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
‘Another Book, Another Month, Another Day Closer to You’
The Women’s Storybook Project of Texas is an Austin nonprofit that encourages incarcerated mothers to read to their children.
Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Advances Past Committee with GOP Support
Advocates applauded Monday's vote, pointing to the more than 61,000 Texans who were arrested for possession of marijuana in 2015.
Bill to Improve Interactions Between Texans and Police Advances to Senate
The measure, carried by Democratic senators, advanced to the Senate with unanimous support, but Houston Black Lives Matter activists still oppose it.
Puff, Puff, Pass? GOP Lawmakers Silent on Marijuana Decriminalization
As HB 81 nears a committee vote, the marijuana decriminalization measure has hardly encountered any resistance.
Locked In Limbo
Ankle monitors are preferable to putting immigrant families behind bars. But the devices interfere with daily life and work — and they aren’t always used as an alternative to detention.
In Response to Observer Report, Lawmaker Proposes Ban on ‘Donations’ in Lieu of Prosecution
A bill introduced Thursday by state Representative Mike Lang would ban prosecutors from accepting gifts and donations from defendants.
Lining Up a Conviction
A suggestive photo lineup put Juan Balderas on death row. Experts say he may have been wrongfully convicted, but will he get a new trial in time?
Making Crime Pay and Pay and Pay…
In Texas, paying for cops, courts and prosecutors with fees from defendants has become more and more popular. But what happens when the drive to do justice on the cheap collides with a rogue prosecutor?
Making the Case Against Banishing Sex Offenders
Legislators won’t touch the subject, but courts are proving more sympathetic.