criminal justice

TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 26, 2013

M. Smith on wasted private tutoring efforts, Satija on government protection for the lesser prairie chicken, Root finds a new nest of Democratic trial lawyers, Malewitz finds a border skirmish featuring mollusks, Hamilton with the latest on politics at the University of Texas, Batheja on the link between vehicle traffic and bond ratings, Aguilar finds some promise in a juvenile justice program in Eagle Pass and Aaronson covers the court fight over new abortion regulations: The best of our best for the week of Oct. 21-25, 2013. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Congressional Hearing Targets Foster Care

By Bryan Lowry, Medill News Service Oct. 24, 2013

Failures in the foster care system put children in Texas and across the nation at greater risk of falling into the sex trade, activists and lawmakers asserted Wednesday on Capitol Hill. Full Story

Credit: Bryan Lowry
Border Probation Officers See Hope in Reduced Juvenile Offenders

By Julián Aguilar Oct. 24, 2013

In the Eagle Pass area, the number of juvenile felony cases referred to Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Bruce Ballou has fallen more than 40 percent since 2012. It's a sign, he says, that his rehabilitative approach is working. Full Story

Credit: Julian Aguilar
USDA: Border Cattle Inspection Sites to Remain Shuttered

By Julián Aguilar Oct. 23, 2013

Elected officials and business leaders in Presidio and its Mexican sister city, Ojinaga, are drafting their own safety plan, hoping the USDA will consider reopening a cattle inspection site in Mexico. Full Story
Dewhurst Urges Obama to Pay Texas for Jailed Immigrants

By Brandi Grissom Oct. 22, 2013

UPDATED: Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst sent the president a letter demanding repayment for the more than $156.6 million that Texas counties have spent since 2011 on jailing undocumented immigrants with federal detainers. Full Story

Credit: Neil Conway
ACLU Sues Feds Over Excessive Force Claim

By Julián Aguilar Oct. 21, 2013

The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday filed a lawsuit against what the advocacy group claims are egregious abuses of power within the ranks of border law enforcement. Full Story

Credit: Justin Dehn
Armed Protesters Rally at Alamo Over Gun Restrictions

By David Maly Oct. 19, 2013

Roughly a thousand people turned out at the Alamo on Saturday to protest current state law that prohibits the open carrying of handguns and other gun restrictions. Full Story

Credit: Jennifer Whitney
Cornyn Has "Grave Concerns" About DHS Nominee

By Julián Aguilar Oct. 18, 2013

UPDATED: U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says President Obama’s choice to succeed former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano lacks the experience to head the agency. Full Story

Credit: Gage Skidmore
Supreme Court to Hear Texas Challenge to Greenhouse Gas Regulations

By Neena Satija, The Texas Tribune and Reveal Oct. 15, 2013

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Texas' challenge of federal regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources like power plants and factories. Full Story

Credit: Louis Vest
Interactive: The Cost of Jailing Undocumented Immigrants in Texas

By Dan Keemahill Oct. 15, 2013

A state law passed in 2011 requires Texas jails to report monthly estimates of the cost to house undocumented immigrants. This interactive table shows the total number of immigrants housed and the cost to each county from October 2011 to September 2013. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman / Dan Hill
Mexican Exiles Speak Out Against Claims They're Gaming Asylum System

By Julián Aguilar Oct. 10, 2013

As lawmakers in Washington call for a review of how asylum law pertains to Mexicans seeking protection, one Mexican exile is embarking on his own public relations campaign. Full Story

Credit: Mexicanos en Exilio
TDCJ Refuses to Return Execution Drugs to Pharmacist

By Brandi Grissom Oct. 7, 2013

Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials said Monday that they will not heed a request to return a supply of execution drugs from the pharmacist who sent them to the state. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
U.S. House Democrats Make New Immigration Reform Push

By Julián Aguilar Oct. 2, 2013

In an effort to keep immigration reform alive during the debate over the government shutdown, congressional Democrats have filed legislation that includes elements of a border-security measure backed by a key GOP leader. Full Story

Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller
TribuneFest: A Conversation with Three AG Candidates

By Evan Smith Oct. 1, 2013

Full video of Reeve Hamilton's sit-down with three candidates for Texas Attorney General — state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas; state Sen. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney; and Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman — at the 2013 Texas Tribune Festival. Full Story
In Texas, More Two-Year Work Deferments for Immigrant Youths

By Julián Aguilar Oct. 1, 2013

One year after President Obama’s decision to allow undocumented-immigrant youths to apply for renewable work permits and a two-year reprieve from deportation proceedings, Texas — perhaps due to its immigration policies — beats the national average of approved applicants. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Jacob Villanueva
An Unreliable Narrator With a Story to Tell

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 30, 2013

Dan Morales, a former Texas attorney general who served time in federal prison, wants the state to look over some sealed documents that he thinks might be worth a lot of money. The hard part is finding someone who will listen. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Liveblog: Keynote Speakers at The Texas Tribune Festival

By Ayan Mittra Sept. 29, 2013

We liveblogged The 2013 Texas Tribune Festival's Keynote track, which included conversations with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and state Sen. Wendy Davis, a talk on the Tea Party's goals and a session on efforts to turn Texas blue. Read the highlights here. Full Story

Credit: Ben Hasson
Liveblog: Immigration at The Texas Tribune Festival

By Ayan Mittra Sept. 28, 2013

We have liveblogged each of the sessions from The 2013 Texas Tribune Festival's Immigration track. The sessions included panels on immigration reform, Latinos and the Republican Party, securing the border, and the Voting Rights Act. Full Story

Credit: Ben Hasson
Liveblog: Criminal Justice at The Texas Tribune Festival

By Ayan Mittra Sept. 28, 2013

We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Criminal Justice track, which includes panels on guilt and innocence, juvenile justice, guns, and a one-on-one conversation with Attorney General Greg Abbott. Full Story

Credit: Ben Hasson
Newsreel: Long Talks, Resignations and a Seuss-Off

By Justin Dehn Sept. 28, 2013

In this edition of the Texas Weekly Newsreel: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz talks and talks, state Rep. Bill Callegari won't seek another term, Judge Ken Anderson resigns and a poetry reading. Full Story