https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/william-melhado/The latest news by William Melhado.enThu, 16 May 2024 14:59:23 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/16/daniel-perry-greg-abbott-pardon/A Travis County jury sentenced Perry to 25 years in prison last year, prompting Abbott to ask the state parole board to review his case.By William MelhadoThu, 16 May 2024 14:59:23 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/16/daniel-perry-greg-abbott-pardon/https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/15/harris-county-election-challenge-180th-district-court/Democratic Judge DaSean Jones beat out Tami Pierce by 449 votes in 2022, prompting one of several election challenges filed by unsuccessful Republican candidates. Many other election challenges were dismissed.By William MelhadoWed, 15 May 2024 18:29:38 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/15/harris-county-election-challenge-180th-district-court/Voters cast their ballots at the West Gray Multiservice Center during Election Day on Nov. 7, 2023, in Houston.Voters cast their ballots at the West Gray Multiservice Center during Election Day on Nov. 7, 2023, in Houston.Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/14/galveston-county-redistricting-case-5th-circuit/The 5th Circuit expressed skepticism about arguments from both sides in considering whether a coalition of Black and Latino voters should be granted the same protections as a single racial group under the Voting Rights Act.By William MelhadoTue, 14 May 2024 15:57:55 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/14/galveston-county-redistricting-case-5th-circuit/A statue of a returning Confederate soldier is shown on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Galveston. The monument has stood in front of the Galveston County Courthouse since 1911.A statue of a returning Confederate soldier on Thursday, April 21, 2022 in Galveston, TX. Known as The “Dignified Resignation,” the monument has stood in front of the Galveston County Courthouse since 1911. Commissioner Stephen Holmes made a motion to have the statue removed in 2020 but it was not supported by any other commissioners.Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/13/henry-cuellar-irada-akhoundova-guilty-plea/Irada Akhoundova pleaded guilty to facilitating a $60,000 payment to Imelda Cuellar, the congressman’s wife, that she believed would benefit Azerbaijan and its state-run oil company.By William MelhadoMon, 13 May 2024 16:58:17 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/13/henry-cuellar-irada-akhoundova-guilty-plea/U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 24, 2022 in Austin.Sandi Villarreal, deputy editor for digital at Texas Monthly, moderates a panel with US Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and former speaker of the Texas House Joe Straus at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 24, 2022 in Austin, TX.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/03/justice-department-tdcj-discrimination-lawsuit/A federal lawsuit asserts that the Texas agency terminated a state prison clerk who refused to remove a head covering in line with her Ifa faith.By William MelhadoFri, 03 May 2024 20:40:33 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/03/justice-department-tdcj-discrimination-lawsuit/The Department of Justice sued the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on Friday accusing the prison system of discriminating against its employee based on their religion.The Beto Unit prison, operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Tennessee Colony.Martin do Nascimento for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/30/ut-austin-protest-arrests/Authorities and protesters clashed during the latest pro-Palestinian demonstration at the university on Monday.By Stephen Simpson, Sneha Dey and William MelhadoTue, 30 Apr 2024 12:03:11 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/30/ut-austin-protest-arrests/Protesters chant “off our campus” to law enforcement at the University of Texas at Austin on Apr. 29, 2024.Protestors chant “Off our campus” to law enforcement at the University of Texas on Apr. 29, 2024.Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/29/university-texas-pro-palestinian-protest-arrest/The arrests mark the second time in less than a week that police have broken up a pro-Palestinian demonstration. This time protesters tried to set up an encampment on campus.By Ikram Mohamed, Pooja Salhotra, Stephen Simpson, Julius Shieh and William MelhadoMon, 29 Apr 2024 14:42:38 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/29/university-texas-pro-palestinian-protest-arrest/Texas Department of Public Safety troopers surround a pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of Texas at Austin campus on Monday, April 29, 2024.Texas department of Public Safety troopers surround a pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of Texas at Austin campus on Monday, April 29, 2024.Julius Shieh for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/29/west-texas-am-drag-show-appeal-fifth-circuit/University President Walter Wendler canceled a drag performance last year, claiming such shows “denigrate and demean women.”By William MelhadoMon, 29 Apr 2024 12:58:08 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/29/west-texas-am-drag-show-appeal-fifth-circuit/The clock tower at West Texas A&M University on March 23, 2023.Clock tower on campus at West Texas A&M University on March 23, 2023. David Bowser for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/frederick-frazier-charges-dismissed-impersonating-public-servant-texas/In June 2022, state Rep. Frederick Frazier was indicted on two charges of impersonating a public servant. A Collin County district judge dismissed the misdemeanor charges as part of his deferred adjudication.By William MelhadoFri, 26 Apr 2024 23:32:07 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/frederick-frazier-charges-dismissed-impersonating-public-servant-texas/State Rep. Frederick Frazier, R-McKinney, yields for a round of hazing questions as his colleagues gather to support his first House bill during session on the House floor at the state Capitol in Austin on April 25, 2023.State Rep. Frederick Frazier, R-McKinney, yields for a round of hazing questions as his colleagues gather to support his first House bill during session on the House floor at the state Capitol in Austin on April 25, 2023. Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/ut-austin-arrest-fox-7-photojournalist/The FOX 7 employee is accused of hitting a trooper with his camera, but the arrested man told reporters he was pushed and didn’t hit any officer.By William Melhado and Annie XiaFri, 26 Apr 2024 17:58:30 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/ut-austin-arrest-fox-7-photojournalist/Carlos, a FOX 7 photojournalist, lays on the ground as he is arrested while covering a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the University of Texas at Austin on April 24, 2024.Carlos, a FOX 7 Austin photojournalist, on the ground as he is arrested while covering a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas at Austin on April 24, 2024.Julius Shieh for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/video-texas-foster-care-transgender-politics/As Kayden Asher tumbled through several foster placements, Texas leaders intensified their efforts to regulate the lives of LGBTQ+ people.By Greta Díaz González Vázquez, Story by William MelhadoFri, 26 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/video-texas-foster-care-transgender-politics/Kayden Asher poses for a potrait on Nov. 19, 2023. Asher was placed under the care of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at 15, after coming out as a trans man. He says he was discriminated against during his time in DFPS. Before his 18th birthday, he asked to be moved to Austin, where he found an affirming placement and was able to start hormone therapy.Greta Díaz González Vázquez/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/25/ut-austin-palestine-protest-fallout/President Jay Hartzell defended the response but faculty criticized the presence of armed state troopers. Fifty-seven people were arrested.By Robert Downen, Ikram Mohamed and William MelhadoThu, 25 Apr 2024 11:02:57 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/25/ut-austin-palestine-protest-fallout/Protesters link arms at the University of Texas at Austin during a pro-Palestine demonstration on April 24, 2024.Protesters link arms on the campus of UT-Austin on April 24, 2024.Julius Shieh for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/24/ut-austin-israel-hamas-war-palestine-student-arrests/Gov. Greg Abbott expressed support for the arrests, which come amid tensions on college campuses across the country over the Israel-Hamas war.By Sneha Dey, Ikram Mohamed, Annie Xia and William MelhadoWed, 24 Apr 2024 13:22:07 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/24/ut-austin-israel-hamas-war-palestine-student-arrests/Protesters on Wednesday during a student demonstration in support of Palestinians at the University of Texas at Austin campus.Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/23/texas-foster-care-lgbtq-transgender-kids/Support once afforded LGBTQ+ foster kids has vanished and a culture of silence has blanketed the agency tasked with raising children growing up in the system.Story by William Melhado, Video and photos by Greta Díaz González VázquezTue, 23 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/23/texas-foster-care-lgbtq-transgender-kids/Isabella Morningstar talks with Marcus Anthony, a case manager at Thrive Youth Center in San Antonio as he looks for an update on her new birth certificate. After she aged out of the foster care system in 2020, she had a difficult time updating her paperwork to reflect her legal name and gender marker.Isabella Morningstar asks Marcus Anthony, a case manager at Thrive Youth Center if they have received any updates on her new birth certificate. She looks over his shoulder as he navigates the shelter’s email for any information about Morningstar. She has had a difficult time updating her paperwork to her current legal name, since she left the foster care system.Greta Díaz González Vázquez/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/22/texas-prisons-heat-deaths/With the threat of another hot summer ahead, advocates asked a federal judge to declare 100-degree-plus conditions in uncooled Texas facilities unconstitutional.By Pooja Salhotra and William MelhadoMon, 22 Apr 2024 19:28:06 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/22/texas-prisons-heat-deaths/Telford prison on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, in New Boston.Telford prison on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, in New Boston. Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/17/tomas-gallo-texas-death-row-intellectual-disability/The court re-sentenced Gallo to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter.By William MelhadoWed, 17 Apr 2024 14:12:19 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/17/tomas-gallo-texas-death-row-intellectual-disability/The Huntsville Unit Texas State Penitentiary, which houses Texas' execution chamber, on Jan. 31, 2024.The Huntsville Unit Texas State Penitentiary houses the execution chamber of Texas and is located in Huntsville on Jan. 31, 2024.Maria Crane/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/15/melissa-lucio-death-penalty-judge-overturn/In a rare joint statement, the district attorney and the defense agreed that prosecutors withheld evidence that could point to a Rio Grande Valley woman’s innocence in the death of her toddler.By William MelhadoMon, 15 Apr 2024 20:12:13 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/15/melissa-lucio-death-penalty-judge-overturn/Melissa Lucio was convicted and sentenced to death in 2008 for the murder of her her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez.Melissa Lucio was convicted and sentenced to death in 2008 for the murder of her her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez.Courtesy of Melissa Lucio's attorneyshttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/27/randall-mays-death-penalty-intellectual-disability/Since Randall Mays was sentenced to death in 2008 for the murder of two sheriff’s deputies, his lawyers have argued his intellectual disability exempts him from execution.By William MelhadoWed, 27 Mar 2024 20:56:43 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/27/randall-mays-death-penalty-intellectual-disability/Texas has executed one person this year. Eight people were put to death in 2023 — more than any other state.Guard towers are located around the Polunsky Unit on Jan. 31, 2024.Maria Crane/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/26/montgomery-county-library-review-policy/The county north of Houston adopted the guidelines amid a growing number of book bans in school districts and a new state law that supporters claim protects children from inappropriate material.By William MelhadoTue, 26 Mar 2024 21:37:31 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/26/montgomery-county-library-review-policy/Books at Vandegrift High School's library on March 2, 2022.Books at Vandegrift High School's library on March 2, 2022.Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/25/doj-straw-purchase-bipartisan-gun-bill/The men were charged with two criminal offenses, including straw purchasing of firearms, created by the 2022 bipartisan gun safety bill authored by Sen. John Cornyn.By William MelhadoMon, 25 Mar 2024 19:43:30 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/25/doj-straw-purchase-bipartisan-gun-bill/