In Arizona, a County Attorney Candidate’s Past Seems To Contradict Her Pro-Reform Stance
Julie Gunnigle, who is running in Maricopa County, says she supports alternatives to incarceration. But a decade ago in Illinois, she prosecuted a woman for recording phone calls and helped put her in jail for 18 months.
Meg O'Connor Aug 03, 2020
Trump’s Planned Trip To Mount Rushmore Puts Lives And A Fragile Ecosystem At Risk
The July 4th event will only serve to endanger the Black Hills National Forest, spread contagion, and continue the president’s pattern of sowing hatred and division.
Ruth Hopkins Jun 29, 2020
51 Years In Prison For A Car Crash
Prosecutors wanted to make an example of Justin Dixon, who has been in an Arizona prison for 14 years, with 37 ahead of him. Now, as COVID-19 spreads in the facility where he’s being held, his family is desperate for him to be released.
Meg O'Connor Jun 25, 2020
Did Misconduct By A Rogue DEA Agent Nicknamed ‘White Devil’ Result In A Wrongful Conviction In A Houston Homicide?
Lamar Burks has maintained his innocence for nearly 25 years in a murder case that has been marked by conflicting eyewitness accounts and the conviction of a DEA agent on corruption charges.
Mike Hayes Jun 22, 2020
How the Phoenix Police Department Spends Its $745 Million Budget
The city wants to give the force an additional $24 million. But the department is still failing to solve crimes, and officers have shot 212 people between 2011 and 2018, killing about half.
Meg O'Connor Jun 17, 2020
Houston Police Chief’s Speeches Supporting Protesters Were Widely Circulated—But Video Proves His Officers Cracked Down on Them
Videos contradict officers’ claims that they didn’t ‘kettle’ protesters.
Jerry Iannelli Jun 12, 2020
Texas Prisoner Whose Case Changed the State’s Death Penalty Law Is Granted Parole
Attorneys argued for decades that Bobby Moore was intellectually disabled when he was sentenced to death in 1980. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling led to a change in his sentence last year and cleared the way for his release.
Lauren Gill Jun 09, 2020
‘I can never be more grateful.’ After Nearly 35 Years, Willie Mae Harris Is Released From Prison
Harris, now 72 and blind, had been serving a life sentence for the shooting death of her husband, a man she said had abused her for years. Last month, the Arkansas Parole Board agreed to free her.
Lauren Gill Jun 05, 2020
On The Day Of George Floyd’s Death, An Arizona State Trooper Killed A Man In Phoenix
Dion Johnson’s family wants answers about the last moments of his life.
‘I Am Feeling Scared And Alone.’ The Reopening Of America Leaves Behind Prisoners Who Remain At Risk Of COVID-19
Texas’s governor has proclaimed that ‘safe practices save lives,’ but prisoners say that advice can’t be followed in the state’s prisons, where unsanitary conditions have left the novel coronavirus ‘spreading vigorously.’
Tana Ganeva Jun 01, 2020
She Turned Her Life Around After A String Of DUIs. Now She Might Be Sent Back To Prison Amid A Coronavirus Outbreak
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office waited four years to charge Danielle Sutherland for one of the DUIs. After serving time for the others, she received treatment for her substance use issues and pursued a degree.
Meg O'Connor May 29, 2020
Coronavirus Cases Soar For The Navajo Nation As Federal Funding Shortfalls Strain Efforts To Respond
‘This is by far, by far, the biggest impact on our people since our return from the Long Walk in 1868,’ a Navajo Nation leader said.
Daniel Moritz-Rabson May 13, 2020
Cleaning Supplies Are So Scarce At This Arizona Prison, Detainees Are Using Shampoo And Menstrual Pads, Lawsuit Says
The plaintiffs want an independent expert to assess whether the facility has implemented social distancing measures, testing procedures, and hygiene practices adequate enough to reasonably protect detainees from contracting COVID-19 while in custody.
Meg O'Connor May 12, 2020
A Veteran Was Sent to Jail for Stealing Masks to Give to Homeless People
Peter Lucas was jailed overnight at a time when prosecutors across the country are actively working to reduce the number of people behind bars to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Meg O'Connor Apr 16, 2020
The Coronavirus Food Bank Crisis Is Already Underway
In Austin and across the country, service providers are dealing with spikes in demand, new logistical challenges, and mounting uncertainty about the months ahead.
Jay Willis Apr 06, 2020
The Texas Appeals Court Upheld This Man’s Death Sentence Despite New Scientific Evidence
The ruling is a setback for the state's so-called junk science statute.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Apr 01, 2020
Texas Court Issues Temporary Stay Of Execution Amid Coronavirus ‘Health Crisis’
John Hummel was scheduled to be executed on Wednesday. The court, citing the current health crisis, has postponed the execution for 60 days.
