Texplainer: Will Judge Who Beat Daughter Be Punished?
Hey, Texplainer: What will happen to Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams now that the video of him beating his then 16-year-old daughter has gone viral? Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Lawsuit Gives Cover to Texas Lawmakers
Judges have been telling legislators what to do since we set up government to replace knife fights and bar brawls. And legislators use the courts to make them do unpopular but necessary things that voters don't like. School finance, for instance. Full Story
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![Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas.]()
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Weekend Insider: Courts Legislate Lawmakers, GOP Who Don't Support Perry
In this edition of the Texas Tribune Weekend Insider, executive editor Ross Ramsey explains how courts legislate for state lawmakers, and deputy editor Emily Ramshaw describes the risks Texas Republicans face when they don't support Rick Perry for president. Full Story
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Schools and Taxes: The Next Big Thing
The primary elections come in less than five months. The general election is about a year away. When that's all out of the way, we'll all be talking about lawsuits — some that have been filed, some that will be filed later — on school finance and franchise taxes. Full Story
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Updated: Morton Lawyers: Former DAs' Claims "Wholly Deficient"
Michael Morton's legal team responded today to claims from the exonerated man's original prosecutors that they cannot be forced to testify as part of an inquiry into how Morton was wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. Full Story
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![Michael Morton sits beside his mother, Patricia Morton, during an emotional press conference after a judge agreed to release him on personal bond after he spent nearly 25 years in prison for the murder of his wife.]()
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Texas Legal Group Urges More Judicial Appointments
A nonpartisan group of Texas lawyers, law professors and other legal advocates today called on the U.S. Senate to quickly fill judicial vacancies that are slowing down the justice system in Texas and nationwide. Full Story
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Something to Talk About
Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Attorney General Greg Abbott may well use a court ruling against the abortion sonogram law to their political advantage — to lure anti-abortion voters to the polls, and fuel their fire against so-called “activist” judges. Full Story
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31 Days, 31 Ways: Tort Reform Bill Gives Texas High Court New Powers
DAY 28 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: Under a new tort reform law, the Texas Supreme Court will make rules to expedite certain lawsuits and to allow judges to dismiss meritless ones early on. Full Story
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High Court Approves "Pole Tax" on Strip Clubs
The Texas Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that a $5-per-patron tax on strips clubs does not violate the First Amendment, adding the latest chapter to a four-year legal battle. Full Story
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Despite Questions of Bias, Williamson County DA Will Stay on Morton Case
A state judge has declined to remove District Attorney John Bradley from continuing to investigate the case of Michael Morton, whose 1987 murder conviction has been called into question by new DNA evidence suggesting someone else killed his wife. Full Story
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![Texas Forensic Science Commission Chairman John Bradley listens to other board members during a scheduled meeting on September 17, 2010 in Dallas, Texas.]()
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State Seeks Clearance for Political Maps
Texas bypassed the Obama administration's Department of Justice on Tuesday, opting to ask a panel of federal judges in Washington, D.C., to review the state's new maps for congressional, legislative and State Board of Education districts. Full Story
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This Time, Budget Bills Sail Through Senate
After last ditch efforts from Democrats to increase funding for schools through closing tax loopholes and tapping the Rainy Day Fund failed, two budget bills quickly cleared the Senate Friday night. Full Story
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Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Supreme Court Justices Plead for Legal Aid Dollars
Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson and Justice Nathan Hecht sent lawmakers a letter Wednesday urging them to find $20 million during the special session to help needy people access civil courts. Full Story
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Senate Approves Loser-Pays Bill
The Senate unanimously passed a major tort reform bill today that would allow courts to grant attorneys' fees to prevailing parties under certain circumstances. Full Story
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Loser-Pays Bill Clears Texas House
Texas got one step closer today to becoming one of the few states with a rule that awards legal fees to prevailing parties in lawsuits. Full Story
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Perry: We Have a Tort Reform Emergency
With the House set to take up a loser-pays bill for the second time tomorrow, Gov. Rick Perry has added an item to his emergency list: tort reform. Full Story
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"Loser Pays" Bills Filed in the House and Senate
In advance of today's bill filing deadline, lawmakers have introduced two bills that would require losing parties to pay attorneys' fees in a variety of civil lawsuits. Full Story
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Texas' Next Tort Reform Battle: "Loser Pays"
Advocates say requiring the losing parties in litigation to pay their opponents’ legal fees is the cure for courts choked with the costs of “junk” lawsuits. Full Story
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![Texas State Representative Brandon Creighton, who chairs the House Select Committee on State Sovereignty, during a press conference on the Tenth Amendment.]()
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Texplainer: Can a Judge Still Serve After Losing an Election?
Ever wonder what a defeated judge is doing up on the bench? Texplainer's got your answer. Full Story
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Chief Justice to Legislature: Remember the Neediest
In his biennial State of the Judiciary address on Wednesday, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson urged the Legislature to protect legal aid funding — and renewed his call for the reform of judicial elections. Full Story
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![Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson gives the State of the Judiciary in the House Chamber on February 23, 2011.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
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