We started with a discussion of the hearing on the Texas George Floyd Act and then broke down aspects of the bill we didn't get to in Part One: 1. Qualified Immunity, featuring interviews with Arif Panju and Keith Neely from the Institute for Justice (4:50) 2. Corroboration in Drug Cases, featuring an interview with Innocence Project of Texas founder Jeff Blackburn (13:45) 3. Use of Force and Duties to Intervene/Render Aid (19:29) When is Slavery Profitable? Texas prisons operate several agricultural businesses in which they can't break even using prisoners' slave labor. Can you guess which on ..read more

As jury selection begins in the trial of Derek Chauvin, here in Texas lawmakers will soon take up the Texas George Floyd Act and co-hosts Scott Henson and Amanda Marzullo are rolling out the first in a two part series on this bill and police reform. We interviewed bill author, Chairwoman Senfronia Thompson and Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee Chairman James White and discuss the Class C arrest limitation in light of the recent Keller, Tx incident. Chairman White, whose committee oversees the Texas Department of Public Safety, also took a moment to discuss Gov. Greg Abbott's sugges ..read more

Scott Henson discusses recent police budget changes in Austin with Chas Moore of the Austin Justice Coalition, a conversation that surfaces some telling details about the history of policing in Texas ..read more

This month, Mandy and I discuss how police licensing agencies can weed out bad cops, what 911 calls EMS could take over from police, and unveil a new jingle from Just Liberty and the Austin Justice Coalition aiming to oust Austin police Chief Brian Manley. Here's what's in this month's episode: Top Stories Police licensing agency in Texas undergoing comprehensive review: How to fix it. (2:50) EMS union head tells how police responses to 911 calls can be reduced: Analyzing Austin 911 call-center data. (12:17) New jingle from Just Liberty, Austin Justice Coalition, calls for Austin police chief ..read more

Join us for a roundup of topics related to the continuing police protests, the policies and laws that are supposed to keep police in line, and the people who are trying to figure out how to change things. Top story: Reflecting on the George Floyd protests, including an interview with Chas Moore of the Austin Justice Coalition. Fill in the Blank Was George Floyd set up by a crooked Houston narcotics cop? The policy behind the slogan of "Defunding Police" Texas' anachronistic "riot" laws The Last Hurrah Cops in schools How cops spend their time How does Austin police Chief Brian Manley still hav ..read more

How bad must a police chief be for community groups to call for the ouster of public safety leadership during COVID-19? Very bad indeed. Meanwhile, virus spreads in Texas prisons and jails with tens of thousands on lockdown. Ongoing coverage of the fight to free Rosa Jimenez, Joe Bryan and the dozens of people convicted thanks to corrupt Houston police officer Gerald Goines ..read more

While Just Mercy launches with huge fanfare and forums all around the state this month, two Texas innocence cases languish. Despite a dressing down by a federal judge (we recorded it for you)Travis County DA Margaret Moore can't accept the decision of four judges and several experts in the Rosa Jimenez case. Meanwhile, the Texas parole board is the last hope for Joe Bryan, the Bosque County school principal falsely convicted in 1985 based on erroneous blood-spatter testimony. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals says Texas prison guards couldn't have known it was a problem to keep a prisoner nak ..read more

Houston drug cops now facing federal and state charges, but that may be the tip of the iceburg. Houston PD narcotics division a black hole of bad practices. In other news... Victoria County Jail death from drug withdrawal Racist Austin PD chief outed, what's next? Indigent defense shortchanged in Amarillo Denouement of Harris County bail litigation Why Greg Abbott owns a homeless camp Rodney Reed execution stayed ..read more

This month, my cohost Amanda Marzullo and I interviewed attorneys for Rodney Reed, who is on death row with an execution date of November 20th. We plumbed unknowable but interesting questions about misdemeanor arrests, discussed the sad, grim, story of Atatiana Jefferson's shooting in Fort Worth, and complained that the time spent reading and talking about a new ACLU report on how to end mass incarceration is time we'll never get back again. But hey, now you don't have to! :) Top Stories First takes on the Atatiana Jefferson shooting in Fort Worth (2:34) Evaluating ACLU decarceration recommend ..read more

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