Lauren Gill Mar 16, 2020
Critics Of Progressive Judges Find A Willing Ally In Local Newsrooms
With few exceptions, news outlets in Harris County, Texas, spotlight singular instances of crime to allege that legal reform policy is a threat to the public.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Mar 13, 2020
Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Wins Democratic Primary
She withstood challenges from two of her former assistant district attorneys who wanted to reform the office and reduce prosecutions of low-level offenses.
Jay Willis Mar 04, 2020
This D.A. Election Could Bring a Big Change in How Austin, Texas Treats Drug Addiction
In Travis County, thousands of people continue to be prosecuted for low-level drug possession charges that reform-minded district attorneys elsewhere have committed to dropping.
Kira Lerner Mar 02, 2020
What Kim Ogg Gets Wrong About Work, Poverty, and Crime
The attitude behind the Harris County district attorney’s message to ‘put down your gun and pick up an employment application’ is outdated.
Jessica Pishko Feb 19, 2020
Bernie Sanders Endorses Audia Jones for Harris County D.A.
Jones is challenging incumbent Kim Ogg in the 2020 election.
Jay Willis Feb 13, 2020
Rosa Jimenez Went to Prison for Murdering a Child. Four Judges Have Said She’s Most Likely Innocent
Advocates say junk science was used to convict Jimenez. DA Margaret Moore has not yet decided whether she will drop charges or retry her.
Harris County D.A.’s Office Dropped Theft Case After Defense Attorney Alleged Race-Based Jury Selection
A Texas judge approved a Batson motion, then overruled it. But a transcript shows that a Black man was struck unfairly, the attorney said.
Aaron Morrison Jan 30, 2020
Elizabeth Warren Endorses José Garza in Travis County D.A. Race
Garza has promised to end cash bail and address racial inequities in the legal system.
Kira Lerner Jan 28, 2020
A City Council Resolution Could End Marijuana Arrests and Fines in Austin, Texas
The move is made possible by a Texas law that legalized the production of hemp last year.
Jay Willis Jan 10, 2020
U.S. Senate Candidate Endorses Ayanna Pressley’s Criminal Justice Reform Plan
Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez of Texas told The Appeal about her vision for a complete overhaul of her state’s legal system.
Kira Lerner Jan 09, 2020
New Lawsuit Claims Texas Prison Guards Sexually Assaulted Female Guard
Guards at the Mark Stiles Unit in Beaumont are alleged to have led the victim to a hallway where there were no security cameras.
Harris County D.A. Candidate Audia Jones Says She Won’t Prosecute Sex Work
The incumbent in the race, Jones’s former boss Kim Ogg, will not support a blanket refusal to prosecute sex workers, her office says.
Kira Lerner Dec 11, 2019
Working Families Party To Endorse José Garza for Travis County D.A.
The Austin-based labor and immigrant rights attorney, who has pledged to end money bail and nonviolent drug prosecutions, is looking to unseat incumbent District Attorney Margaret Moore.
Aaron Morrison Dec 06, 2019
Arizona Prosecutor Commissions Report That Argues Against Leniency For Teens Who Commit Crimes
Report attempts to discredit decades of research on the adolescent mind.
Kira Lerner Nov 01, 2019
Austin Braces As Texas Officials Plan Crackdown On Homeless Encampments
Last week, the City Council reinstated a “no camping” ordinance meant to discourage people experiencing homelessness from sleeping on sidewalks and outside a shelter. Advocates say the city is criminalizing poverty.
Aaron Morrison Oct 25, 2019
A Deadly Father-And-Son Bank Robbery Raises Questions About Culpability and The Adolescent Mind
Christopher Lay grew up under the influence of a father who was mentally ill. Drawn into a crime at age 19, he’s now seeking a second chance that could help other young adults demand the same.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Oct 18, 2019
Oklahoma Woman Imprisoned For Boyfriend’s Abuse Gets Chance at Freedom
Tondalao Hall has served 15 years for allegedly ‘failing to protect’ her kids from their father’s violence. A parole board will now decide if that’s enough.
Roxanna Asgarian Oct 08, 2019
Oklahoma Department of Corrections Agrees to Move ‘Qualifying’ Death Row Prisoners Out of Tomblike Unit
Some death row prisoners will be moved to another unit with access to direct sunlight, fenced-in recreation, and contact visits, department says.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 28, 2019
DNA Testing Could Save This Texas Man’s Life. But Prosecutors Are Opposing It.
Rodney Reed, set to be executed on Nov. 20, is innocent of a rape and murder, his lawyers say, and untested evidence will prove it. But prosecutors have pushed back, arguing the evidence is contaminated.
Lauren Gill Sep 26, 2019
Oklahoma’s Death Row Prisoners Are Forced Into Permanent Solitary Confinement. They are ‘Buried Alive,’ Advocates Say.
