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
In Rare Legal Move, the City of Amarillo Takes Landowner to Court Over Homeless Camp
Experts say the city’s lawsuit, filed this month against a man who allowed a homeless camp to be developed on his property, is virtually unprecedented.
San Antonio, Dallas Primaries Could Usher in Prosecutors Who Promise a More Equal Criminal Justice System
Reformers have targeted Texas primary races where candidates promise bail reform and jail diversion.
Lawsuit Questions How Port Arthur Police, Hospital Staff Respond to Mentally Ill Patients
Family claims police and hospital guards cornered a schizophrenic man then smothered him to death when he refused to remove his underwear.
Problems Hide in Plain Sight at Texas’ Youth Lockups
Critics say Texas’ five remaining juvenile prisons not only fail to rehabilitate young people but “actually make them worse.”
The Road to Huntsville
My days on "the chain" — the prison bus to Huntsville — are long over, but they're still with me.
Traffic Ticketing Program That Feeds Debtors’ Prison Pipeline May Be in its Final Year
To repeal the Driver Responsibility Program, lawmakers are proposing to increase all Texas traffic fines by $20.
Sandra Bland Act Passes Senate Unanimously After Key Provisions Dropped
“I would’ve preferred a more robust bill, but I’m happy — I’m elated — that there is a bill,” said author Garnet Coleman, D-Houston.
Legislature Plans to Close Four Correctional Facilities. Will They Become Immigrant Detention Centers?
Many see the closures as a step in the right direction, but some advocates worry what the empty prisons could mean for immigrant detention.
Dashcam Video: In Rush to Help Deport Immigrants, Texas State Troopers May Be Trampling the Constitution
Legal experts, pointing to a series of Supreme Court rulings, say a DPS trooper may have violated the Fourth Amendment.