The latest criminal justice news from The Texas Tribune.
En el condado de Maverick, las autoridades pueden tardar meses en informar a los fiscales de una detención, mientras los acusados esperan en la cárcel. Rara vez se asignan abogados a quien los solicita. Full Story
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People in Maverick County spend months in jail waiting to be charged with minor crimes. Some are simply lost in the system Full Story
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Two-thirds of the state’s roughly 100 jails and prisons in Texas are not fully air conditioned in inmate housing areas. Full Story
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The 2022 tragedy was the nation’s deadliest smuggling attempt across the U.S.-Mexico border. Full Story
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Proposed legislation includes increased penalties for retail theft, car burglaries and forgery, among others. Full Story
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The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals did not clarify why it halted the execution of David Wood in its order granting the stay. Full Story
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Brittany Marlowe Holberg was convicted in 1998 of robbing and murdering an 80-year-old man in his Amarillo home. The appeals court said critical evidence was withheld. Full Story
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The directive comes as some state agencies have downsized their office spaces after the pandemic forced many employees to work remotely. Full Story
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Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu criticized the department for treating an August 2024 federal report as “nothing.” Full Story
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Texas’ indigent defense commission wants lawmakers to spend $35 million on public defender offices in rural areas, but some say that isn’t nearly enough to ensure compliance with the U.S. Constitution. Full Story
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The development outside of Houston has long drawn the ire of Texas Republicans who claim it’s a haven for undocumented people. Full Story
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Ruben Gutierrez wants to be able to sue prosecutors to compel them to test evidence that he says will prove he did not kill a Brownsville woman in 1998. Full Story
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The Colony Ridge development has long been under scrutiny from conservative lawmakers, think tanks and influencers who cast it as a hotbed for undocumented immigrants and cartel crime. Full Story
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Before federal agents arrested them, the couple who runs the bakery in Los Fresnos said they “knew this would happen one day,” a federal agent testified at court hearing. Full Story
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Federal immigration agents raided the Los Fresnos bakery and detained eight workers before filing charges against the two owners. Full Story
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The package was fast-tracked after Gov. Greg Abbott declared “bail reform” an emergency item. The bills now head to the House for consideration. Full Story
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The appeal includes new testimony from experts who say Roberson’s daughter died of natural causes, and cites the court’s exoneration of a man in another shaken baby syndrome case out of Dallas County. Full Story
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Reported domestic violence incidents have risen 26% since 2019. Full Story
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In his final statement, Richard Tabler asked for forgiveness from his victims’ family members, some of whom reportedly witnessed his death. Full Story
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The package of bills would tighten the state's bail laws to keep more people in jail — including undocumented immigrants — while their criminal cases are pending. Full Story
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