Texas

Rhino hunter and US clubs sue Delta Airlines over transport ban on big-game trophies

Delta Airlines is facing a federal lawsuit over a ban it imposed on transporting big-game trophies in the wake of an international controversy over the hunting death of an African lion that was attributed to a Minnesota dentist. Although other airlines imposed similar bans, Delta has the best flight to…

Oct 16, 2015 4:00 PM CDT

5th Circuit OKs conviction that led to 20-year prison term for lawyer who bribed judge

A former South Texas judge got six years for admittedly taking bribes from lawyers, after cooperating with the feds in prosecuting the attorneys and others. But a conviction that resulted in a 20-year-term for former personal injury lawyer Marc Garrett Rosenthal in the Cameron County racketeering conspiracy case was upheld…

Oct 15, 2015 2:45 PM CDT

Fired prosecutor sues in effort to get Dallas DA removed from office

A fired Texas prosecutor has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the state against her former boss, seeking to remove Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk from office. Filed Tuesday, the Dallas County District Court petition by former administrative chief Cindy Stormer cites claimed incompetence by Hawk to perform the…

Oct 14, 2015 2:20 PM CDT

Judges frees man imprisoned for 28 years; discredited bite-mark evidence is cited

A Texas judge has ordered the release of a man who spent 28 years in prison after prosecutors and defense lawyers cited the use of now-discredited bite-mark evidence in his case. Steven Mark Chaney was freed Monday, report the Associated Press, the Dallas Morning News and the Washington Post. Dallas…

Oct 13, 2015 8:13 AM CDT

Appeals court will review allegations that Texas Gov. Rick Perry tried to coerce Travis County DA

The highest criminal appeals court in Texas will review two cases alleging Gov. Rick Perry improperly cut the funding of the Austin-area prosecutor’s office, according to the Austin American-Statesman. In 2013, Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, the head of the office’s Public Integrity Unit, was arrested on charges of…

Oct 8, 2015 2:15 PM CDT

More states lift bans on welfare and food stamps for drug offenders

Alabama and Texas are the latest states to lift restrictions on food stamps for drug offenders, part of a growing number of states opting out of a ban enacted by Congress in 1996. The federal law allows bans on food stamps and welfare for people convicted of state and federal…

Oct 1, 2015 5:45 AM CDT

County sues Volkswagen for $100M, seeks civil penalties for violation of emissions laws

In what may be the first such lawsuit against Volkswagen, a Texas county has filed a complaint seeking an estimated $100 million in damages over alleged violations of local vehicle emissions laws. Harris County doesn’t have any Volkswagens in its fleet, but is seeking in its complaint (PDF) to address…

Sep 30, 2015 12:35 PM CDT

Murder trial to resume after shock is administered to defendant for failing to stand

The trial of a Texas man accused of killing his former wife resumes this week after he was shocked for failing to stand when talking to the judge. The defendant, James Calvert, will no longer represent himself when the capital murder trial resumes in Smith County, report Reuters and KLTV,…

Sep 28, 2015 7:22 AM CDT

Judge issues ‘report my unsafe driving’ bumper stickers

A municipal judge in Lakeway, Texas, hopes his bumper sticker idea will save lives. Judge Kevin Madison designed a bumper sticker that reads: “Report My Unsafe Driving.” The sticker includes a phone number for the municipal court, KXAN reports. Madison told the broadcast station he has handed out about 50…

Sep 24, 2015 6:15 AM CDT

Ex-courthouse clerk charged with felony for throwing files in trash after being fired

A former Harris County, Texas, courthouse clerk has been accused of throwing thousands of pages of court documents into the trash after being fired. Steven Calyen, who was fired Tuesday, was charged with felony tampering with a public record, the Houston Chronicle reports. Calyen was on his way to an…

Sep 23, 2015 11:35 AM CDT

Texas lawyer is accused of trying to hire a hit man

A lawyer in Austin, Texas, has been arrested for allegedly paying $1,000 for the murder of another man. The lawyer, 62-year-old James Walker, was charged after police secretly taped an alleged drug deal in which Walker sold drugs to a man identified as “Joshua” in a police affidavit. Walker agreed…

Sep 21, 2015 9:39 AM CDT

Oil industry dismisses its lawsuit against Texas town over fracking ban

The Texas Oil & Gas Association and the city of Denton, Texas, have resolved a lawsuit over the city’s ban on hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking.” According to a press release from Baker Botts, which represented the association, the parties both moved to dismiss the claims as moot. Denton…

Sep 17, 2015 5:33 PM CDT

Teen invited to White House after arrest for bringing homemade clock to school

This week has clearly been a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows for a 14-year-old Texas high school student. Reportedly arrested, handcuffed and suspended from school (although not criminally charged) after bringing a homemade alarm clock to school in an effort to connect with others interested in technology, Ahmed Mohamed…

Sep 17, 2015 9:00 AM CDT

Former exec ‘Fruitcake’ gets 10 years in $16M money-launder case; his wife ‘Cupcake’ gets probation

A former controller for a Texas bakery known for its high-end fruitcakes was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison in a Dallas case involving a $16.7 million theft from his employer. Sandy Jenkins agreed to a plea deal last year and pleaded guilty to charges including mail fraud…

Sep 17, 2015 7:35 AM CDT

Texas man seeks to clear his name in 1977 murder

A Texas man is asking a court to declare him innocent of a 1977 murder he’s twice been convicted of committing. Lawyers for Kerry Max Cook, in court documents filed Monday, claim that six rounds of DNA testing have failed to produce any evidence that Cook committed the crime, the…

Sep 16, 2015 4:25 PM CDT