The latest Judiciary of Texas news from The Texas Tribune.
When the state's new truancy law takes effect Sept. 1, students will no longer potentially face criminal sanctions for skipping school. But there are new directives for public schools and the courts. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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The prosecutor in the Sandra Bland death investigation said Monday he has appointed an outside group of lawyers to review the evidence in the case to ensure that Waller County remains "an open book." Full Story
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Juvenile justice advocates applauded when the Texas Legislature decided this year that repeated school truancy will no longer be a crime. But school and court officials worry they are losing tools that have actually worked at keeping kids in school. Full Story
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A U.S. Supreme Court decision Monday that upheld the use of an execution drug used in Oklahoma will not change how death row inmates in Texas are executed, according to a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman. Full Story
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The Texas Supreme Court on Friday ruled it has no authority or jurisdiction to intervene in its sister court's ban of prominent death penalty lawyer David Dow. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers may be reluctant to ease up on punishing small-time pot smokers, but local prosecutors across the state are increasingly looking for ways to keep two-bit toking cases from clogging court dockets. Full Story
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As Texas waits on the U.S. Supreme Court to rule, the state highest civil court ruled Friday that the Texas attorney general's office tried too late to stop a divorce between a couple married in Massachusetts. Full Story
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More than three weeks after Waco police arrested 177 bikers following a deadly shootout, none have been charged in the killings, nearly half remain in jail and legal experts — including some former prosecutors — wonder what McLennan County is doing. Full Story
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Legislation that reforms the state's grand jury system now awaits Gov. Greg Abbott's signature after the House on Sunday approved a compromise between the two chambers. Full Story
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Accused of making offensive comments and holding a 15-hour court session without restroom or food breaks, a district judge in Texas' South Plains has been publicly admonished and instructed to seek four hours of training with a mentor. Full Story
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The U.S. Supreme Court says it's okay for states to bar judges from raising their own campaign cash. A lot of judges (and lawyers, too) think that's a pretty good idea that Texas might want to consider. Full Story
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Dawn Carlton is intellectually disabled, but she says she manages fine on her own. The 38-year-old woman is pushing for a series of bills this legislative session to change the way court-appointed guardians are used in Texas. Full Story
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Almost a decade after voters overwhelmingly added it to the Texas Constitution, the clock may be running out on the state's gay marriage ban. Full Story
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Thanks to a wealthy and generous personal injury lawyer, Democrat Nicholas LaHood is mounting a well-funded challenge in his bid to unseat 16-year Republican incumbent Susan Reed as Bexar County district attorney. Full Story
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When Texas Gov. Rick Perry was indicted last month for allegedly overstepping his authority, the charges came from a type of grand jury that is not the norm in Austin’s criminal courts: one whose members were chosen at random. Full Story
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A federal judge on Friday struck down new requirements for Texas abortion facilities — a decision that could have shuttered all but a few abortion clinics in the state. The standards were set to go into effect Monday. Full Story
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UPDATED: Removing Texas' same-sex marriage ban could clear the way for bigamy and pedophilia, according to a brief signed by 63 Republican lawmakers including the GOP candidates for lieutenant governor and attorney general. Full Story
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A district court judge ruled against death row inmate Hank Skinner on Tuesday in the wake of new DNA testing, saying it was “reasonably probable” he would still have been convicted had the evidence been available at trial. Full Story
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The Supreme Court of Texas heard arguments Thursday morning in a case that could determine whether Texas courts can force individuals to remove remarks from the internet if they are found to be false or defamatory. Full Story
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The Texas Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday morning in an online defamation case that could have far-reaching effects on individual freedom to post online. Full Story