out of Office
But experts say that, as Harris County judicial seats have swung with the political tides, it’s not partisanship that matters for criminal defendants.
Criminal Justice
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.
The Innocent and the Executed: James Beathard’s Long-Forgotten Story
Beathard was put to death in 1999 for murders that his co-defendant claimed to have committed without him. A new documentary-in-progress seeks to bring his case to light.
Penned Poetry: A Formerly Incarcerated Activist’s Turn to Verse
Longtime advocate Jorge Antonio Renaud lyricizes the grit of prison life in his first published collection of poems, The Restlessness of Bound Wrists.
Abbott’s Bail Agenda Could Swell Texas Jails, Test U.S. Constitution
Republicans want to double down on a system that can keep Texans in jail for years without a trial, while attacking bail funds that try to help.
Moises Mendoza to Be Third Person Killed by State of Texas This Year
“We oppose this execution as we do every execution. Capital punishment is an act of state sanctioned violence that violates the sacred dignity of every human life.”
When a Death Penalty ‘Volunteer’ Changes His Mind
Richard Tabler is scheduled to be executed February 13, making him the second person set to be killed by the state in 2025.
Get the newsletter
A Houston Storyteller Finds the Humor in Hard Knocks
Bayou City comic Ali Siddiq turns street life and incarceration into laughs, while challenging stereotypes and provoking the occasional tear.
The Walls Prison Break–50 Years Later
Questions linger about Fred Gomez Carrasco’s escape attempt and the killings that followed.
Bringing Home the Story of Ben Spencer
An innocent Texan was caught for more than three decades in a web of lies and injustice.