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Criminal Justice

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.

by Michelle Pitcher

Keep Reading

Moises Mendoza to Be Third Person Killed by State of Texas This Year

by Michelle Pitcher

When a Death Penalty ‘Volunteer’ Changes His Mind

by Michelle Pitcher

A Houston Storyteller Finds the Humor in Hard Knocks

by Craig Lindsey

Apr 02, 2024

Some Texas Prisoners Allowed Only Four Hours of Sleep a Night, Lawsuit Says

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a man incarcerated at the Estelle Unit who has been suing over his sleep schedule for a decade.

by Michelle Pitcher

Mar 21, 2024

An Open Letter to Richard Linklater on Our Texas Death Penalty

Capital punishment ensnares us all in a labyrinth of our own making, as your new film poignantly reveals.

by Walter C. Long

Kim Ogg debates primary challenger Sean Teare Mar 05, 2024

In the Ogg House: Harris County DA Ousted in Primary 

Challenger Sean Teare handily took out the embattled two-term incumbent Kim Ogg.

by Michelle Pitcher

Judge Amber Givens on a Zoom call Nov 29, 2023

Texas Rangers Investigation Sheds Light on Dallas Judge’s ‘Bizarre’ Behavior

Dallas County Judge Amber Givens was accused of having her court coordinator impersonate her during a 2021 Zoom bond hearing, prompting a Rangers inquiry.

by Michelle Pitcher

A cartoon image showing Ken Paxton in the Attorney General's private bathroom at the Texas legislature or similar governmenrt building. He whistles a cheerful tune as he dries his hands on shreds of paper labeled "The Law" as a substitute for paper towels from his bathroom's wall dispenser. Sep 14, 2023

Loon Star State: In Ken Paxton’s Bathroom

We don't want to know what he uses for toilet paper.

by Ben Sargent

Ted Cruz, wearing a light suit jacket over a blue button-down, speaks into a microphone at CPAC in Dallas. Apr 18, 2023

Strangest State: Ted Cruz Enjoys a White Claw

Smuggling bones. Horses with tail lights. Alcoholic seltzer goes aerial. Just another day in far-flung Texas.

by Texas Observer Staff

A white woman, Emily Nestor, the star of Citizen Sleuth, is seen reclining as she receives a tattoo on the back of her calf. Mar 29, 2023

True Crime’s Ethical Dilemma

What begins as a search for a murder ends as a hard look at the murky ethics of "nonfiction" crime storytelling.

by Sara Hutchinson

Ozell Brandley (a Black man) and his nieces, Cassie Brandley and Elizabeth Phillips, visit the grave of Clarence Brandley. Elizabeth Phillips is holding a blue t-shirt which reads, "Clarence Brandley Will be Free." Mar 20, 2023

Clarence Brandley: Unjustly Convicted, Overdue for Justice

One of Texas’ most famous death row exonerees died before winning compensation under a law inspired by his own story.

by Arman Badrei

Arthur Brown Jr. Mar 03, 2023

Two Executions, Many Questions about Mental Health, Innocence

Texas' deadly spring continues: Two Black men, Gary Green and Arthur Brown Jr. are set to be killed this week by the state.

by Michelle Pitcher

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