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.
Criminal Justice
Mapping the Legacy of Prison Hunger Strikes in Texas
"I'm willing to die for the cause, because I can't live."
A Brief History of Junk Science and Bad Forensics
“Texas has a long history with the use of unreliable evidence. [It also has made] unique efforts to address that searing history.”
Heroin, Cornell, Prison, and Journalism
In ‘Corrections in Ink,’ star criminal justice reporter Keri Blakinger skillfully tells the story of her own unusual life.
Stereotypes Could Send An Innocent Texas Woman to the Execution Chamber
A psychologist explains how myths and biases can prompt false allegations—and irreversible mistakes, especially in cases involving trauma victims like Melissa Lucio.
A Texas Mother Could Be Executed in April. Was Her Child’s Death Really a Murder?
Melissa Lucio, whose execution could take place this year, claims her innocence.
In Bexar County, A Hybrid Program To Help Indigent Defendants
A new “managed assigned counsel” system has been created in the county to help jailed people get better legal representation.
SIGN UP FOR TEXAS OBSERVER EMAILS
Fragile Evidence
Bearing witness to stories about the death penalty in Texas.
Invisible Scars
For women inside prison, the fight for survival is less physical than psychological.
‘The People’s Lawyer’
Civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt, who represented George Floyd’s family, on running for Texas attorney general and ending “comply or die” policing.