More than a year after state lawmakers told it to stop incarcerating so many teenagers, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department has diverted 52 juvenile offenders for rehabilitation instead of shipping them to state lockups.
Johnathan Silver
Johnathan Silver reported on the state’s criminal justice system for the Tribune from 2015 to 2017. Previously, Johnathan was a Texas Associated Press Managing Editors Buster Haas intern and staff reporter at the Victoria Advocate. A Fort Worth native, Johnathan graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington with bachelor’s degrees in political science and criminal justice – and a graduation mug from The Shorthorn, the campus student newspaper.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Sandra Bland’s Family Looks Forward from Lawsuit Settlement
With one major legal battle seemingly behind them, Sandra Bland’s survivors and advocates are gearing up for the next phase of their quest to wrest change from the 28-year-old black woman’s death.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Sandra Bland’s Family Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit, Lawyer Says
The family of Sandra Bland — the woman who died last year in a Waller County Jail cell — has reached a settlement with Texas officials in a wrongful death lawsuit, a lawyer for the family said Thursday.
Posted inState Government
Lawmakers Look For Ways to Help People Who Can’t Afford Lawyers
Every year, thousands of Texans who can’t afford to hire attorneys take a go at handling their own civil cases. Ahead of the next legislative session, lawmakers and legal service providers are looking for ways to make the process easier.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Keep Preteens Out of Juvenile System, Texas House Panel Told
Already facing calls to limit when teenagers are treated as adults in the criminal justice system, Texas lawmakers next year may also see legislation trying to keep preteens from being shunted into the juvenile justice system.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Juvenile Justice Agency Making Case to Escape Budget Cuts
If state leaders insist, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department has identified ways to cut its budget by $16.8 million, or 2.8 percent, for the 2018-2019 biennium.
Posted in
Unholstered
On Mental Crisis Calls, Police Sometimes Use Lethal Force
When police shoot a mentally ill person, calls inevitably follow for providing officers more training in how to de-escalate situations and deal with mental health issues.
Posted in
Unholstered
Seeing a Threat, Police Officers Will Shoot an Unarmed Individual
Public outcries over shootings of unarmed people are often especially pronounced, underpinned with the inference that police should seldom find it necessary to unleash lethal force on unarmed civilians.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Attorney General Sues Waller County Over Gun Ban at Courthouse
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Waller County over its ban on guns at its courthouse. The suit, filed Monday afternoon in district court in Travis County, centers on a provision of Texas’ new open carry law.
Posted in
Unholstered
A Look at When and Why Police in Texas Unholster Their Weapons
The Texas Tribune spent nearly a year collecting data from the state’s largest cities on every incident in which police officers pulled the trigger between 2010 and 2015. Here’s a look at what we found.