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.
Criminal Justice
Pam Perillo’s Sisterhood of the Condemned
She's a death row survivor, but she doesn't think she's really any different from her friends who are still set to die.
New Report Highlights the ‘Fatal Flaws’ Behind Wrongful Capital Convictions
The ACLU found official misconduct, perjury, and predominantly white juries were contributing factors in at least 200 death sentence exonerations.
Texas Turns Its Sprawling State Police Force Into Immigration Agents for Trump
The notorious 287(g) task force program has finally reached DPS, raising fears of widespread racial profiling.
Bail Crackdown on Ballot Ignores Mental Health Crisis, Advocates Say
"The jail system is already the largest warehouse of people with mental illness in the state of Texas."
‘I Got a Lot of People Believing in Me’: Robert Roberson Stares Down Death, Again
Set to be the first U.S. person executed based on the controversial “Shaken Baby Syndrome” diagnosis, Roberson told the Observer last week he hopes his story will mean something.
Officials Said They Busted a Tren de Aragua Party. Attendees Beg to Differ.
A highly publicized multi-agency raid in Hays County resulted in dozens of arrests on low-level immigration charges and left an Austin mother's life in tatters. It also fit a pattern of unproven gang-related accusations.
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The Health Penalty
At a North Texas prison, one nurse practitioner racked up more than 20 federal lawsuits over alleged medical mistreatment. The patients’ stories illuminate a healthcare system that often seems like another form of punishment.
Police ‘Secrecy Grab’ Dies After Senate Refuses Uvalde Compromise
"We’re hopeful that it means it doesn’t come back again, and that we can preserve some level of transparency for all Texans."
The Innocent and the Executed: James Beathard’s Long-Forgotten Story
Beathard was put to death in 1999 for murders that his co-defendant claimed to have committed without him. A new documentary-in-progress seeks to bring his case to light.