Tag: courts

Houston Matters

Numerous, Lengthy Legal Battles Expected Over Texas’ New ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Law

Posted on · Almost immediately after Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law SB 4, the so-called “sanctuary cities” bill, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a preemptive lawsuit asking a federal court to uphold its constitutionality. Shortly after that, the League of United Latin American Citizens filed a lawsuit against the governor and attorney general alleging that the […]

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Houston Matters Special Edition: Neil Gorsuch Confirmation Hearings

Posted on · (Above: The US Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. Photo: Wikipedia Commons/Public Domain) Houston Matters will offer a special edition today (Tuesday, March 21, 2017), as News 88.7 brings you live coverage of the Senate Judiciary Committee questioning Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. Live coverage from NPR News begins tentatively at […]

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Houston Matters Pre-Empted by Hearings

Posted on · Houston Matters was pre-empted today (Monday, March 20, 2017), so that News 88.7 could bring you live coverage of the House Intelligence Committee hearing into possible Russian interference during the 2016 election. We’ll have coverage of the Senate Judiciary committee questioning President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee tomorrow (Tuesday, March 21, 2017) throughout the day. Live coverage from NPR […]

Houston Matters

How Will the DA’s Office of Professional Integrity Work?

Posted on · Last month, new Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg named Judge David Mendoza to lead a newly created Office of Professional Integrity. Just what will this office do? We ask Judge Mendoza. Ogg created the office in the wake of the previous DA’s office receiving criticism over a number of things, including: the improper disposal of evidence […]

Houston Matters

Candidate Interview: Kim Ogg for Harris County District Attorney

Posted on · With the November election fast approaching and early voting around the corner, we have been devoting time these last few weeks to two key races in Harris County for Sheriff and District Attorney, and have offered you a chance to talk directly with candidates vying for your vote. Today, we conclude our candidate interviews, and welcome […]

Houston Matters

Candidate Interview: Devon Anderson for Harris County District Attorney

Posted on · With the November election fast approaching and early voting around the corner, we devote time over the next few weeks to two key races in Harris County for Sheriff and District Attorney, and offer you a chance to talk directly with candidates vying for your vote. Today, we welcome your questions for Harris County District Attorney Devon […]

Houston Matters

Harvard Law Study Singles Out Harris County for Poor Handling of Death Penalty Cases 

Posted on · A Harvard Law School study reports that racial bias, over-aggressive prosecutions and inadequate representation for poor defendants plague Harris County’s handling of death penalty cases. We discuss the study with Jeffrey Newberry, a legal clinic supervisor at the  University of Houston Law Center, and Ana Otero, a professor of law at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall […]

Houston Matters

Why Are There So Many Open Judicial Seats in Federal Courts?

Posted on · There are currently 12 judicial vacancies on the federal bench in Texas — ten in district courts and two on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. That’s more vacancies than any other state. We discuss what’s behind the backlog and the impact of judicial vacancies on federal courts with Houston attorney David Furlow, a member of the board of trustees […]

Houston Matters

Lawsuit Alleges the Way Texas Elects Judges to its Highest Courts is Unfair to Minorities

Posted on · Last month (July 2016), a civil rights organization sued the State of Texas, arguing the way the state elects judges for the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals violates the Voting Rights Act. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court saying the […]