The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
A month after the Texas Department of Public Safety began patrolling Austin streets, city officials have both praised a drop in violent crime and condemned the operation’s disparate impact on Latino and Black residents. In 2019, Dallas faced the same challenges. Full Story
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In today’s episode, we discuss the problems in the Texas state agency intended to rehabilitate children who have committed crimes — and whether the Legislature is eyeing any solutions. Full Story
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The governor’s focus on immigration status, not the loss of life, draws rebukes from across the country. Full Story
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In the face of mass shootings in Texas, state leaders have made it easier to access guns. Full Story
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The suspect, who is still being sought, had been asked to stop shooting his rifle in his front yard because of a sleeping baby, according to authorities. Full Story
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“They didn’t try to fix the brokenness,” his mother says. “They just broke him more.” Full Story
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Moving the most violent and troubled youths to adult prison makes it easier to help others in juvenile facilities, some prosecutors and lawmakers say. Youth justice advocates say Texas is giving up on the children who most need help. Full Story
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The legislation is in response to elected prosecutors in Texas’ large, left-leaning counties who have said they will not prosecute abortion cases. Full Story
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Stuck in committee, the test-strip legislation has support from Gov. Greg Abbott and bipartisan lawmakers, who see it as a way to save lives. Full Story
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During a Texas Tribune event marking one year since the shooting at Robb Elementary School, parents, mental health experts and faith leaders talked about how the path to recovery isn’t the same for everybody. Full Story
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Joshua Keith Beasley Jr. had been transferred from a Texas youth facility to an adult prison despite a long history of suicidal behavior. Five guards and two supervisors allegedly failed to check on him. Full Story
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Wasi and his brother pray for their family’s safety as the holy month of Ramadan ends and the Taliban continues to rule Afghanistan. Full Story
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Two jurors from Cantu’s 2001 double-murder trial now support his appeals, which claim prosecutors relied on false testimony and withheld crucial evidence. Full Story
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Proposition A on the May 6 ballot will test the city’s political climate and progressives’ ability to advance a controversial agenda. Full Story
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Reed has long said he was wrongfully convicted for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites. His lawyers will now be able to renew their legal fight for testing of crucial crime scene evidence. Full Story
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The families of Uvalde shooting victims waited hours to testify at a House committee hearing in support of House Bill 2744, which would raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21. Full Story
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The House Select Committee on Community Safety is scheduled to hear testimony on bills that would change how people buy firearms and how authorities report those purchases. One of these bills would raise the minimum age to 21 years old to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles. Full Story
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Many bills that would limit access to firearms or ammunition likely won’t become law anytime soon. But people who advocate at the Texas Capitol see emerging signs that there’s appetite for finding some middle ground. Full Story
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The Texas Department of Public Safety did a sweep of Capitol grounds with K-9 dogs and found no explosive devices. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott has said he wants to pardon Perry, who was convicted by a Travis County jury last week. Full Story
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