The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
Mike Davis, a former assistant district attorney in Williamson County, pointed the finger for any alleged wrongdoing that led to the conviction of Michael Morton directly at his former boss, Ken Anderson. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TXT_1318.jpg)
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn confronted U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday about allegations of a Texas-based gun-walking operation similar to the controversial Fast and Furious operation in Arizona. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/HolderCornyn_2.jpg)
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/judge-william-adams.jpg)
The U.S. Supreme Court today denied the appeal of Texas death row inmate Duane Buck, who was seeking a retrial based on race-related testimony given during the sentencing phase of his 1997 trial. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Duane_Buck.png)
In our nonscientific survey of the state's governmental and political insiders, we asked about big problems, immigration, the death penalty, public education and whether Texans would vote for a Mormon if they agreed with that candidate on issues. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo.png){kind=logo}
Facing a Wednesday execution date, convicted murderer Hank Skinner is again appealing to the state's highest criminal court to allow for new DNA tests he says could exonerate him. But the court previously has ruled against him — twice. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/SkinnerDNA.jpg)
The latest UT/TT Poll on the 2012 race and other issues, Root on Herman Cain's stumble, Ramshaw and Titus on Texas Republicans who don't support Perry, Murphy maps presidential fundraising in Texas, Philpott on changing the constitution for parks and education, Hamilton on a case of higher ed separation anxiety, Grissom on the state's breakup with a death penalty witness, Galbraith on a congressman's search for a big leak, Aguilar on the Border Patrol's effort to operate in environmentally protected areas and Aaronson on a dramatic drop in government employment in Texas: The best of our best content from October 31 to November 4, 2011. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tribweek11022011.jpg)
Testimony from the Williamson County sergeant who led the investigation that resulted in Michael Morton's wrongful conviction was made public Friday, along with statements of the medical examiner refuting allegations prosecutors made during the trial. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/MortonAndMother.jpg)
The insiders answered questions from the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll for the second week in a row, this time on the death penalty, education, top issues facing Texas, and whether the people they know would vote for a Mormon candidate with whom they agree on issues. Full Story
A Gray County District Court today denied DNA testing that death row inmate Hank Skinner has been seeking for a decade. Skinner's lawyers plan to appeal the decision. His execution is scheduled for Wednesday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/012710_hankskinner001.jpg)
More than one in five Texas voters say most of the people they know would not vote for a Mormon presidential candidate even if they agreed with him or her on the issues, according to the new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-Poll-NOV3_2.png)
TxDOT's plan to hire five new executives — each paid up to at least $250,000 annually — has received heavy criticism. How do the salaries compare to those at other public entities? We checked our government salary database to find out. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/022410TxDOTCredit.jpg)
The Texas Youth Commission terminated its contract Friday with a psychologist who testified repeatedly in death penalty cases that Hispanic and black men were more likely to be dangerous in the future. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/YouthinHandcuffs.jpg)
Former Williamson County district attorney Ken Anderson this morning entered a closed courthouse room where he faces Michael Morton and an inquiry into how prosecutors secured a wrongful murder conviction against Morton 25 years ago. Full Story
The momentous and long-awaited move was welcomed by the family of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was convicted of killing his three daughters in a 1991 arson fire. He was executed in 2004, and scientists have since discredited the science that was used to cement his arson conviction. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/CameronToddWillingham_Forensic.jpg)
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied a request from former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson to keep him from providing testimony in an investigation of what led to the wrongful conviction of Michael Morton. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Morton-CCR.JPG)
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has asked congressional colleagues to investigate whether federal officials ran a gun-walking program in Texas similar to the controversial and now defunct Fast and Furious operation. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e705b861bd9f1ac6a6572cc5fd9fec1d/BD%20INC%20Cornyn%20Border%2003%202011)
A successful challenge to the state's primary business tax would throw lawmakers into special session to try to find enough money to pay for public schools, a lawyer for the state told the Texas Supreme Court today. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b7619b535caf929a45793624a2921160/BD%20INC%20Supreme%20Court%2001%202011)
Following a hearing today in federal court in Amarillo, a lawyer for death row inmate Hank Skinner said it will likely be up to the state courts to decide a fight over DNA testing in his case. Skinner is scheduled to be executed Nov. 9. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/20100120-IMG_2761-2.jpg)
At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, Comptroller Susan Combs talked about the health of the Texas economy, her agency's data breach, her shifting position on abortion and more. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TribLCombs010CMS.jpg)