Texas inmates are being ‘cooked to death’ in extreme heat, complaint alleges
With the threat of another hot summer ahead, advocates asked a federal judge to declare 100-degree-plus conditions in uncooled Texas facilities unconstitutional. Full Story
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William Melhado
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William Melhado was an Austin-based general assignment reporter until 2024. He originally joined the Tribune in 2022 as a Poynter-Koch fellow. Before his time at the Tribune, William worked as a staff writer at the Santa Fe Reporter, an alt-weekly newspaper in New Mexico, and he also worked as an educator for five years at a public high school in the Bronx, New York and at international schools in Tanzania and Nepal. A native of Boulder, Colorado, William graduated from Middlebury College with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and earned a master’s in secondary science education at CUNY Lehman College.
Past Contributions
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![Telford prison on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, in New Boston.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Texas criminal appeals court removes Tomas Gallo from death row because of his intellectual disability
The court re-sentenced Gallo to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter. Full Story
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![The Huntsville Unit Texas State Penitentiary houses the execution chamber of Texas and is located in Huntsville on Jan. 31, 2024.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
State district judge recommends overturning Melissa Lucio’s death sentence
In a rare joint statement, the district attorney and the defense agreed that prosecutors withheld evidence that could point to a Rio Grande Valley woman’s innocence in the death of her toddler. Full Story
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![Melissa Lucio was convicted and sentenced to death in 2008 for the murder of her her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Melissa Lucio's attorneys -
Texas criminal appeals court takes man off death row over intellectual disability
Since Randall Mays was sentenced to death in 2008 for the murder of two sheriff’s deputies, his lawyers have argued his intellectual disability exempts him from execution. Full Story
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![Guard towers are located around the Polunsky Unit on Jan. 31, 2024.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Montgomery County directs citizen board to review, and potentially remove, library books
The county north of Houston adopted the guidelines amid a growing number of book bans in school districts and a new state law that supporters claim protects children from inappropriate material. Full Story
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![Books at Vandegrift High School's library on March 2, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
Feds arrest five men accused of smuggling illegally purchased guns to cartels in Mexico
The men were charged with two criminal offenses, including straw purchasing of firearms, created by the 2022 bipartisan gun safety bill authored by Sen. John Cornyn. Full Story
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![A Springfield Saint Victor AR-15 rifle is displayed during the National Rifle Association annual convention in Houston on May 27, 2022.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton -
How plans for a West Texas drag show turned into a war over the First Amendment
In the staunchly conservative Panhandle, LGBTQ+ Texans say political and legal battles overlook their humanity. Full Story
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![From left, Marcus Stovall and Bear Bright stand of the sidewalk across the street from the courthouse Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 in Canyon, Tx.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Supreme Court hears Texas case on politically motivated arrests
Former Castle Hills Council Member Sylvia Gonzalez sued the city after police arrested her for tampering with government records, which she said was in retaliation for her criticism of the city manager. Full Story
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![Supreme Court police officers walk alongside protective barriers in Washington D.C., on Nov. 1, 2021.]()
Credit: Eric Lee for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Supreme Court declines to intervene in lawsuit over West Texas A&M drag shows
The decision means university President Walter Wendler could cancel an on-campus drag show next week. He canceled a previous show last year. Full Story
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![Students rallied against the university president’s decision to cancel a drag performance at West Texas A&M University on March 23, 2023.]()
Credit: David Bowser for The Texas Tribune -
Pornhub suspends site in Texas due to state’s age-verification law
Legal experts say a 5th Circuit decision to uphold part of a Texas law regulating adult entertainment websites conflicts with U.S. Supreme Court precedent regarding minors’ access to obscene material online. Full Story
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![Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a reception for Jared Woodfill at the Federal American Grill on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in Houston.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune