The Innocence Project released a study on how prosecutors are held accountable for their misconduct. What they found is that they are largely not held accountable at all. With a growing number of people being exonerated by DNA evidence and numerous cases of wrongful convictions coming to light, the number of prosecutors being charged with misconduct is growing, but why isn’t the number being disciplined? read more

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

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

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

Last year, 801 people died in alcohol related traffic fatalities in the state of Texas. This number has climbed over the past several years. In 2009, Texas had the most alcohol related fatalities of any state in the country. These numbers have pushed lawmakers to take more aggressive steps in getting drunk drivers off the road, including mandatory blood draws. read more

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

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

Although the woman who was raped in 1983 initially told police Michael Anthony Green wasn’t one of the four who hurt her, she later changed her tune when Green was in a lineup. This changed account would end up sending Green, then 18, to prison for 27 years. read more

Greenville, a northeast suburb of Dallas is the latest city to acquire a new automatic license plate scanning systems for their police department. This system will be used by the police department to search for stolen cars, and identify drivers and cars flagged in the database as wanted by the police. read more

Two cases of DNA exoneration in the Houston area is bringing the issue of eyewitness identification into the light. Two men who served a combined total of 46 years behind bars for offenses they didn’t commit can largely blame eyewitness identification for their convictions. read more