Criminal Law

While Awaiting Trial, Teens in Dallas County Jail Being Kept in Their Cells 23 Hours a Day

Each year, a handful of Dallas county teenagers accused of crimes are "certified," meaning they're being charged as adults and will appear in adult criminal court. While they await trial, they sit in Dallas county jail. We've learned that while in jail, these teens are kept in their cells for 23 hou ... More >>

State Rep. Giddings Wants School Districts to Stop Treating Students Like Criminals

​A couple of weeks back Texas Appleseed and ACLU of Texas reps were down in Austin asking why oh why do state school districts feel the need to write class C misdemeanor tickets to students, some as young as 6, in the case of the Dallas Independent School District back in '06-'07. John Whitmire's ... More >>

Operation Streamline costs taxpayers millions, tramples on the Constitution, treats immigrants like cattle and doesn't work. So why are the feds so committed to it?

Running on "bubble gum and duct tape," a new court aims to keep damaged vets out of jail.

Craig Watkins is ready for his closeup

No One Disputes Bob Sambol Took $300,000. The Question Is: What Did He Do With It?

I just spoke with Nicholas Cariotis, chief of the Check Division/Task Force on Identity Fraud at the Dallas County District Attorney's Office -- and the man charged with prosecuting Bob Sambol, who, as we mentioned this morning, has been accused in an indictment of stealing $300,000 from investor an ... More >>

So, The State Will Have an Integrity Unit. Which Will Do What, Exactly?

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins wants to address "the bigger picture" concerning wrongful convictions. One month ago, hundreds of law-enforcement officials from around the state gathered under the dome in Texas’s Senate chamber at the behest of Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston. They came ... More >>

In Austin Yesterday, Talk About Creating Texas' First "Innocence Commission"

Priorities, Priorities

A Devil's Deal in Dallas Court

A terrible crime plus skaky evidence tempts prosecutors to play a secret game of "let's make a deal"

Of Note

Sloppy record keeping causing headaches in criminal appeals

Meet Unfair Park's Newest Contributor: Craig Watkins

Mark Graham Craig Watkins would like a word with the Friends of Unfair Park. Wow, it must be Guest Contributor Day around Unfair Park. Because next up to the virtual podium is none other than Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins, who sent Unfair Park this morning an "opinion editorial" con ... More >>

Chains of Evidence

How did Dallas convict so many innocents? With faulty eyewitnesses, sloppy police work and overzealous prosecutors.

Witness for the Prosecution

Did lack of manpower leave a felon on bail free to kill? Maybe. Sort of.

Membership Has Privileges

Lost in Transition

Mud Wrestling

Denton County's new district attorney challenged on his claims to be Mr. Clean

Jailhouse Rocked

The exonerations just keep on coming

Man, They Really Want to Make Sure Craig Watkins Doesn't Screw This Up

Zac Attack | Out in the Cold | Give It Up, Manny | Born Blue

An Open Letter to Craig Watkins

Accidental Victors

Wait...we voted for who?

Does This Mean a New Trial for Emily Dowdy?

Can I Get a Witness?

The District Attorney's Office gets the right guy for the wrong reason.

Follywood

A B-actress, computer mayhem and families feudin'! Making a movie with your rich friends is just courting disaster.

Craig's List

Debtors like Craig Watkins used to end up in jail. Now they run for district attorney.

Train Kept on Rollin'

Emily Dowdy's case hangs on a judge's opinion of her own performance on the bench

Hot Dog Bun Justice

Republicans Heart the Defense

Coloring Book

What color will the district attorney be, and who gives a rat's rear end?

Cell Disease

Being sick in Dallas County's troubled jail can be a death sentence

Race, Race, Race

Man. Now everybody's calling everybody a racist.

Oklahoma Railroad

Accused of killing a cop's son, Emily Dowdy learns the hard way that in Oklahoma City justice isn't blind. It works for the prosecution.

Mr. No Apology

Bill Hill's office helped jail dozens of innocent people, and he's a shoo-in for re-election. Huh?

License to Scam

Is anything actually against the law in Texas elections?

Inhale With Hale

Itinerant pro-pot candidate Steven Hale is down again, but not out

The Way of the Gun

The untold story of why Lenell Geter was freed

Out of Mind, Out of Sight

For a growing number of Texas kids with mental illnesses, the only place to get help is behind bars.

Thanks, But No Thanks

Turning down millions in state money to build juvenile boot camps, Tarrant County opted for a different approach--one that works

Unhappy Campers

Critics of a private prison firm that ran two juvenile boot camps in Dallas wonder where the love is at these "tough love academies"

Make 'em Pay

Spurred by a horrifying wave of teen violence in the '90s, Texas today spends more money than ever to lock up young criminals. Are we getting our money's worth?

Deep Doo-doo

One side or the other broke the law in a messy city council race, Dallas' top election official says

Innocent as Charged

After his acquittal on an assault charge, Clark Birdsall questions the system he once embraced

Dirty Cops, Dirty Games

The untold story of Dallas' bigest-ever police corruption scandal. Part two of a special report.

Good Cop, Bad Cop

The untold story of Dallas' biggest-ever police corruption scandal

Good time Charlie

The don of Dallas criminal lawyers, Charles Tessmer reshaped justice through decades of hard-fought cases and hard drink

Equal work, unequal pay

Two former Dallas prosecutors say that's what they suffered

Choosing sides

The race for judge in Dallas' domestic-violence court raises questions of bias

Crime and no punishment

A legal loophole lets illegal immigrants get out of jail nearly free

Who ya gonna call?

Lawyer Kenneth Mayfield racks up a winning record in the courts he helps oversee as a county commissioner