The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas Tech University expelled Tim Cole after he was arrested in 1985 and charged with rape. Cole died in prison, but DNA evidence cleared the way for a posthumous pardon in 2009. Now there's a push for Tech to award Cole an honorary degree. Full Story
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The homicide rate in El Paso has almost doubled since last year. But officials say it doesn't have anything to do with Mexican cartels and spillover violence. Full Story
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After eight years of growth, change and public corruption scandals, new leaders in Laredo and Webb County are greeting 2015 with a sense of optimism. Full Story
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At our 12/11 conversation, incoming Texas Senators Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and Van Taylor, R-Plano, talked about what the next legislature should handle the issue of border security. Full Story
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The state's highest criminal court on Wednesday ruled that a Houston teen should not have been tried as an adult and spelled out better guidance for courts to consider before transferring youth defendants into the adult court system. Full Story
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As the state and Scott Panetti's defense team battled over whether his execution should be halted last week, a four-page affidavit provided a tantalizing peek into the mental health care Texas has provided for the schizophrenic death row inmate. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General and Gov.-Elect Greg Abbott on Sunday declined to throw his support behind any the Texas Republicans rumored to be considering a run for the White House in 2016. Full Story
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The Texas prison system is making it easier for family members to visit loved ones behind bars, hoping to strengthen social networks inmates need when they are released. Full Story
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The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday halted the execution of a Texas death row inmate with a history of schizophrenia, just hours before he was to be put to death in Huntsville. Full Story
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said on Tuesday that a new border security task force is coming to the U.S.-Mexico-border as part of President Obama's executive action on immigration. Full Story
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The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles won't recommend a reprieve for convicted killer Scott Panetti, leaving it up to Gov. Rick Perry to decide if he will delay Wednesday's scheduled execution of the schizophrenic death row inmate. Full Story
After delays and bickering over who should pay for security measures, a new rail line connecting Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley is expected to open in February. Full Story
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A Republican judge on Texas’ highest criminal court says he now opposes the death penalty. Full Story
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UPDATED: Texas’ highest criminal court has again refused to halt schizophrenic death row inmate Scott Panetti’s looming execution. Full Story
The fact that Scott Panetti is facing lethal injection on Dec. 3 despite a 30-year history of documented mental illness demonstrates that the ambiguities of the legal standard of “competency” he helped to define are far from resolved. Full Story
A state lawsuit challenging President Obama’s executive order shielding as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation could come from Texas in the next two weeks, Gov.-elect Greg Abbott says. Full Story
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After the president doubled down on his promise to change the immigration system, Greg Abbott made his own vow: Expect a lawsuit from Texas. But some legal experts doubt Abbott can successfully challenge the president's order. Full Story
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President Obama on Thursday said he will use his executive authority to grant millions of undocumented immigrants a work permit and a reprieve from deportation proceedings. Reactions from Republicans were swift and outraged. Full Story
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Computer hackers and polygraph test failures have slowed hiring of 2,000 new Customs and Border Protection agents needed to help speed commerce through airports and border checkpoints. Full Story
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The special prosecutor pressing criminal charges against Gov. Rick Perry will not be disqualified from the case over questions around the oath of office he took. A judge ruled Tuesday that the prosecutor was properly sworn into office. Full Story
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