For almost 2 years, we awaited an update on Melissa Lucio, who was nearly executed in 2022. Turns out the DA quietly signed an agreement to vacate her conviction, admitting that the state hid exculpatory evidence. She should soon be free. w/Jordan Smith theintercept.com/2024/04/22/mel…

“Heat deaths haven’t magically stopped,” the lawsuit said. “TDCJ has simply stopped reporting or admitting them after the multiple wrongful death lawsuits and national news coverage.” texastribune.org/2024/04/22/tex…

I wrote about Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry's takeover of the state's already fragile public defense system. So far, it's led to cuts to capital defense, salary reductions, and a new payment scheme that incentivizes lawyers to lose

New Bolts:
boltsmag.org/jeff-landry-lo…

Something that floored me, reporting this piece, was learning that families had been left out of the class action suit for things like minor theft, drug possession, & alleged gang affiliation - including a woman who'd been *raped* by the gang in question.
nymag.com/intelligencer/…

a horrible reminder that a lot of the ppl/boards overseeing nonprofit media rn are absolute trash. Cerise and this team have done such important reporting, but are now being punished and pushed out for wanting editorial independence and fair compensation. give it back to them.

A huge Medicaid cut in Tennessee led to increases in crime, new research has found.

This finding comes right after a big national Medicaid drop-off last year, and amid ongoing consideration by several states of even deeper cuts.

New in Bolts:

boltsmag.org/medicaid-cover…

My latest for Bolts:
After Reforms to Solitary Confinement, Massachusetts Prisoners Say Officials Just Renamed It boltsmag.org/massachusetts-…

To recap: Police said a veteran narcotics officer lied about buying drugs at a home, leading to a fatal raid that ended in the deaths of two people and his colleague paralyzed from the neck down.
...
Investigators discovered he'd routinely lied about drug buys ...

This morning, Los Angeles Times published my deep dive into why LA jails deaths have gone up so much.

Just now, the jail posted yet another death -- the sixth for this year.

latimes.com/california/sto…

Cat's out of the bag: I am working at the NY Times investigating rural Texas criminal justice for the next year!

Negotiations for Austin’s police union contract stalled more than a year ago over demands for greater civilian oversight. Since then, ATX voters passed a local law mandating independent oversight, which now looms large over these renewed contract talks austinchronicle.com/news/2024-03-2…

sheriffs in counties hundreds of miles from the border were front and center for a photo op w/ the TX governor over his anti-immigrant bill and are boasting about how they'll enforce it (law still on hold for now) texastribune.org/2024/03/21/tex…

'After decades of failing to keep bite-mark identification out of criminal trials, the court finally seems to have conceded that it isn’t a credible field—only to slam the courthouse door on the people such evidence has sent to prison' theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

surprise surprise.. writers w/ the most longevity in TX magazines “were more likely to be white, more likely to be male, and more likely to live in Austin”

really appreciate Andrea Grimes continuing this important analysis of TX media homewiththearmadillo.blog/2024/03/18/a-d…

a great dive here into the unchecked powers and protections for constables in TX, which really hits on their utter dismissiveness of any outside scrutiny or accountability houstonchronicle.com/projects/unche…

The election for top prosecutor in Cleveland has huge stakes: Whether executions go forward, whether innocent people get out of prison, and so much more.

Great reporting by Lauren Gill at Bolts:

boltsmag.org/cleveland-pros…

cook county will elect a new top prosecutor for the first time in 8 years. whoever takes office will have to contend with a legacy of wrongful convictions—and controversy within the office that reviews them.

for Bolts, a look at what’s at stake:
boltsmag.org/cook-county-ch…

During his two terms as Cuyahoga County prosecutor, Michael O'Malley has retried cases despite recs for exonerations, fought against compensation, and contested attempts by death row prisoners to prove their innocence.

My first story at Bolts:
boltsmag.org/cleveland-pros…

NEW: AG Ken Paxton wants DAs in big counties to be required to file reports on:

- indictment decisions;
- emails with the feds/nonprofits/etc;
- staff complaints.

The proposed rule would let Paxton call for the removal of DAs who don't comply. sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive… #txlege

This Max RN interview with Ebou Sarr, unapologetic and undeterred after being raided by City authorities for putting migrants up in basements and storefronts, is an important document of this moment in NYC: hellgatenyc.com/migrant-shelte…