The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
On the heels of a fatal shooting at a college in Oakland, Calif., Texans and lawmakers are again preparing to debate the merits of allowing students to carry concealed firearms on college campuses. Full Story
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A national firearms trade group is helping finance a lawsuit, originally filed by a San Antonio-based gun dealer, that challenges a federal reporting requirement for the sale of long rifles. Full Story
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Kerry Max Cook was released from death row in 1997 but has never officially been declared an exoneree. Michael Hall of Texas Monthly reports on Cook's complex case and his challenging fight to move on with his life. Full Story
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Political candidates across Texas are gearing up for the state's May 29 primaries. And as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, that partisan campaigning extends to candidates who often promise to be impartial: the state’s judges. Full Story
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The executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance on how drug policies are making Texas’ criminal justice system “horrific,” and who has the most to gain and lose by amending current drug policies. Full Story
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Here's a final roundup of Texas reactions to the last day of the U.S. Supreme Court's historic hearings on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Full Story
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“Life is really, really good,” said Michael Morton, who was exonerated in the 1986 murder of his wife. He tells the Tribune of his ordeal and his newfound freedom. Full Story
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On Sunday's edition of 60 Minutes, Texas exoneree Michael Morton told Lara Logan that it's not revenge he's after — it's accountability. Full Story
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The Texas redistricting case is closed, but Texas still has 17 lawsuits pending against the federal government. This updated interactive includes the latest lawsuit filed regarding the Women's Health Program. Full Story
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A Tuesday U.S. Supreme Court ruling could open the door for claims from at least two Texas death row inmates who argue that their lawyers did shoddy work. Full Story
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Texas has scored a 68 out of 100, placing 27th in a national state integrity study. The state got high marks for auditing and for monitoring pension funds, but not as high for accountability of the governor and legislators. Full Story
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Attorney General Greg Abbott has filed yet another lawsuit against the federal government, this one, no surprise, over the Women's Health Program. Full Story
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Former death row inmate Anthony Graves and his fight to be compensated for the time he spent wrongfully imprisoned will be the subject of an episode on the CBS news show 48 Hours Mystery this Saturday. We've got a sneak peak. Full Story
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A new survey of youths at the Giddings State School finds they feel safe and hopeful about their future but still worry about violence by other youths. Full Story
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A Houston lawyer with a long list of high profile clients has been tapped to be the prosecutor in the court of inquiry into possible misconduct in the case of Michael Morton, who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1987. Full Story
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A federal judge said in a recent ruling that he has serious concerns about whether Rob Will committed the murder he was sent to death row for, but the law prevented him from doing anything about it. Full Story
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The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission hopes a pair of apps will increase safety and compliance next year during spring break. Full Story
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Aaronson and Tan interactively map women's health program providers in Texas, Galbraith talks to the state's climatologist about (what else?) the drought, Grissom with the latest on violence in youth prisons, Hamilton on why UTEP's low four-year graduation rate may not matter, Murphy's interactive comparing graduation rates and more at public universities in Texas, Ramsey on the redistricting end game (we think), Ramshaw on the state health commissioner's attack on Planned Parenthood and Root on the closing of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's storied Austin bureau: The best of our best content from February 27 to March 2, 2012. Full Story
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Police never identified the tall, thin, long-haired man who more than 20 years ago beat Debi Scott with a rotten log as she slept. She thinks her attacker was probably Mark Norwood, who is in Williamson County Jail awaiting trial on a murder charge. Full Story
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Though a bill requiring that county jails release inmates only during daylight hours didn't pass in the last legislative session, the Harris County Jail has implemented the policy. Full Story
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