Tag Archives: Harris County
Immune from Justice
The Legislature appears unlikely to close a loophole that allows prosecutors to fire subordinates for refusing to illegally withhold evidence.
Eric Hillman thought the law was clear when he discovered new evidence that could help the man he was prosecuting in 2014. Then a prosecutor in the Nueces Count...Read More
Bucking the Reign of Oil
With more of oil’s boom years behind us than ahead, oil and gas interests will become known increasingly by their uglier side effects, rather than their benefits.
The tank farm owned by the Intercontinental Terminals Company in Deer Park burned for four days, producing a cloud of thick black smoke that rose a mile above g...Read More
She’s 28. She’s an Immigrant. She’s in Charge of Texas’ Most Populous County. Get Used to It.
When Lina Hidalgo was elected Harris County judge in November, many scoffed at her unexpected victory. Now she’s on a mission to prove that her progressive agenda is just what Houston needs.
by Blake Paterson April 3, 2019 Simon Cruz timidly approached the lectern at the March 12 meeting of the Harris County Commissioners Court. The 79-year-old resi...Read More
Why Doesn’t Texas’ Most Liberal County Have a Public Defender?
Judges and an aggrieved defense bar are derailing talks to build a public defender’s office in Travis County.
Austin is the largest city in the country without a public defender’s office to help represent poor people accused of crimes. In Texas, the only other big cit...Read More
Government Transparency Suffers a Major Setback Thanks to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
The all-Republican court has removed criminal penalties for violating a portion of the state Open Meetings Act.
The windows of Texas government have been tinted even darker thanks to a landmark ruling Wednesday by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The nine-member panel...Read More
The Midterms Trigger a Seismic Shift in Harris County’s Courts
Among the Democrats who won all 59 judicial seats at play in the midterms: a socialist and 19 black women running on criminal justice reform.
The Democratic sweep in Harris County Tuesday night could remake one of the largest criminal justice systems in the country. When the blue wave crashed into Hou...Read More
Harris County Clerk Scrubs Soros Conspiracies from Site. Will Other GOP Leaders Follow Suit?
Under pressure, Republican Stan Stanart has dropped his anti-Semitic campaign pitch.
After pushback from media and a top Houston GOP official, Republican Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart scrubbed his re-election website Tuesday night of George S...Read More
Inside Beto’s Plan to Turn Out Black Voters in Houston
Black activists are cautiously optimistic — but it’s a huge challenge for Beto’s grassroots machine to reach the unlikely voters he needs to come out.
Inside Beto’s Plan to Turn Out Black Voters in Houston Black activists are cautiously optimistic — but it’s a huge challenge for Beto’s grassroots machi...Read More
To Chip Away at Dan Patrick’s Power, Dems Need a Crashing Blue Wave in SD 17
During the 2013 legislative session, Joan Huffman, a former Harris County felony court judge and prosecutor, worked to scuttle criminal justice reforms in the T...Read More