Criminal Trials

The Killings in Kaufman

Two public officials dead and a third behind bars: Politics turn bloody in a small town.

Judge Says John Wiley Price Can Fight for His Money, Throwing a Wrench in the FBI's Plans

A new court order in the federal corruption probe into John Wiley Price tilts the case in the county commissioner's favor, maybe just a little, maybe quite a lot. We all recall that in 2011 the FBI seized $229,590 from a safe in the Dallas County Commissioner's Oak Cliff home. Today's order by fed ... More >>

Feds Charge Colleyville Pharmacist and Wife In Mammoth Tax Fraud Scheme [Updated]

Larry Lake lives comfortably in a red brick McMansion in Colleyville with his wife Kathy, enjoying the fruits of a handful of successful businesses he owns. He's a licensed pharmacist and co-owner of the Grapevine Drug Mart. On the side, he established VIP Finance, an auto-title loan business with b ... More >>

Star-Telegram Says Better Policy is Why Tarrant Has Fewer Exonerations than Dallas County. But What's The Real Reason?

Updated to include an additional interview. A Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorial published this weekend concludes that Tarrant County has not exonerated nearly as many innocent prisoners as Dallas County simply because it did not wrongfully incarcerate them in the first place. This black-and-white ... More >>

For Former Military Lawyer Colby Vokey, the Defense Never Rests

Once an outspoken judge advocate, Dallas' Colby Vokey was chased from the Marines, but he's still defending troops -- and still speaking his mind.

Walker Railey: Convicted by Everybody Except a Jury of His Peers

​Former Dallas Morning News star reporter Olive Talley has a piece in the paper today saying Walker Railey killed his wife and got away with it. Not in so many words. Forgive me if you're under 100 years old and this is all Greek to you. Railey was a certain local archetype -- the very promin ... More >>

Tomorrow, Dallas DA Craig Watkins to Ask Judge to Free Innocent Man in Prison Since '97

Dallas County District Attorney's OfficeDale Duke​On April 30, 1992, Dale Lincoln Duke was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury on the charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Four months later, according to the Dallas County District Attorney's Office and its Conviction Integrity Unit, D ... More >>

Craig Watkins On Why Man Found Guilty of Murder, For Third Time, Won't Get Death

​Earlier today, Jennifer Emily noted that Jonathan Bruce Reed was found guilty of the 1978 murder of Braniff Airlines flight attendant Wanda Jean Wadle -- the third time he's been convicted of raping and strangling her in her Northeast Dallas apartment. (Prior convictions -- based upon the testimo ... More >>

They Said They Were Selling Interests in Oil Wells. Instead, They Were Buying Picassos.

​Actually, it was just one Picasso -- along with "real estate, boats and other personal water craft, luxury vehicles, artwork, furniture, antiques, musical instruments, jade, expensive jewelry and wine." Still. That's not how Tony Rand and his boys Greg and Bill were supposed to be spending more t ... More >>

In Heated DA's Debate, Craig Watkins Accuses Danny Clancy of Lacking Brain and Backbone

Photos by Sam MertenCraig Watkins​Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins and Republican challenger Danny Clancy stared each other down and traded barbs this afternoon at the Belo Mansion during their first debate, and tensions peaked when Watkins was asked what three issues the two cand ... More >>

The State of Texas Cannot Execute The Mentally Retarded, But That May Not Prevent A Dallas Cop Killer From Being Put To Death.

Craig Watkins Just Can't Seem to Please Anybody.

The Feds' Local Tax Busts Best-Of: The Chart-Topping Hits From 2009

​There's magic in these hits hot off the charts, all charged with original star power -- pure power! New, from K-Tel and the U.S. Attorney's Office, this hit parade of local tax preparers, investment advisers and other no-filing nogoodniks currently serving five to Top 10! The original hits of '09 ... More >>

GOP County Chair Neerman Cites "Potential Appearance of Impropriety" As DA's Wife Works as Consultant for Judicial Candidates

Hal SamplesJonathan Neerman says Craig and Tanya Watkins have an "ethical dilemma" on their hands.With the role of consultants in the city under the microscope because of what we've learned in the Dallas City Hall federal corruption trial, it seemed like a good time to check in on newbie Tanya Watki ... More >>

