Criminal Trials

Texan Challenges Civil Forfeiture Law

Police can keep your cash, car and other property, regardless of whether you've been convicted of – let alone charged with – a crime.

Abraham Moses Fisch: Made A Million Convincing Defendants He Could Bribe Their Cases Away, Feds Say

He knows people​Houston criminal defense attorney Abraham Moses Fisch is facing a slew of federal charges this morning: conspiracy, obstruction of justice, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering and failure to file tax returns, They all stem from what the U.S. Attorney's Off ... More >>

Abderrahim Elmaghraoui: Stabs Wife 17 Times; Murder Conviction Tossed Because He Wasn't Warned He Might Be Deported

Do it again, and get it right this time, court rules.​Those wild-eyed liberals at the 14th Court of Appeals have tossed out the murder conviction of a man who stabbed his wife 17 times, because he had not been warned his guilty plea might result in deportation. His guilty plea did result in a ... More >>

Jerry Eversole's Trial: The Winners and Losers

The youthful Eversole, before the feds started pestering him.​Jerry Eversole surprised a lot of people when he escaped conviction on bribery charges. A hung jury ended in a mistrial, but prosecutors expect to take another swing at it soon. In the meantime, everyone is poking through the wrec ... More >>

Grinding Justice

Operation Streamline costs millions, tramples the Constitution, treats migrants like cattle and doesn't work.

On Hold

Found not guilty of the rape charges against him twice over, a former deputy constable still can't get his job back.

Crash Reports

Running a red light and killing someone does not automatically mean you're in trouble in Harris County.

Getting Off

Attorney Tyler Flood says he wins 80 percent of his clients' DWI trials, even if they were 100 percent drunk as a skunk.

The DA Takes On Illegals, Because She Can

Photo courtesy Pat Lykos for DANot content to throw two of her prosecutors into the blender last week, Harris County DA Pat Lykos has decided to turn her guns on yet another unimportant bloc of voters - illegal immigrants.The Chron picks up the tale:"Four senior assistant district attorneys, speakin ... More >>

Another Slap On The Wrist For The Child-Fondling Doctor

Photo courtesy Jefferson County Sheriff's OfficeHere's today's criminal justice system tip: If you're going to plead guilty in Harris County to repeatedly fondling young girls -- some of whom you're related to -- make sure you're a doctor. And we're not talking podiatrist, here.Hair Balls suggest yo ... More >>

Prosecutors Dismiss Assault Charges in J Prince Gym Beating Case

Sleepovers With Uncle Jeff

The cardiologist traded on his status as a doctor to fondle young girls

Judging Andrea

A justice surprises critics by reversing the Yates verdict

Insanely Guilty

A mother sets out to save her children, by killing them. Texas usually jails such women, but that may be changing.

The Icebox Revisited

Houston had one of its most shocking race murders 45 years ago. But exactly whose tragedy was it?

Penned In

Almost nobody -- not even the trial judge or the victim -- thinks John Michael Harvey molested a child. So why's he still serving 40 years in prison?

The Bradford Game

A mid-trial meltdown scorches the district attorney

An Absolute Maybe

There's little doubt that Johnnie Bernal was not a really good guy. The question remains, though, how bad was he?

Getting Wasted

Local officials say they are only after compliance and cleanups. Critics claim otherwise.

Driving Miss D.A.-isy

A ride-along girlfriend and erroneous testimony taint a DWI squad case

Files Not Found

Thousands of missing FBI documents in the Timothy McVeigh case? It comes as no surprise to the survivors of Operation Lightning Strike.

Murder, She Testified

A federal grand jury aims at a fledgling author's notes in a long-running murder probe

Waivering Rights

Are prosecutors circumventing the new law designed to preserve DNA evidence?

(Ore)gone to Hell?

His body was riddled with police bullets. The case against the cops also may be riddled with holes.

Innocence Lost?

Despite its increasing importance, DNA evidence routinely gets destroyed here

God Only Knows

Dismembered bodies. Gold booty and an ex-con's grudge. A trial rips into the mysteries of the disappearance of atheist icon Madalyn Murray O'Hair.

Payback Time

The latest victims of death merchant Davis will recoup their losses - when he's dead

Let's Make A Deal

Convicted felons Mike and Pat Graham are at it again, trading allegations for favors

Farewell to a Killer

A dogged detective and a Houston judge take parting shots at an old nemesis

School Scam?

Did a teacher fabricate a student assault to collect disability?

Justice on the Block

Is the D.A.'s office for sale to the highest bidder?

Strong Convictions

Hard-line leaders such as loopy Stephen Mansfield have taken their agenda to the Court of Criminal Appeals, where legal precedents--not prosecutions--get overturned

Borderline Bond

Local judges go anti-immigrant in bail policies

Insider

Justice Free-for-all

Law and Disorder

In Janice Law's quests for a judgeship, the fourth time was a charm -- and now an alarm for the rest of the courthouse

A Civil Action

Despite the county's outlook, the Oregon police shooting case is still very much alive

Coming to No Good End

Undertaker Jay Herman shot his lover, Edwina Prosen, to death in 1991. That's the only thing he and her family have agreed on since.

Queen of the Good Ol' Boys

The macho world of trial law is ruled by tough, hard-driving men -- and by Katherine Scardino, a tough, hard-driving woman

Slipping Under the Bar Radar

Will a less-than-Frank Reyes cloud O'Quinn's win?

Hard Time

The evidence points away from Roy Criner's guilt in a savage crime. But the state still has what counts most -- a conviction.

Of Life and Death

While Erica Sheppard sits on death row, penniless and convicted of a gruesome Houston murder, her cadre of elite Dallas lawyers is trying to prove that the justice system has gone fatally awry

Going Through These Things Twice

tuck inside of Hotel Six with the Houston blues again

Take the Cash and Talk That Trash

The hotel six sting hits the little screen

Dissecting Dr. Carter

Harris County's chief pathologist finds herself under the microscope.

The Insider

Gayland's Choice

Gayland Randle was there the night Paul Broussard was murdered, but he never laid a hand on the victim. So why is Randle doing 15 years in prison?

Letters

Hanging the Judge

Lupe Salinas made a lot of friends on his journey from a Rio Grande Valley childhood to becoming a dogged prosecutor and respected state district judge. Until he was tapped for a federal judgeship, he never knew how many enemies he had.

Crime & Punishment

Ten years ago, Anthony Ray Westley entered a bait shop to commit a crime. Was it a crime worth dying for?

Defending the Indefensible

Do court-appointed attorneys serve their clients or the courts?