The use of alternative courts have reduced Texas’ dependence on prisons, so much so that the state could stand to shut down three prisons this legislative session—unheard of for one of the most incarcerated states in the most incarcerated nation in the world. But experts are now calling on lawmakers to slow the flow of inmates into the system in another way, by reducing the penalties for some nonviolent and relatively common offenses. [Read more…]
Dallas Cops Now Required to Get Written Consent for Searches
When a cop doesn’t have a warrant or exigent circumstances (circumstances that would provide for the destruction of evidence or commission of a crime), he cannot search your property without your consent. While this seems simple, many people don’t understand that if a cop asks, “Mind if I search your car?”, they can say no. Now, the city of Dallas is going to make the process of consent searches more sound by requiring cops to get written or recorded consent every time. [Read more…]
DA Pushes Texas Racial Justice Act
In the spirit of similar laws out of North Carolina and Kentucky, Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins plans on advocating for a Racial Justice Act in the state of Texas. The law would give convicted criminals a route to appeal their case on the grounds that they were convicted, in part, due to racism. [Read more…]
Crime Lab Scientist Could Be Cause of Thousands of Bad Drug Convictions
Jonathon Salvador was fired from his job as a drug analyst for Texas Department of Public Safety last year after it was discovered his work was unreliable—that he had falsified results and simply screwed up on numerous cases. But during his tenure he worked on nearly 5,000 cases—all of which could potentially be overturned in the wake of an investigation into his work. [Read more…]
State Jails Failing Offenders
The Texas state jail system was designed in the mid-nineties to offer a place between county lock-ups and state prison, somewhere to send low-level offenders without the risk of institutionalizing them for life, a place for them to get treatment and rehabilitation. But, the expensive middle-ground of incarceration is failing. [Read more…]
Austin Police Using More Force
While arrests have fallen and police contacts have similarly dropped over the past two years, Austin police are using force against citizens at higher rates. While police officials say this is due to better incident reporting by officers, a Statesman report looks at other factors that may be coming into play. [Read more…]
Drug Treatment Programs Save Money and Increase Public Safety
Ninety percent of drug arrests in the state of Texas are for possession, not for more serious felony offenses like sale of distribution. And this, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition says, bolsters their argument that the state needs to continue to invest in treatment programs rather than sinking money into prisons that do nothing but exacerbate drug problems. [Read more…]
Houston Murders Second-Lowest Since 1966
It seems like a dangerous time to be alive. If you watch much television, you could be convinced that the world is a very violent place, and the news is just as guilty as primetime dramas. But television doesn’t tell the whole story. In fact, it frequently gets things very wrong. New figures say that the murder rate in Houston in 2012 was 216. This is the second lowest rate for the city since 1966. [Read more…]
Lab Backlogs Create Major Delays in DWI Blood-Draw Cases
Blood draws are becoming more and more common across the board in suspected drunk driving cases. Texas cops are getting in the practice of taking “no refusals”, or getting a warrant to draw your blood if you refuse a breath test. But this massive increase in blood evidence is having a serious effect on the crime labs tasked with testing it. Namely, defendants are having to wait for months to have their day in court. [Read more…]
Felony Online Impersonation Charges – Difficult to Prove
There is a new group of criminal laws being written and enacted across the country. These laws are designed to punish people who, through social medial sites or other online forums, attempt to harm someone. While many people think of these acts as practical jokes, the injury is considered very real by lawmakers and judges alike—proving the offense, however, is a little more difficult.. [Read more…]
