The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
In his State of the Judiciary address Wednesday, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht discussed bail reform, the cost of legal expenses, mental health issues and a host of other topics. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott has followed through on his threat to cut off state funding for Travis County over its new "sanctuary" policy. Full Story
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At least two Texas Democrats and one Republican are pushing to reform the death penalty under the law of parties, which holds those involved in a murder equally responsible, even if they weren't directly involved in the actual killing. Full Story
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President Donald Trump on Tuesday named U.S. appeals court judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court, picking him from a list of candidates that had included Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett. Full Story
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Two days before death row inmate John Ramirez was scheduled to be executed, a federal district court in Corpus Christi halted the execution. Full Story
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Border Patrol Agent Joel Luna was found guilty of engaging in organized criminal activity, but a Cameron County jury acquitted him of murder. Full Story
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Seventeen-year-olds can't vote, join the military or buy cigarettes or alcohol, but they're treated as adults in criminal cases in Texas. About 200 people rallied at the Capitol on Monday to change that. Full Story
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President Trump said Monday that Lockheed Martin has cut $600 million from its next lot of 90 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter planes, capping weeks of public criticisms of the program’s cost. Full Story
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State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, has been placed under the protection of the Texas Department of Public Safety after getting death threats following his filing of a bill to criminalize abortion in Texas. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers are likely to take a close look this legislative session at how law enforcement and civilians interact with each other. Full Story
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Trump's executive order banning travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries led to the detainment of several travelers at Texas airports. Full Story
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Devoted public servant who protected the nation’s borders and erred only by helping out his family? Or leader of a drug- and gun-trafficking enterprise? Those were the two portraits that emerged of Border Patrol Agent Joel Luna at his two-week murder trial. Now, a jury will decide his fate as early as Monday. Full Story
The death penalty has been slowly on the decline in the U.S. Tough-on-crime Texas has also seen a decline in its use. What could that mean for the future of the penalty here? Full Story
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U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks ruled Texas cannot require health providers to bury or cremate fetuses, delivering another blow to state leaders in the reproductive rights debate. Full Story
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After a nearly four-hour delay while waiting on final appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court, Terry Edwards was executed Thursday night for a robbery turned murder he claimed he did not commit. Full Story
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The fate of Border Patrol Agent Joel Luna and his Mexican-born brother Eduardo, both charged with drug trafficking and the murder of a would-be snitch, is set to fall to a Cameron County jury Friday after almost two weeks of testimony and sparring over evidence. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott's office is asking state agencies to take stock of their funds to Travis County as he further escalates his standoff with the county's sheriff, Sally Hernandez, over her new "sanctuary" policy. Full Story
Civil rights lawyers suing Texas over its voter registration practices asked a federal judge to sanction the state for allegedly blowing past deadlines and ignoring a court order to hand over documents. Full Story
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A man who claims he is innocent is set to be executed Thursday evening in a robbery turned double murder in Dallas County. Full Story
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The White House announced Wednesday that in addition to moving to build a barrier on the southern border, it will act to build more detention space for undocumented immigrants in the area. Full Story
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