Category: News
Technology often makes life easier, but is it always a good thing? Computers have become such an integral part of daily life that it’s hard to imagine life without them. It’s also hard to believe that just a few decades ago there was no email or internet. Today, however, technology plays a major role in…
Dallas police chiefs have been accused in the past of downplaying the extent of gang activity in the city. However, the interim Police Chief David Pughes appears to have broken ranks by publicly acknowledging that gang activity is driving up violent crime in the city, reported WFAA. Violent crime is up just over four percent…
Police shootings in the U.S. revealed that one-fourth involved someone with a mental illness. Police violence and misconduct is well-documented in the United States. It’s an issue that receives a lot of media attention — sometimes so much so that it’s easy to wonder if other countries experience such serious social and criminal justice issues….
The number of exonerations in the United States rose again in 2016. Many of the wrongful convictions were in Texas and more than half of them were related to cases in which no crime was committed. The annual report from the National Registry of Exonerations found the number of exonerations rose to 166 last year,…
The scope of hate crimes in Texas will expand if a bill to make all attacks on first responders hate crimes becomes law. The bill introduced in the Texas legislature would increase penalties for attacks against any first responder, including police, firefighters and EMTs, and make them hate crimes. Texas governor Greg Abbott spoke in…
Grand jury proceedings were originally designed to provide checks and balances against oppressive prosecution or potential witch hunts. If passed, a proposal that’s currently before Texas lawmakers would make it mandatory for prosecutors to share evidence that could help a suspect’s case with grand juries. According to a Texas Tribune report, two versions of the…
It can be tough to put things into perspective when violent crimes dominate news headlines. According to the Pew Research Center, the public perception of crime rates in the U.S. is dramatically different than the reality. Crime has dropped by double digits since 2008, however, most people believe crime is actually getting worse. Here are…
Groping would become a more serious offense in Texas if a new bill filed in the General Assembly becomes law. The Texas Association Against Sexual Assault is behind new bill that would make groping a Class A misdemeanor, reported CBS. At present, the offense is a Class C misdemeanor. Critics say that makes it the…
Human trafficking is taken very seriously in Texas, a state that experiences a large amount of trafficking due to its long border with Mexico. Recently, a man from Dallas who was accused of pimping out a teenage runaway was jailed in New Braunfels after a traffic stop resulted in his arrest. A report in the…
It’s no coincidence that many of the most lurid national headlines about inappropriate relationships between teachers and students are from Texas. In 2016, Texas saw a boom in prosecutions for these types of relationships, the Houston Chronicle reported. The trend has led to the drawing up of stricter rules and a call for new legislation…