Law
152 stories
General Admission »
Will Fisher v. The University of Texas at Austin help the U.S. Supreme Court decide affirmative action once and for all? Not likely, which is why it's time to let public universities make their own decision about which students to accept.
April 2012 by Paul Burka
A Q&A With Michael Hall »
The senior editor on following the paper trail of Texas history, learning about Jack Johnson sparring with “Chrysanthemum Joe” Choynski, and researching his own family roots.
February 2012 Interview by Alexandra Scoptur
Future Forum: Guilt, Innocence, and the Death Penalty
A panel discussion featuring Anthony Graves with Pamela Colloff, Michael Hall, Kelly Siegler, and Nicole Cásarez.
February 2012
About a Boy
Larry and Hannah Overton had a family of their own when they decided to adopt a little boy named Andrew Burd who had been attending their church. He quickly became an integral part of their lives, bonding with his new foster parents and siblings. Then one day in 2006 he mysteriously died of salt poisoning. Hannah was found guilty of killing him and sent to prison for life. She steadfastly proclaims her innocence, and Larry and the kids pray for the day when their mom will be able to come home.
January 2012
A Father’s Day
Since 1986, Richard LaFuente has been in federal prison for a murder he didn’t commit. In June he was denied parole—again. The only bright spot in his life has been reconnecting with his daughters and their families.
January 2012
Sketch Artist
Gary Myrick’s impressions of the courtroom. Images and captions by Gary Myrick
January 2012
Hannah and Andrew »
On October 3, 2006, a four-year-old boy named Andrew Burd died in a Corpus Christi hospital. The cause of death was determined to be salt poisoning, an extremely unusual occurrence. Even more shocking was what happened next: his foster mother was found guilty of killing him. But could she really have done what the prosecutors say?
January 2012 by Pamela Colloff
Sketchy Characters »
Before cameras were allowed in courtrooms, artist Gary Myrick and his assortment of colored pencils provided Texas television audiences with a vivid look at the state’s high-profile legal proceedings against figures like T. Cullen Davis, Henry Lee Lucas, and Charles Harrelson.
January 2012 by John Spong
Fed Up! »
Sure, Texas’s criminal justice system is tough. But as Fort Worth inmate Richard LaFuente could tell you, the federal criminal system is even tougher.
January 2012 by Michael Hall
Who Killed Mary Eula Sears? »
In 1982 a man named Wayne East was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of one of Abilene’s most prominent citizens. To this day, he maintains his innocence. And one member of the victim’s family believes him.
November 2011 by Michael Hall
The Warren Jeffs Trial »
Dispatches from the Warren Jeffs trial in San Angelo
August 2011 by Katy Vine
Playground Rules »
The suicides of four Texas teens who were brutally bullied have prompted cries for new legislation. But one lawyer has a different plan: Sue the school districts.
June 2011 by Skip Hollandsworth
The Drop Everything List »
Pachanga Fest, the Real Ale Ride, the Kerrville Folk Festival, and Bay Day. . .
June 2011 by Michael Hoinski
Law and Disorder »
During his lifetime, he captivated Houston with his courtroom brilliance, outsized ambition, and high-dollar lifestyle. But in the year since John O’Quinn’s tragic death, a bitter estate battle has revealed who he really was.
February 2011 by Mimi Swartz
A Free Man
Anthony Graves talks about his case, his family, and his life after prison.
January 2011 Produced by Pamela Hastings
Life After Death »
It’s time to halt executions in Texas.
January 2011 by Michael Hall
Justice Is Served
Listen to senior editor Pamela Colloff discuss the release of Anthony Graves with KRLD's Mitch Carr and Scott Braddock.
November 2010
Anthony Graves Press Conference
October 28, 2010, in Houston at the law offices of Katherine Scardino, Graves's defense attorney.
November 2010 Produced by Pamela Hastings
Bill Broyles and Mark Haynes »
November 2010 Interview by Mike Shea
Trial and Error »
The wheels of justice (or injustice) continue to turn in the shockingly bizarre Mineola swingers club case.
September 2010 by Michael Hall
Near/Far »
Despite rampant fears to the contrary, the bloody drug violence in Mexico hasn’t spilled over into Texas—but that doesn’t mean it’s not transforming life all along the border.
August 2010 by Nate Blakeslee
The Outsider »
In the post-Washington game, former attorney general Alberto Gonzales has fared worse than any other member of the Bush administration. Why?
July 2010 by Mimi Swartz
The Verdict »
Another defendant in the Mineola child sex ring crimes is found guilty.
July 2010 by Michael Hall
Enroncore! »
The debut of Enron, the play, on Broadway might be the perfect time to settle a question that’s been bothering Houston: Does Jeff Skilling need a new trial?
May 2010 by Mimi Swartz
The Great Pretender »
The strange case of Mauricio Celis, the Corpus Christi lawyer who was not a lawyer.
May 2010 by Pamela Colloff
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