The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
Authorities across the state have expressed frustration with the agency as hundreds of thousands of fake tags are illegally sold and used in a wide range of offenses. Full Story
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A federal judge previously found that the military branch was mostly at fault for the mass shooting because it didn’t report the gunman’s previous assault conviction to the FBI. Full Story
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The U.S. Department of Justice has made efforts in the past to avoid public investigations of officials that could sway elections. Full Story
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A Texas attorney general is a civil lawyer, mostly concerned with regulatory, tax and administrative law. But to listen to the candidates, you’d think the state’s top lawyer was some kind of cop. Full Story
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Federal prosecutors described Henry “Michael” Williams as being a felon who was not allowed to possess a firearm. He confirmed that he sold the weapon to the synagogue suspect in South Dallas, authorities said. Full Story
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With less than five weeks left in the primary election season, there is no shortage of political issues to debate. But most of the political conversation isn’t about the election. Full Story
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For three of the state’s most experienced politicians, bad news comes with the territory. But bad news in the critical stages of an election is another, more serious, kind of trouble. Full Story
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Attacks on houses of worship like the 2017 Sutherland Springs shooting have prompted many religious groups to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours to bolster security. Full Story
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In an advertisement that will begin airing this weekend, Cuellar says he’ll “never stop fighting for South Texas.” Full Story
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A legal defense group is asking Travis County courts to throw out the arrests of hundreds of migrants swept up in the governor’s border initiative. The case is expected to draw in the Texas attorney general and address whether Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan is unconstitutional. Full Story
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Chad Christopher Stark from Leander is the first person arrested by a federal task force created in June to prosecute those making threats against election workers and public officials. Full Story
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There are almost no limitations in the state to how firearms can be sold privately, making it easy to get a gun without undergoing background check or creating a paper trail. Full Story
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An FBI spokesperson said the agency was present on two streets around Cuellar’s house in Laredo “conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity.” Full Story
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News of Congregation Beth Israel hostages' safe escape is met with intense relief, but communities feel pain and fear over the latest in a series of antisemitic attacks and incidents in Texas and beyond. Full Story
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The Travis County district attorney, a Democrat, says the Republican attorney general has four days to provide communications, multiple Texas news outlets first reported. Full Story
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A Travis County judge Thursday tossed out the trespassing charge of an Ecuadorian man who said he came to the United States seeking asylum. His lawyers argued that the governor’s directive to arrest migrants on state charges unconstitutionally usurps federal immigration law. Full Story
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Stewart Rhodes is accused of conspiring to oppose the transfer of presidential power by force. He and 10 others are the first to face charges of seditious conspiracy in connection with the 2021 siege. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott’s openness to marijuana decriminalization shows that the state, while conservative, isn’t immune to larger trends. Full Story
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“Small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday. Full Story
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Search warrants show that Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson is under scrutiny by state investigators, accused of illegally confiscating cash and a pickup truck from immigrants stopped by his deputies. Full Story
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