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police

‘Suicide by Cop’: How a Poorly Defined Term Shifts Accountability for Lost Lives

Austin officers killed an unarmed 17-year-old at a park last month in what the chief swiftly deemed "suicide by police." Some call the concept a type of "junk science."

by Michelle Pitcher

Keep Reading

ICE Never Stopped Chasing People in Cars in the Rio Grande Valley

by Gaige Davila

In Texas Schools, a Crisis of Arrests of Kids as Young as 10

by Josephine Lee

When Local Police Collaborate with ICE, Children Pay the Price

by Montserrat Garibay

A Latino woman and man stand with serious, proud expressions outside of a courthouse. Priscilla Villarreal is in a black and white striped sweater while her lawyer, J.T. Morris, wears a suit and tie. Jan 24, 2024

The Judges Who Ruled Against La Gordiloca Are Criminalizing Watchdog Journalism

One dissenting judge said the decision guarantees the media “will only be able to report information the government chooses to share.”

by Jason Buch

A dramatic close up of Priscilla Villarreal, wearing a scoop neck black tee, a cameo necklace, large silver hoop earrings and bold makeup. Jan 10, 2024

La Gordiloca Goes to Court

An unconventional citizen journalist stands up for free speech by suing the Laredo public officials who had her arrested.

by Jason Buch

Dec 14, 2023

Texas Is Challenging 150 Years of Immigration Law

Senate Bill 4 could be the vehicle for the U.S. Supreme Court to finally unleash Lone Star Republicans on the world’s huddled masses.

by Gus Bova

A border patrol officer in a green uniform interviews a Latina migrant holding a baby, while both are standing in front of a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol van. Oct 30, 2023

‘Civil and Human Rights Disaster’: Texas Wants to Seize Immigration Authority from Feds

House Bill 4 would turn local police into border enforcers—with new unchecked power.

by Gus Bova

Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences Medical Examiners carry a body out of a home following a shooting December 30, 2020 in Houston. Four people have been killed at the Houston home in what authorities say was likely a domestic violence shooting that included a man firing at police before turning a gun on himself. Oct 06, 2023

Domestic Violence Murders in Texas Are Going Up

A new report from the Texas Council on Family Violence analyzed hundreds of deaths in the Lone Star State.

by Michelle Pitcher

An illustration of a silhouetted boy pointing toward the viewer, as another person holds up a hand in warning, and a third rests their hand on the boy's shoulder. Aug 07, 2023

Sophi’s Murder and the Unanswered Calls for Justice

Investigations and prosecutions of homicides involving alleged domestic violence are uneven across Texas.

by Rob D'Amico

A prison guard escorts a prisoner, in jeans and a dark shirt with their hands handcuffed behind their back. They are walking in a jail hallway up to holding cell doors. May 05, 2023

Mental Illness Shouldn’t Land You in Jail

Up to 40 percent of the people who end up behind bars in Travis County are in crisis. Diversion offers better options.

by Lina Fisher

A Black man in a suit and tie is comforted by his lawyer, a Black woman also in formal dress, as the two stand in a courtroom. Richard Miles looks overcome with emotion. Apr 04, 2023

Dallas’ Evidence Fiasco: An Exoneree’s Lawyer Speaks

Cheryl Wattley helped free Richard Miles, who spent more than a decade in prison for a murder he didn’t commit.

by Michelle Pitcher

The facade of Conroe High School and its parking lot, under an ominous gray sky. Conroe ISD had the highest number of expulsions, as zero tolerance policies make a comeback. Mar 10, 2023

A ‘Dark Vision’ of Discipline: Zero Tolerance Makes a Comeback

Texas is already expelling more at-risk students and the Texas Legislature may make things worse.

by Josephine Lee

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