TCJE in the News


Press Contact: For all media inquiries, please contact Madison Kaigh, Communications Manager, at mkaigh@TexasCJE.orgor (512) 441-8123, ext. 108.


 

Lawmakers compare driver surcharge program to debtors' prison

State Senators expressed bipartisan disapproval Wednesday of an unpopular program that levies large surcharges on drivers for traffic offenses, with several calling for broad changes or scrapping it entirely. 

Read the rest of this article at WFAA.

Lawmakers compare Driver Surcharge Program to Debtors’ Prison

State senators expressed bipartisan disapproval Wednesday of an unpopular program that levies large surcharges on drivers for traffic offenses, with several calling for broad changes or for scrapping it entirely.

Read the rest of this article at El Paso Herald-Post.

"No Cost" License Plate Readers Are Turning Texas Police into Mobile Debt Collectors and Data Miners

Vigilant Solutions, one of the country’s largest brokers of vehicle surveillance technology, is offering a hell of a deal to law enforcement agencies in Texas: a whole suite of automated license plate reader (ALPR) equipment and access to the company’s massive databases and analytical tools—and it won’t cost the agency a dime.

Read the rest of this article at EFF.

TX Senator Cornyn A ‘Peacemaker’ As GOP Rift On Criminal Justice Widens

A widening Republican rift over revamping the nation’s criminal justice system is dashing hopes for overhaul in the final year of President Barack Obama’s tenure despite strong bipartisan support and a concerted effort by the second-ranking GOP senator.

Read the rest of this article at CBS DFW.

Texas Law Protects Landlords Who Lease to Non-Violent Ex-Offenders

A new law protects Texas landlords from liability if they lease to a person with a non-violent criminal history. 

Read the rest of this article at Public News Service.

Sorry for Life?: Ashley Ervin Didn’t Kill Anyone, But She Drove Home the Boys Who Did

When Ashley Ervin was sentenced to life in prison for capital murder, her bedroom was decorated with Mickey Mouse everything.

Read the rest of this article at Houston Press.

If only the system treated everyone like 'affluenza' mom

Another slap in the face. That was my initial reaction to the news that Mama Couch, enabler of Ethan "Affluenza Teen" Couch, succeeded in getting a Tarrant County judge on Monday to reduce her bond from $1 million to $75,000.

Read the rest of this article at Houston Chronicle.

While other states eye reform, NM readies for ‘tough on crime’ session

In a crowded conference room in the mayor’s office last November, reporters and police officers gathered to see Republican lawmakers and Mayor Richard Berry discuss their plans for combating repeat criminal behavior.

Read the rest of this article at NM Political Report.

Bail Hearings: Where Prosecutors And Magistrates Ensure Defenseless People Stay In Jail

University of Houston law professor Sandra Thompson promises that bail hearings are not what you've seen on TV—especially in Harris County.

Read the rest of this article at Houston Press.

For those accused in Harris County, it's time to right a legal wrong

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney.

Read the rest of this article at Houston Chronicle.