The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
In what some consider a dramatic shift from the anti-immigration rhetoric that dominated the state Capitol just two years ago, a House committee on Thursday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would protect immigrant victims of and witnesses to crimes. Full Story
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A private company that runs 12 of the state's prison facilities is being sued by a publication that says the company is failing to release information related to deaths and health care at the Dawson State Jail in Dallas. Full Story
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State Rep. Lance Gooden’s bill to prevent unmanned drones from capturing indiscriminate surveillance — a measure that has more than 80 co-authors in the House — is facing opposition from some law enforcement officials. Full Story
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Just more than a week after the arrest of former prosecutor Ken Anderson, a committee of House lawmakers took up the "Michael Morton Act," which would require prosecutors to turn over evidence to defense lawyers in criminal cases. Full Story
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The Texas Constitution prohibits government entities from recognizing domestic partnerships and offering those couples insurance benefits, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wrote in an opinion on Monday. Full Story
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Some parents and advocacy organizations say the state’s truancy laws are too harsh. The Senate passed a bill last week to change these laws, compromising with judges and district officials who said the reforms were too broad. Full Story
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The embattled district attorney of Travis County, Rosemary Lehmberg, apologized Saturday in an open letter to her constituents — and insisted she hopes to complete her term in office. Full Story
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In this edition of the Newsreel: The conversation in West turns to regulation, the Senate wants to ask voters to use Rainy Day Fund money, the House undoes the state lottery and then puts it back together, and some Texas prosecutors are in hot water. Full Story
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A debate in the Texas House on a supplemental budget bill Friday veered into debates on the Travis County district attorney's drunken driving charge and the murder of two Kaufman County prosecutors. Full Story
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One of the most exalted elected positions in Texas politics — that of the law-and-order district attorney — doesn't come with as much job security as it used to. District attorneys in some of the state's biggest counties are fighting for their jobs. Full Story
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State lawmakers have filed roughly 100 gun bills this session — many drafted in the wake of the deadly December shooting in Newtown, Conn. Use our interactive to review the measures by subject and see which are getting the most traction in the Capitol. Full Story
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UPDATED: Williamson County state district Judge Ken Anderson has filed an appeal asking a court to rule that a warrant for his arrest should be void because it violates the statute of limitations. Full Story
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Some Texas lawmakers and stakeholders are taking issue with aspects of the federal immigration reform bill filed last week, with some questioning why the measure was crafted without mechanisms to avoid a future inflow of illegal migration. Full Story
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UPDATED: The House on Tuesday endorsed a bill that would create a state panel to investigate wrongful convictions. Similar legislation has been defeated in the past, but this time it has drawn supporters many consider unlikely. Full Story
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Aaronson tracks the latest on Medicaid expansion, Aguilar on lawmakers’ openness to driving permits for non-citizens, Batheja on surprising support for higher state spending, Root and Galbraith on the state’s search for answers after the West explosion, M. Smith covers the debate over high school standards, Grissom finds a shadow payroll at the Capitol, Hamilton on the man with a plan at UT, Rocha spots a special deal for lawmakers accused of crimes, KUT’s Philpott on obstacles to road funding and Ramshaw on the privileges of legislative membership: The best of our best for the week of April 15-19, 2013. Full Story
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Officials of a prison workers' union say that understaffing had a role in the 1999 murder of a correctional officer, who was fatally stabbed by an inmate. They say such issues continue to exist and put officers in danger today. Full Story
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Attorneys presented oral arguments Wednesday at the Court of Criminal Appeals over whether Mark Fleming's rights were violated because prosecutors didn't have to prove he knew he was having sexual relations with a minor. Full Story
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The senior fellow for Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations on immigration reform, security in Mexico, the country’s budding prosperity amid an escalating drug war, and what the United States needs to understand. Full Story
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Lawmakers on Tuesday debated a bill that would allow death row inmates to appeal their sentences if they believe that race played a role in their punishment. Full Story
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A bill by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, would restore dedicated funds to a state agency that has helped recover 1.6 million stolen vehicles in Texas. In recent years, lawmakers diverted the funds to help balance the state budget. Full Story
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