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Criminal Law

Grits for Breakfast

Texas criminal justice system and related topics with some politics and author's fancy thrown in.

Post Frequency: 9.6/day

Last Entry: November 04, 2020 at 12:29:00

Innocence Commission bill up this morning

Posted on March 09, 2009
I'll be testifying this morning at an 8 a.m. subcommittee meeting of the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee (live video here) to support legislation by Rep. Ruth McLendon on behalf of the Innocence Project of Texas to create an innocence commission in Texas to identify causes of false convictions and ways to prevent them...

Should expunction burden fall on defendants when charges fall through?

Posted on March 09, 2009
When police and prosecutors make a mistake and pursue charges against a defendant they cannot prove, should the defendant have to pay out of their own pocket to get the records expunged or should it be the state's responsibility?That's the crux of the question raised by HB 293 by Rep...

Drug cartel violence, possibly leadership migrates to US soil

Posted on March 08, 2009
Last month the Governor's homeland security chief told the Legislature that the "command and control" operations of so-called Mexican drug cartels are probably closer to Houston than the border, and a couple of recent Houston Chronicle stories seem to corroborate that claim:Mexican cartels infiltrate HoustonUS teen hitman convicted of cartel killingsReported the Chron:Among the unsolved local killings is the death of Pedro Cardenas Guillen, 36, whose last name is considered trafficking royalty...

Texas US Attorney rumors updated

Posted on March 08, 2009
A Democratic attorney friend anonymously forwards me more gossip about possible Texas US Attorney candidates.I'd wondered why we'd heard no rumors about candidates in Texas' Eastern and Southern District, but apparently, in the Eastern District, at least, there's a reason: "there isn't a Congressional Delegation Committee for EDTX yet because there are no Dem Congressmen in that district...

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More guards, more prisons, or fewer prisoners: Bill expanding drug treatment makes third option possible

Posted on March 08, 2009
In the medium run, the Texas Legislature has two options for managing its prison population - build more prisons and increase pay so they can hire sufficient staff, or reduce the number of prisoners so the Department of Criminal Justice can safely guard the inmates it's got...

Covering for Keller: CCA Damage Control Tour 2009

Posted on March 07, 2009
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals sent one of its senior members around the state this week for an unusual PR blitz, according to the Dallas News editorial board:The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals wants to get a message out. And so senior Judge Lawrence E...

Hoax video presented in salvia testimony; Riddle on hate crimes and hair color

Posted on March 06, 2009

Power relations between police and accused can lead to sexual abuse

Posted on March 06, 2009

How effective are TDCJ shakedowns at finding contraband?

Posted on March 06, 2009

Tracking good criminal justice legislation

Posted on March 06, 2009
Via email, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition highlights:Seven bills ... scheduled for public hearings next week that, if enacted, will have a positive impact on Texas' criminal justice system. Here is a brief summary ... House Committee on Criminal JurisprudenceCommittee: House - Criminal JurisprudenceSubcommittee: Criminal ProcedureDate: Monday, March 9, 2009Time: 8:00 AMRoom: Reagan Building (JHR) 110 (105 W...

Details emerging on juvie reforms: Agency merger may be off the table

Posted on March 06, 2009
There's an email making the rounds on county commissioners listservs that includes this striking tidbit from the Texas Association of Urban Counties' Donald Lee:Today, Chairman John Whitmire called me to inform me that consolidation of TYC and TJPC will not happen this session...