In an interesting piece for the Denton Record-Chronicle, Matt Roberts of Mental Health America of Greater Dallas is quoted as saying, “We’ve traded hospitals for jails.” He is referring to the fact that America’s jails are home to millions of mentally ill, people who may have been institutionalized 50 years ago, or receiving community-based treatment just a few decades ago. Now, however, those options aren’t on the table. [Read more…]
Great Texas Warrant Roundup Seeks Out Misdemeanor Offenders En Masse
Law enforcement officers all across the state are out seeking criminals on the lam. They are knocking on doors and arresting people who have failed to turn themselves in, sometimes for more than a year or two. But these offenders are not the dangerous sort you would expect to get this sort of attention, many of them are only wanted for failure to pay a traffic ticket. [Read more…]
Austin Crime Lab Faces Another Complaint
The Austin crime lab responsible for testing drugs is now facing its second formal complaint this year. This time, the complaint comes from another crime lab—something officials say is unheard of. [Read more…]
Austin Crime Lab Scientist Fired, Files Complaints
Debra Stephens was fired from the Austin Police Department in April of last year. She says this firing was due to her whistleblowing on the lab, raising concerns with department officials last January. Now no longer employed with the lab, she has formally filed complaints with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. She says the lab does not perform quality work and should not be used for evidence testing. [Read more…]
Prosecutor Investigated By Defense in Murder Case
Michael Morton was sent to prison for a murder he didn’t commit. He was charged with killing his wife and served 25 years before being exonerated and released. Morton’s defense attorneys have reason to believe the prosecutor in the case had knowledge of Morton’s innocence, knowledge he didn’t disclose. Now, the prosecutor, Ken Anderson, is under a microscope as the defense lawyers dig into court records and files in an effort to uncover the truth. [Read more…]
As Texas Prison Closed, More Bunks Were Being Added
Just a few months ago, we blogged about a Texas first: the closing of Sugar Land’s Central Unit prison. But while that closure was initially seen as something to celebrate—signaling a shift away from mass incarceration—Texas was quietly adding prison beds to existing facilities, virtually erasing any positive impact of the closed facility. [Read more…]
30,000 Warrants Yet Un-entered in Harris County System
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is lacking staff (as are many agencies) and it’s this shortage that’s being blamed for a serious backlog of warrants. As of last week, the office had about 10,088 felony warrants and 19,748 misdemeanor warrants that had yet to be entered into the state database. Without such entry, law enforcement officers have no way of knowing someone is wanted in connection with a crime. [Read more…]
State Commission To Investigate Old Arson Convictions
If you haven’t heard of Cameron Todd Willingham, you haven’t heard of the one man who is believed to have been executed by the state of Texas when he was actually innocent of the charges against him. Why was the death penalty doled out in a case where the guilt of the defendant was questionable, at best? Because he was convicted using flawed scientific practices and the system did nothing, at the time, to discredit such practices. [Read more…]
Former Dallas Crime Lab Worker Campaigns for an Audit
Dr. Chris Nulf worked for the Dallas County Crime lab for a little over a year. In that time, he says he saw inconsistent practices and poor evidence handling procedures. He sent anonymous complaints to the Texas Forensic Sciences Commission while he was employed there and continues to speak out today. But nothing has been done and the Dallas lab remains one that hasn’t come under review by the commission to date. [Read more…]
Closing a Prison: A Texas First
A 102 year old prison will soon be closed, marking the first time the state of Texas has shut down such a facility and signaling a shift in priorities being seen across the state and the entire country. Out of all places to close a prison, Texas would be the last. But the Central Unit at Sugar Land plans to be empty by the end of the month. [Read more…]
