Criminal Justice
Galveston Lawsuit Is Writing on the Wall for Other Counties that Haven’t Ended ‘Wealth-Based Detention’
Meet the Expert Who Helps Texas Cops Justify Extreme Behavior
Gilbert Flores’ hands were raised when two Bexar County deputies shot and killed him. A former cop who’s trained thousands of state police officers explains why he thinks that’s OK.
Gilbert Flores was already taunting the cops when his mother called 911 the morning of August 28, 2015. “My son, he’s gone crazy, I think he’s on drugs, I...Read More
Why Dallas is One of the Few Places Killer Cops Could be Held Accountable
This summer, Dallas County officials took the rare step of indicting killer cops — twice.
Something extraordinary happened in Dallas County this month: A grand jury returned a murder indictment against a police officer who shot and killed someone. On...Read More
Compassionate (Ab)use: Family Battles Texas over Medical Marijuana
The Zartlers have gone through a veritable pharmacy of prescription drugs, but they say medical marijuana is the only thing that stops Kara from hitting herself.
Mark Zartler measures how well his 17-year-old daughter, Kara, is doing by what he calls a “hit test” — counting the number of times she hits herself on a...Read More
15 Protesters Arrested After Demonstration Defending DACA at Texas Capitol
A supportive crowd of dozens chanted “undocumented and unafraid” and “sí se puede” as the demonstrators were arrested by state troopers.
Fifteen immigrant rights supporters were arrested Wednesday outside the Texas Capitol after they blocked traffic in an effort to defend existing immigrant prote...Read More
Trump’s New Immigration Lockup Draws Local Opposition in Conroe
A private prison company is building an immigrant detention center in the seat of Montgomery County—whether residents like it or not.
The people of Conroe are getting a new, 1,000-bed immigrant detention center whether they like it or not. The GEO Group Inc., one of the largest private prison ...Read More
Why We Hired a Civil Rights Reporter
Introducing Michael Barajas, the Observer’s new civil rights reporter
Over the last five years, federal courts have repeatedly ruled that the Texas Legislature intentionally discriminated against racial minorities. That’s a high...Read More
Five New Laws that Will Likely Get Texas Sued (Or Already Have)
The Texas Legislature passed at least 5 arguably unconstitutional bills this year, and the special session hasn’t even started.
Infighting, red-meat politics and parliamentary revenge characterized this year’s Texas Legislature. Amid the fray, legislators failed to reauthorize basic st...Read More
Protecting Immigrant Families: A Call for an Economic Boycott of Texas
After SB 4, Texans should support immigration and boycott conventions, conferences and major sports events.
The time has come for us Texans to promote an economic boycott of our state until the misnamed “anti-sanctuary” law, Senate Bill 4, is repealed an...Read More
Después de SB 4, Línea Telefónica de Consulados Mexicanos Presenta un Incremento de Casi 700 por ciento en Texas
Después de la fecha en que se firmó SB 4, los consulados mexicanos en Texas han estado más ocupados que nunca, de acuerdo a una reciente declaración.
Read in English. Los 11 consulados mexicanos en Texas han experimentado un enorme incremento en la cantidad de ciudadanos mexicanos que buscan asesoría legal y...Read More