New Death Sentences in Texas Drop To 40-Year Low
Texas juries imposed new death sentences only twice in 2015 — the fewest since the death penalty was reinstated nationwide almost 40 years ago. Full Story
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Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Abbott Orders National Guard to Stay in Place on Border
Because of a recent spike in minors crossing the border illegally in the Rio Grande Valley, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that he is ordering the Texas National Guard to stay in the area through December. Full Story
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![Texas National Guardsmen from C Co, 3-124th CAV go through jump drills.]()
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Teacher in Maximum-Security Prison Almost Missed Her Calling
Every day, teacher Jody Addy walks through a metal detector, waits for a pat down, shows her ID and passes through locked gates before walking to her classroom in the middle of a maximum security prison in west central Texas. Full Story
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![Windham School District teacher Jody Addy teaches a class at the Robertson Unit in Abilene, Texas on Dec. 4, 2015. Addy has taught correctional education for 20 years and recently received the 2015 Lane Murray Excellence in Teaching award.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill for The Texas Tribune -
Jail Practices, Fingerprints Focus of House Immigration Hearing
The Dallas County Sheriff fired back at what she called inaccurate rumors on her immigration policies during an interim House committee hearing Thursday. Lawmakers also heard about an ill-conceived law that is hindering the state's identification of criminals. Full Story
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![Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez]()
Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller -
Emotional Testimony Targets Plan to License Detention Centers
As state officials consider licensing two private detention facilities as approved residential centers for undocumented children, they heard several hours of testimony in opposition to the move Wednesday. Full Story
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![Advocates and community members attended a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services hearing on Dec. 9, 2015, to speak out against Texas licensing immigrant detention centers as child-care facilities.]()
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Call it "Fisher Fatigue": To UT-Austin Students, Case is Old News
It'll be just another Wednesday morning on campus at UT-Austin as lawyers in Washington D.C. argue over the school's admissions process before the U.S. Supreme Court. Past student interest in the case has drifted to other concerns. Full Story
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High Court: Texas Death Row Inmate Can't Add Another Lawyer
The Supreme Court on Monday denied Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson III's petition to add another attorney to his team. Roberson has one more shot at delaying his execution with a petition arguing his rights were violated. Full Story
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![Robert Roberson III is a Texas death row inmate.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Cuellar: Time to Change Cuban Immigration Policy
A special U.S. immigration policy provision allows Cubans to apply for legal residency status after living in the country for a year. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar says that the provision needs another look. Full Story
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![A civil war of sorts has spilled into Laredo as rival groups of Cubans hang out in the border city's downtown awaiting new arrivals from the island nation.]()
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Lawyers Fight For, and Over, Death Row Inmate
Two sets of attorneys who believe their client doesn't belong on death row are fighting not only the state of Texas but also each other as his case arrives at the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story
![Robert Roberson III is a Texas death row inmate.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Faces of Death Row App Gets an Update
William Mason was again sentenced to death in Harris County last month after being granted a new punishment trial. He was originally sent to death row in 1992 for the kidnapping and murder of his wife. There are now 253 people in Texas living with a death sentence. See our updated database of these men and women. Full Story
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Paxton's Attorneys Argue for Judge to Dismiss Charges
For more than six hours Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sat in a Collin County courtroom as his attorneys presented their list of reasons why securities fraud charges Paxton faces should be thrown out. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, right, looks at one of the special prosecutors during a pre-trial hearing at the Collin County Courthouse on Dec. 1, 2015. Paxton faces felony charges related to claims that he misled investors in business dealings before he took office as attorney general.]()
Credit: Jae S. Lee / The Dallas Morning News -
Texas Denied 30-Day Extension in Immigration Case
The Obama Administration won a small but significant battle on Tuesday when the U.S. Supreme Court denied Texas’ request for an extra 30 days to respond to the White House’s petition for review of a controversial immigration case. Full Story
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As Detained Immigrants Hold Hunger Strikes, Results Aren't Guaranteed
How effective are hunger strikes by immigration detainees? Recent evidence seems to suggest they work for some groups but make matters worse for others. Full Story
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Some Birth Certificates Issued, But Battle Over IDs Continues
At least nine undocumented immigrant families have obtained Texas birth certificates for their U.S.-born children recently, but the trickle has done little to quell a legal battle over the state's strict policies on issuing the documents. Full Story
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Feds Counter Texas Bid to Delay Immigration Appeal
A procedural game of chess continued Tuesday between the White House and Texas over the timing of a possible U.S. Supreme Court ruling on President Obama's controversial immigration plan. Full Story
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Judge: No "Emergency" to License Detention Centers
The state of Texas can't claim an emergency to quickly grant licenses to two private detention centers holding undocumented immigrant families for the federal government, a state district judge has ruled. Full Story
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![Protestors left their signs on the fence surrounding the South Texas Family Residential Center near Dilley, Texas on May 2, 2015.]()
Credit: Ryan McCrimmon/The Texas Tribune -
Ahmed Mohamed Seeking $15 Million in Damages
Attorneys for the family of the Irving high school student who made headlines after being arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school have sent letters demanding apologies and $15 million in damages. Full Story
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![A photo of Irving teenager Ahmed Mohamed being taken into custody has gone viral.]()
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State Wants More Time for Immigration Appeal
The Texas Attorney General’s office is asking the U.S. Supreme Court for an extra 30 days to respond to the Obama Administration's appeal of lower court rulings that have blocked controversial changes in immigration enforcement. Full Story
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![Scott Keller, the Texas Solicitor General, speaks to reporters after delivering oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans.]()
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Commission Will Address Texas "Justice Gap"
A large number of Texans — mostly middle class — fall into a "justice gap" where they aren't poor enough to receive free legal aid provided to indigents but can't afford basic legal services on their own. Full Story
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![Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Campaign Won't Say Whether Cruz Still Wants to Ax the TSA
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is touting a list of agencies that he plans to eliminate if he’s elected president. But the Transportation Security Administration is not on it, even though Cruz has previously called for its abolishment. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz holding a press conference at the Anzalduas International Bridge in Mission surrounded by a group of local ranchers who said they've been affected by poor border security.]()
Credit: Doug Young