Civil rights groups demand change as other states move away from the practice of isolating people sentenced to death.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 25, 2019
Harris County D.A. Seeks Execution of Intellectually Disabled Man, Lawyer Says
Kim Ogg ran as a reform-minded district attorney candidate, but her office has sought two death warrants for Dexter Johnson, whose lawyer says cannot name everyday objects and has an IQ of 70.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 10, 2019
In One Arizona County, Pay For Your Ankle Monitor Or Go To Jail
A lawsuit is challenging Mohave County’s practice of charging certain people for mandatory GPS monitoring before trial.
Kira Lerner Aug 23, 2019
Caught on Video: A Texas Man’s Fatal Pursuit By Police
The family of Ricardo Treviño, an unarmed 21-year-old killed by police last year, says they’ve spent months waiting for answers on why he was shot.
Aaron Morrison Aug 07, 2019
Utah Jail Nurse Faces Negligent Homicide Charge in Death of 21-Year-Old Woman
In 2016, Madison Jensen died from opiate withdrawal at the Duchesne County jail. New court filings allege that jail staff, including its nurse, ignored her rapidly deteriorating health.
Lauren Gill Aug 01, 2019
Spotlight: Ice Cream Licking, Corporate Negligence, And What Constitutes A Crime
Sarah Lustbader Jul 16, 2019
Arizona Man Faces Deportation After Filing Lawsuit Against Coconino County Sheriff
Jose Montelongo-Morales challenged the jail’s immigration detainer policy. He and some of his family members were arrested months later.
Lauren Gill Jun 18, 2019
Spotlight: Prosecuting Lifesavers Exposes Deep Problems With Laws and Their Enforcement
Sarah Lustbader Jun 11, 2019
Data Raises Questions About Harris County D.A.’s Push for More Lawyers
Records show Kim Ogg’s office appeared to misrepresent felony prosecutor caseloads in its $21 million budget request.
Keri Blakinger Jun 10, 2019
Scandal-Plagued Arizona Prosecutor Won’t Release Records, Lawsuit Alleges
The ACLU of Arizona is suing Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery’s office over its alleged lack of transparency.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 22, 2019
Overdose In An Arizona Prison? Get Ready To Pay Up.
‘Worst policy imaginable’ punishes, rather than treats, patients who earn less than a dollar an hour, advocates say.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 03, 2019
Border Patrol in New Mexico Stood By As Right-Wing Militia Terrorized Migrants
Videos and audio posted by the group and its supporters on social media raise questions about the agency’s role.
Debbie Nathan Apr 29, 2019
A Baby’s Death, a Flawed Autopsy, and a Mother Locked Up for Life
Tina Rodriguez was sent to prison in Texas for allegedly starving her son to death. But recent discoveries about the medical examiner who conducted the baby’s autopsy raise questions about her case.
Debbie Nathan Apr 22, 2019
Good Samaritans Punished for Offering Lifesaving Help to Migrants
In recent years, the number of people federally charged with smuggling and harboring has jumped nearly a third.
Debbie Nathan Apr 17, 2019
Texas Is Poised to Make It Easier to Jail People For Voting Errors
The legislation is part of a wave of bills across the country meant to criminalize mistakes in the name of voter fraud.
Kira Lerner Apr 12, 2019
Houston Homicide Under New Scrutiny After Misconduct Allegations About DEA Agent Emerge
In 2000, Lamar Burks was convicted of murder and given a 70-year sentence. But the federal indictment of a DEA agent and witnesses who say Burks is innocent have raised new questions about his case.
Mike Hayes Apr 03, 2019
In Texas, D.A. Who Promised Reform Now Faces Challenge From The Left
Audia Jones pledges to tackle ‘brokenness in the system’ by unseating Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.
Roxanna Asgarian Mar 07, 2019
Texas Sheriffs Stand Against Marijuana Policy Reform
New bills would expand access to medical marijuana, but the state's sheriffs' association promises to fight even such modest legislation.
Michael Arria Mar 04, 2019
How A No-Knock Raid in Austin Turned Into a Lethal Shootout
‘There were explosions everywhere ... I had no idea who was in the house.’
Jessica Pishko Feb 05, 2019
In 1 Day, New Mexico Prison Had 2 Suicides In Solitary Confinement
The state uses solitary at one of the highest rates in the nation.
Kira Lerner Jan 29, 2019
Moving Away From ‘Jail for Everybody’
Harris County Judge Darrell Jordan discusses his newly elected colleagues’ decision to withdraw an appeal of a landmark bail reform lawsuit.
Roxanna Asgarian Jan 14, 2019
Trump Has Turned the War on Trafficking Into a War on Immigrants
The president is drawing on two decades of bipartisan support for crackdowns on traffickers to secure support for his agenda at the border.
