Report Urges Reduced Prostitution Punishment
A new report out Tuesday urges lawmakers to reduce penalties for prostitution and send more defendants to diversion and intervention programs. Advocates argue it will save the state money. Full Story
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Michael Morton Act Handily Passes Senate
Senators passed Senate Bill 1611, also known as the "Michael Morton Act," which would require prosecutors to turn over evidence to defense lawyers in criminal cases. The chamber erupted in applause following the vote. Full Story
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The Polling Center: Cruz Registers Tea Party Embrace of Gun Rights
Attitudes about gun control proposals among Texas Republicans provide a foundation for understanding Sen. Ted Cruz’s resistance to the apparent compromise taking shape in the U.S. Senate. Full Story
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Agreement Reached on Michael Morton Act
"It looks as if we have a deal," Michael Morton said after Wednesday afternoon negotiations with senators and lawyers on a measure that would require prosecutors to turn over evidence to defendants in criminal cases. Full Story
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House Panel Considers Simpson's TSA "Anti-Groping" Bill
Despite previous threats from the federal government to shut down Texas airports if state lawmakers limit the TSA's ability to conduct security screenings, Rep. David Simpson is pushing lawmakers to approve a so-called anti-groping bill. Full Story
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Prosecutors, Defense Attorneys Spar Over Child Sex Crimes Bill
A panel of House lawmakers on Tuesday heard prosecutors and defense attorneys debate a bill that would allow prosecutors in child sex crime cases to bring in evidence of prior offenses, including accusations by other children. Full Story
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Fight Over Information Security Could Jeopardize "Michael Morton Act"
A fight over what defense lawyers could do with information about their clients in criminal cases after prosecutors turn it over to them is threatening to stymie the “Michael Morton Act.” Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Proposal: Allow Private Firms to Provide Mental Health Services in Jails
Private mental health care providers would be allowed into select jails to attempt to restore inmates to competency under a proposed pilot program. The restored inmates would then be able to stand for trial. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Cornyn, McCaul to Introduce Border Security Measure
UPDATED: As a bipartisan group of senators purportedly moves closer to introducing a bill to overhaul the country’s immigration system, two Texas Republicans said they would file legislation to first ensure the border is secure. Full Story
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Slideshow: A Trial 26 Years Later
A jury in March found Mark Alan Norwood guilty of the 1986 murder of Christine Morton, and he was sentenced to life in prison. This photo slideshow provides an overview of the timeline and characters in the tragic case. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Callie Richmond / Todd Wiseman -
After Decades, DNA Testing and a Conviction
The prosecutor who secured Mark Norwood's murder conviction says that if Michael Morton had not fought from prison to prove his innocence in his wife's murder, the DNA testing that led to Norwood’s conviction might not have been done. Full Story
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![Mark Norwood exits the Tom Green County Courthouse after jury selection for his trial, Mar 18, 2013.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
Slideshow: A Trial 26 Years Later
A jury in March found Mark Alan Norwood guilty of the 1986 murder of Christine Morton, and he was sentenced to life in prison. This photo slideshow provides an overview of the timeline and characters in the tragic case. Full Story
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Forensic Science Commission Reviews DPS Lab Trouble
The Texas Forensic Science Commission has concluded that the potential reversal of thousands of drug convictions by the Court of Criminal Appeals is due to a DPS employee's incompetence, but that not all of the drug samples are necessarily compromised. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Caleb Bryant Miller / Chuck Grimmett / Valerie Everett -
Report Says Gun Running Into Mexico on the Rise
Discussions on gun control are replete with arguments about background checks, ammunition limits and issues related to mental-health awareness. Gun running to Mexico, however, remains a key concern, a new study shows. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Prosecutors, Defense Lawyers Agree to More DNA Testing in Skinner Case
Prosecutors in the Texas attorney general's office and lawyers for death row inmate Hank Skinner have signed an agreement this week to allow more DNA testing in the 1993 triple murder for which he was sentenced to death. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Caleb Bryant Miller / Micah Baldwin / Todd Wiseman -
Senate Backs Bill Increasing Punishment for Fatal Hit-and-Runs
UPDATED: The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to increase the range of potential punishment for hit-and-run accidents that result in deaths. Full Story
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Graffiti Sentencing Reform Faces Uphill Fight in Legislature
Lawmakers will debate different approaches to graffiti in a House committee hearing on Tuesday. While some argue for less harsh punishments, others say tougher consequences are the way to reduce graffiti crimes. Full Story
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Tears and Relief After Norwood Found Guilty
Family members of Christine Morton and Debra Baker filled a Tom Green County courtroom with tearful hugs and relieved smiles on Wednesday after a jury found Mark Alan Norwood guilty of murder. Full Story
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Number of Deferred Action Applications on the Decline
After peaking in September, applications for deferred action have dropped off dramatically. Immigration attorneys think most eligible undocumented immigrants are in a wait-and-see mode amid the federal immigration reform debate. Full Story
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![Deferred action recipients can get a two-year reprieve from deportation proceedings and a work permit. Undocumented immigrants who have lived in the country for at least five straight years, are in school or have graduated from high school or have obtained a GED, or are honorably discharged from the military, may apply.]()
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After Drug Lab Scandal, Court Continues to Reverse Convictions
The Court of Criminal Appeals continued to reverse more convictions of drug offenders on Wednesday after a former employee with a DPS crime laboratory in Houston may have fabricated the results of thousands of drug tests. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Caleb Bryant Miller / Chuck Grimmett / Valerie Everett
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