Grand Jury Looming, Paxton Assails Prosecutors
A grand jury will soon decide whether Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton should be indicted for securities fraud, but the battle for public opinion is already kicking into high gear. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to media in June 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Detained Immigrant Families Face Uncertainty
More than 2,000 undocumented women and children being held in "deplorable" conditions at federal immigration detention centers are supposed to be released under a recent federal judge's order. But how long that takes and what happens to them next remains unclear, attorneys say. Full Story
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Sandra Bland DA Appoints Team to Review Evidence
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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![Sandra Bland, who was found dead at the Waller County Jail in 2015.]()
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Texas State Digs Up Forensic Advances From the Grave
Texas State University's Forensic Anthropology Center is home to about 50 donated human corpses, which are used in research that can help doctors identify bodies, rescuers find missing persons and law enforcement solve crimes. Full Story
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![After bodies decompose into bones, researchers organize the skeletons in the labs of the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State University.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
AG's Office Probing Valley Election Fraud Claims
The Texas attorney general's office has opened an investigation into a contested election in the Rio Grande Valley won by a client of Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa two years ago, according to a lawyer for the losing candidate. Full Story
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![Gilberto Hinojosa chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, at a September 10th, 2014 Tribune event.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Appeals Court Rejects One of Two Counts in Perry Indictment
A state appeals court on Friday threw out one of two counts in the indictment against former Gov. Rick Perry. Full Story
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![Former Gov. Rick Perry during a press conference with his legal team on Jan. 28, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Waller County Releases Sandra Bland Autopsy Report
Waller County officials have released the autopsy report for Sandra Bland, the 28-year-old African-American woman found dead in the county jail on July 13. Full Story
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![A memorial for Sandra Bland at the site of her arrest.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
In Texas Jails, Hanging Most Common Method of Inmate Suicide
Of the 501 inmate deaths that have occurred in county jails since 2009, nearly a third of them were by suicide. Most of those suicides were by hanging, with inmates using objects jailers provided for them as ligatures. Full Story
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Bland Case Spotlights Gaps in Jail Oversight
Like many Texas lockups, the Waller County Jail staff had not been sufficiently trained in safeguarding suicidal or mentally ill inmates. Part of the problem is underfunding and understaffing at the state agency overseeing the network of 244 local and private jails. Full Story
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![Hempstead resident Adrienne Holland holds a sign outside of the Waller County Jail where Sandra Bland, 28, was found dead.]()
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Roundup: Sandra Bland, GOP Sweet 16
In the Roundup: State officials vow to find out what happened to Sandra Bland, the woman who died in a Southeast Texas jail. And an addition to the 2016 Republican presidential field could affect some Texas hopefuls. Full Story
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State Asks Federal Judge to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Birth Certificates
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday asked a federal district judge to dismiss a lawsuit that claims a state agency violated the U.S. Constitution by denying birth certificates to U.S.-citizen children of immigrant parents. Full Story
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Records Show Bland Revealed Previous Suicide Attempt
As she was being booked into the Waller County Jail, Sandra Bland told officers she had attempted suicide earlier this year, records released on Wednesday show. Bland also indicated that she had been diagnosed with epilepsy and was taking an anti-seizure medication. Full Story
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![Screenshot from Department of Public Safety dash cam video shows Sandra Bland as she exits her car after DPS officer Brian Encinia has drawn his taser on July 10, 2015.]()
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Officials Say Bland Should Not Have Been Arrested
Two Texas lawmakers said Sandra Bland should have never been arrested after watching the video of the traffic stop taken from the Texas Department of Public Safety trooper’s car that was shown in a closed door meeting before being released to the public. Full Story
![A memorial for Sandra Bland at the site of her arrest.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
Video: DPS Officer Became Enraged Over Cigarette
After a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper stopped Sandra Bland's car and approached her, he told her to put out her cigarette and get out of her car. When she asked why, he threatened to "light up" the 28-year-old with his Taser. Full Story
![Screenshot from Department of Public Safety dash cam video shows Sandra Bland as she exits her car after DPS officer Brian Encinia has drawn his taser on July 10, 2015.]()
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Update: DPS Reposts Dash Cam Footage of Bland's Arrest
UPDATED: A week after Waller County Sheriff's deputies found Sandra Bland dead inside her jail cell, the Texas Department of Public Safety rereleased the dash cam video of the traffic stop that led to her arrest. DPS officials reposted the video after they say segments were affected by the original upload. Full Story
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"Chapo" Escape Should Lead to Drug Law Reform, Advocates Say
Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán's brazen escape last week from a maximum-security Mexican prison prompted anger from U.S. officials. Advocates who want to see changes to drug laws argue now is the time to reassess current policies. Full Story
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Lawmaker Pushing to Allow Guns in Hospitals
Gun rights advocates scored major wins this year in the Texas Legislature, and some aren't stopping there. State Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, wants to allow staff and visitors to bring firearms into hospitals for self-defense. Full Story
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Texas Lawmakers React to Sandra Bland Death
On Sunday, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee and a trio of state lawmakers visited with the family of Sandra Bland, the woman who died while in the custody of the Waller County Sheriff's Office. Full Story
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Preacher: Sandra Bland Did Not Attack Trooper
A Baltimore pastor on Monday said video taken from a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper's dashboard camera shows Sandra Bland did not attack the officer. Full Story
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![Jamal Bryant, a Baltimore pastor with the Empowerment Temple AME Church, addresses the press with new information about video footage of Sandra Bland's arrest.]()
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Slideshow: Prairie View A&M Vigil for Sandra Bland
Roughly 200 people gathered on the Prairie View A&M campus on Sunday to share memories of Sandra Bland, who died in police custody three days after being pulled over for an improper lane change. Full Story
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![Lanitra Dean, center, and others who were in the Prairie View A&M marching band with Sandra Bland sing together at a vigil in her memory.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond