Numerous police agencies across the country are salivating at the opportunity to have a new militaristic toy to add to their arsenals. The hot item right now is the drone and several departments within Texas have them. A recent report in the Star Telegram, however, seems to attempt to paint the eyes-in-the-sky as harmless remote-controlled helpers rather than anything that could be potentially used to violate privacy rights. read more

“If the remedy is unaffordable, justice is denied.”

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson “held court” in front of a joint session of the state Legislature last week and indicated major changes are needed in the Texas justice system. Namely, he said, justice is currently only afforded to those who can afford it. He also questioned the criminalization of school children and how the state plans to deal with wrongful convictions. read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two decades ago, if you were caught skipping school, fighting on school grounds, or caught with cigarettes, you would likely be given detention, possibly suspended, and had a serious “talking to”. But things are different now in Texas schools and kids are being ticketed and even arrested for such things. Not only does the punishment far outweigh the “crime” in many of these cases, but the punishment could start a child down the long road of a life within the criminal justice system. read more