The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
Lawyers for death row inmate Rodney Reed, convicted in 1998 for murdering 19-year-old Giddings cashier Stacey Stites, say new evidence proves his innocence. They're asking courts to take another look at his case. Full Story
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The multimillion-dollar influx of state police on the border is stemming the tide of illegal immigration, but parts of the operation are largely inefficient, the state’s top law enforcement officer told the House budget-writing committee. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Tuesday that drug cartels are ramping up efforts as the Texas National Guard is preparing to leave the Rio Grande Valley next month. He's hoping to extend the Guard's presence in the region. Full Story
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Michael Morton, who spent nearly 25 years in prison for murdering his wife before DNA evidence exonerated him, said he wouldn’t have had access under current testing requirements to the evidence that set him free. A new bill by state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, would expand access to DNA testing in criminal cases. Full Story
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This week, jury selection began in the trial of Eddie Ray Routh for the murder of Chris Kyle, whose career as a soldier in Iraq (and “the most lethal sniper in U.S. history”) is dramatized in the film “American Sniper.” Full Story
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A week after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said there weren’t enough votes in the Texas Senate to pass legislation allowing the open carrying of handguns, Gov. Greg Abbott said on the radio that he thinks such legislation will pass. Full Story
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At our 2/5 conversation, Admiral William McRaven, the chancellor of the University of Texas System, explained his opposition to campus carry legislation. Full Story
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Donald Keith Newbury, 52, who was part of the "Texas Seven" gang of prison fugitives, was executed Wednesday night for the 2000 murder of an Irving police officer. Full Story
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Texas doesn't require magistrate judges to tell immigrants how their pleas on misdemeanor charges might affect their immigration status. Legislation that would change that failed two years ago, but the sponsors are back for another try. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers may be leading the charge to derail President Obama’s executive action on immigration. But the White House wants it known: Not everyone in the Lone Star State wants to scrap the policy. Full Story
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The head of the state's public integrity unit told Senate lawmakers on Monday that Gov. Rick Perry’s veto of its funding in 2013 forced the division — which investigates public corruption — to lay off staff and give up cases. Full Story
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Just before leaving office, Rick Perry ordered state agencies to start using E-Verify, the federal employment verification system, to make sure job applicants can legally work. But some lawmakers say that mandate isn't enough. Full Story
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In the Roundup: Rick Perry comments on the rejection of his bid to dismiss criminal charges, there was a moment of uncertainty surrounding open carry legislation in the Senate, and Texas Muslim Capitol Day draws loud protests. Full Story
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Allowing concealed weapons to be carried on college and university campuses would create "less safe" environments, University of Texas System Chancellor William McRaven wrote in a letter to legislative leaders on Thursday. Full Story
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Juveniles in Texas who break the law are less likely to reoffend if they’re placed in community supervision programs instead of state facilities, according to a report released Thursday by criminal justice researchers. Full Story
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New Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was found in 2014 to have violated the Texas Securities Act, will not be prosecuted by the state's office that investigates public corruption, officials said Thursday. Full Story
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At a news conference this morning in downtown Austin, Rick Perry addressed a judge's decision not to dismiss indictments against him. The former governor's legal team has appealed the ruling. Full Story
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Former Gov. Rick Perry defended his actions related to a controversial 2013 veto Wednesday, a day after a judge ruled that a criminal case related to the veto could proceed against him. Full Story
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At our 1/27 conversation, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick talked about why open carry legislation isn't necessarily going to pass in the 84th session. Full Story
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The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is facing a scathing report and several lawsuits contending that correctional staff at a Huntsville prison regularly neglect, abuse and even violently beat prisoners with disabilities. Full Story
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