With FBI Informant's Credibility in Question, Prosecution Decides It's Laura Miller Time

Sam Merten Miller crosses Commerce Street this morning, along with husband Steve Wolens and daughter Alex.Moments ago, folks standing outside the Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse got a sneak peek at the prosecution's next witness in the City Hall corruption trial: former ... More >>

Very Brady: Inmate Scheduled for Execution May Have Had Rights Violated After All

Let's get back to Kim's item about Roderick Newton, scheduled to be executed by the state on Thursday, for just a minute. And let's go ahead and set aside the issue of  "mental retardation." Instead, focus on the second of three claims Newton's attorneys make in the writ filed today -- the one ... More >>

Craig Watkins is ready for his closeup

BREAKING NEWS: Russ Martin's Fiancee Taken Into Custody

The plot thickens.The attorney for Russ Martin's fiancee - Mandy - says this afternoon that his client was arrested via warrant and handcuffed at work Monday by Dallas County authorities, transfered to Irving and eventually taken by Tarrant County officers to Judge Jamie Cummings' County ... More >>

Notorious 'Texas Seven' Try to Save One of Their Own By Insulting Him

Pacman Gobbles Up a Felony Arrest Warrant in Las Vegas

The Marijuana "Muffin Boys" Received Their Punishment Today

Former UTD Student Gets Six Years

Countdown to a Killing

A Renowned Dallas Jury Consultant Has That Lovin' Feeling for Phil Spector's Murder Trial

Attorney for the..um...Defense?

Zac Attack | Out in the Cold | Give It Up, Manny | Born Blue

Watkins: "I Enjoy Manipulating the Government." Oh, Really?

Light Sleeper?

Race, Race, Race

Man. Now everybody's calling everybody a racist.

Science Fiction

Why would we even think about giving this guy his own crime lab?

Evil Eyes

Coral Eugene Watts is a serial killer. He says he'll murder again. Why can't Texas stop him?

A Tale of Two Pities

Hill felt sorry, Bolton felt nothing over fake drugs

Inhale With Hale

Itinerant pro-pot candidate Steven Hale is down again, but not out

Odds and Ends

The more things change, the more we try to keep up

The Superpredator

Think it's brutal to send a 14-year-old boy to prison for decades? Meet Billy Ray Dennis, and think again.

O.J. Confidential

High-profile P.I. Bill Dear believes he knows who killed Nicole Simpson. It's not who you think.

Daddy Deadliest

Millionaire Allen Blackthorne had a unique scheme to regain custody of his kids--have his ex-wife murdered

Let's talk about sects

Why didn't the Morning News' Lee Hancock win a Pulitzer? Because of Jasper, Ronald King, and karma.

One crazy lawyer

Within days of a shotgun attack in Rowlett, tempestuous Dallas lawyer Catherine Shelton found herself in the crosshairs of a murder investigation. It isn't the first time.

The Boy Scout, the hustler, and the porn queen

Former Dallas police officer and onetime X-rated movie star Jordan Lee finds herself hunted by two ex-cops who say she did them wrong

Lost in Translation

Dallas judges say unqualified Spanish translators are hindering the course of justice, but county commissioners are hearing another story altogether

Dallas Confidential

The Texas Troubadour's Fatal Rendezvous and other amazing stories from the police department's cold case squad

Getting justice

False arrest fuels woman's zeal to undo judge

Less than a stranger

She said it was abuse. He said it was manipulation. By the time a Denton court got through with this messy custody battle, a good mother would lose her kids forever.

Fumble

Police give back Erik Williams' "intimate" videos

Fight or flight?

Denton man claims he's in jail because attorney Brian Loncar failed to show up in court

Darling will cough up $4 million

Local company agrees to plead guilty and pay record fine in pollution case

Feeling Lucky?

You'd better be. Even in the predatory world of towing companies, they don't get much nastier than Elite Towing, Inc.

Mouse

Paul "Mouse" Millender is in hiding after being stabbed 24 times. He says his old skinhead running buddies did it. But he swears he's not a rat.

Lambs to the slaughter

Laws to speed executions will make it harder to save Death Row's innocent