Texas have inspired discussion about the pay of public officials. State representative Terry Keel, claiming to be cutting expense corners, said that he would block a bill to increase the pay of Texas judges. In an as-yet-unresolved conflict of stories, Houston representative Rodney Ellis has ties to a scandal regarding this proposed legislation, in which the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court threatened political retribution if judges were

Texas Prison Reform: A Success Story Government The prison population in the United States experienced an unprecedented expansion between the 1970s and the end of the first decade of the 21st century (Editorial Board, 2013). Beginning with a prison population of 174,000 in 1972 it grew to over 1.4 million by 2010, representing over a 700% increase (PSPP, 2010). By comparison, the growth of the U.S. population was a modest 32% during

Texas Criminal Process Outline Arrest- taking a suspect into official custody. Not all interactions with police, including interrogations, rise to the level of an arrest. Probable cause required for an arrest Arrests may be warrantless or with a warrant. Once under arrest a person has several rights (known collectively as Miranda rights): The right to remain silent; The right to have an attorney present during questioning; The right to an appointed attorney if unable to afford an

Texas Parole Board The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles (herein referred to as the board) is a Texas-based state agency charged with determining "which eligible offenders to release on parole or discretionary mandatory supervision, and under what conditions" (Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, 2014). The board, moreover, makes decisions concerning parole revocation and issues clemency recommendations to the governor in an attempt to

Baggett continues by pointing out that the Texas Republican Party was basically born out of the policies of the Whig party, and reflected the vision of Henry Clay. What was the Whig party all about? In the Wikipedia encyclopedia explains that the Whig Party was "formed to go against the policies of President Andrew Jackson and the Democratic Party" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_whig_party.The Whigs believed that Congress should have more power than the

Finally, perhaps the most onerous aspect of the death penalty is the fact that the State of Texas allows convicted criminals who are determined to be mentally retarded to face and be subjected to the death penalty. Given the fact that many consider the mentally retarded (with an IQ below 70) to be incapable of making sound decisions, it seems to represent injustice in the extreme to execute retarded individuals