A Jailhouse Snitch and the System that Made Him
Pamela Colloff’s debut book is a propulsive study of a fatally flawed tactic beloved by prosecutors in Texas and beyond.
Criminal Justice
Texas’ Top Criminal Court Has Stymied the State’s ‘Junk Science’ Law. Will SCOTUS Intervene?
If the U.S. Supreme Court renders a decision in favor of Charles Flores and others, it would likely force the Court of Criminal Appeals to relax its extremely strict handling of appeals based on shoddy and outdated science.
A Looming Execution Raises Questions of Race, Responsibility, and Rap
James Broadnax is set to be executed April 30. But someone else has admitted to the crime.
‘Riding Shotgun’
The Observer has forayed into podcasting with the story of the dubious capital conviction of Charles Flores.
A Motley Crew of Dems Vie to Become New Bexar County DA
Eight candidates are running to be the Democratic nominee in the open race for the district attorney’s office. None are frontrunners.
The ‘Antifa Scare’ Goes on Trial in North Texas
As nine of the "Prairieland 19" face their days in court, the broader constitutional rights of left-wing activists may hang in the balance.
Uvalde Trial Raises Question of Whether Police Stop School Shootings
Since Columbine, expectations for cops have been clear. But reality often hasn’t measured up.
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‘Black Bird Redemption Song’: A Fort Worth Artist’s Work on Confinement, Freedom, and Fred Rouse
An exhibition at the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and Museum in Austin runs through January 25.
In Texas State Jails, a Rising Death Toll and a Broken Promise
Once billed as rehabilitative alternatives to prisons, these facilities are the sites of fatal overdoses—like that which ended the life of a Texan named Jackie Wiley.
Under Operation Lone Star, Texas State Police More than Doubled Their Drone Fleet
The Department of Public Safety has acquired an army of unmanned aerial vehicles—nearly as large as the U.S. Border Patrol's.