Back-to-Back Jail Deaths Rock Small Utah County
Two women died at the Duchesne County Jail in the span of about one week in 2016. Now their families are suing in federal court.
Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2018
Oklahoma Governor Releases 21 Prisoners Shut Out Of Drug Sentencing Reform
But more than 1,100 others are still serving sentences that voters decided were too harsh.
Kira Lerner Dec 19, 2018
‘I Gotta Be Strong for My Babies’
An Oklahoma woman is serving 18 months in prison after being accused of failing to protect her daughter from the girl’s dad.
Roxanna Asgarian Dec 18, 2018
Program Meant To Fight Terrorism and Narcotrafficking Is Being Used to Target The Undocumented Community
Opposition to Operation Stonegarden, however, is spreading; one Arizona county just rejected over $1 million of its funds.
Debbie Nathan Oct 22, 2018
Cash Bail Yields A New Casualty
A Texas jail suicide involving a woman who couldn’t make bail in a shoplifting case highlights of the plight of pretrial detainees with mental illness.
Lauren Gill Oct 12, 2018
The Appeal Podcast Episode 10: Racism and Corruption in Child Protection Courts
With journalist Roxanna Asgarian.
Adam H. Johnson Aug 02, 2018
Before Children’s Grisly Deaths, a Family Fought for Them and Lost
The Hart family’s apparent murder-suicide drew headlines, but the path to the tragedy started much earlier—in Texas.
Roxanna Asgarian Jul 12, 2018
Austin Cops Said They Shot A Man Who Fired On Them–But It Turns Out He Didn’t Fire A Shot
Lawrence Parrish faces charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and remains jailed on $500,000 bond even though the Austin police admitted he never shot at them.
Michael Arria Jul 02, 2018
Meet the D.A. Who Has Been Accused of Sexual Misconduct That Affected a Murder Trial
In the era of #MeToo, can we hold law enforcement officials accountable?
Josie Duffy Rice May 31, 2018
In Las Vegas, Critics Say Prosecutors Don’t Play Fair When It Comes To Sharing Evidence
Public defenders say the problem has disastrous effects on their clients' cases.
Carimah Townes May 23, 2018
Advocates Fight Texas Statute Delaying Transgender Prisoners’ Ability to Change Their Names
Aviva Stahl Apr 12, 2018
Traffic Stop Begins Man’s Kafkaesque Journey Through A Texas County’s Bail System
Melissa Gira Grant Apr 03, 2018
Jailhouse Informant In High-Profile Texas Murder Cases Comes Under New Scrutiny
Max Rivlin-Nadler Mar 30, 2018
Texas’s First Death Sentence of 2018 Crystallizes the State’s Longstanding Capital Case Crisis
Lauren Gill Mar 16, 2018
San Antonio DA Nico LaHood, an Anti-Islam, Pro-Death Penalty Democrat, Faces Former Pal in Primary
Alex Hannaford Mar 02, 2018
Dallas County Democratic DA Candidates Promise Change, But Their Plans Don’t Go Far Enough
Josie Duffy Rice Feb 28, 2018
The False Promise of Bail Reform in Dallas County: Debate Continues While People Languish in Jail
Rebecca McCray Feb 08, 2018
How a Dallas District Attorney Reached Her ‘Nixon in China’ Moment
Faith Johnson’s recent indictment of a Mesquite police officer for shooting an innocent man follows years of work by community activists.
Rebecca McCray Dec 21, 2017
Are Harris County Officials Trying to ‘Sabotage’ Bail Reform with Misleading Data?
Bryce Covert Dec 08, 2017
Texas Sheriff Says Jail Population Must Be Reduced
Jail isn’t the “appropriate place” for all that get arrested, he says
Larry Hannan Nov 10, 2017
Another death sentence overturned in Las Vegas due to prosecutors racial bias.
This case was always about race,” defense attorney said.
Larry Hannan Nov 08, 2017
Nico LaHood Faces a New Challenger in the Primary — His Former Law Partner, Who He Threatened to “Destroy
Former business partner of Nico LaHood will run against him after LaHood threatened to shut down his law practice
Larry Hannan Nov 06, 2017
Houston Conviction and Death Sentence Goes to U.S. Supreme Court
Court watchers believe Justices will side with plaintiff
Larry Hannan Nov 04, 2017
Oklahoma Sheriffs Prepare for a Showdown Over Criminal Justice Reform
Will the state with the second highest incarceration rate get its act together?
Carimah Townes Oct 27, 2017
Dallas Doobies in Doubt
Jessica Pishko Oct 16, 2017
Underage teenager faces life as registered sex offender for having sex with underage girlfriend
Larry Hannan Sep 27, 2017
Texas district attorney says system failed in case of man convicted of sexual assault
Larry Hannan Sep 05, 2017
Houston Police officers will not be tried over invasive body cavity search of black woman
Larry Hannan Aug 24, 2017