Texas is preemptively suing the city of Austin, Travis County and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund to enforce the state’s newly minted “sanctuary city” law, Senate Bill 4. The suit, filed on Monday, asks a federal court to declare the law constitutional. Precedent allows states to consolidate impending legal challenges to a […]
Texas Civil Rights Project
A nonprofit that provides free legal assistance and education to low-income individuals.
Posted inTravis County
Travis County DA announces not all police shootings will go before grand jury
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office will no longer bring all police shooting cases before a grand jury. Flanked by representatives of the local NAACP, police union and the Austin Police Department, District Attorney Margaret Moore announced the changes – effective immediately. “We, the DA’s office, the Civil Rights Division, will make a determination whether […]
Posted inAISD
AISD committee tweaks equity presentation
The Austin Independent School District’s ad hoc Historically Underutilized Business Committee prepared its presentation for board members on equity and equality issues Monday, leaning toward providing the public a more recent history of the relationship between the Texas Civil Rights Project and AISD. “Some of the conversation with the trustees and with the community has […]
Posted inAISD
AISD board may create new equity committee
The Austin Independent School District board of trustees may vote to create a new, standing subcommittee that addresses equity and equality issues throughout the district. The proposal of a new committee stems from an interaction with the Texas Civil Rights Project, which threatened to sue AISD or file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. […]
Posted inDevelopment
Groups petition federal court to join city’s White Lodging lawsuit
An attorney representing the Workers Defense Project filed legal documents Saturday that ask a U.S. District Court judge to allow the workers center and the Save Our Springs Alliance to become party to ongoing legal action between the City of Austin and White Lodging Services Corporation. In the documents, Brian McGiverin of the Texas […]
Posted inLocal Government, Local Politics, Public Safety
Commissioners to investigate loss of in-person jail visitation
Several members of the Travis County Commissioners Court say they were caught off guard Tuesday when they were told that in-person family visits at the Travis County Jail have been replaced by a video system. And a majority of commissioners say they are planning to find out why. Representatives of the Texas Civil Rights […]
Posted inLocal Government, Public Safety, Uncategorized
Civil rights groups: Video jail visits too costly, may be violating civil rights
A two-way video conferencing system that has all but replaced in-person visits by friends and family members with those incarcerated at the Travis County Jail is coming under fire as being too expensive, too impersonal and possibly even dangerous to an inmate’s health. Critics are also concerned about the possibility that attorney-client conversations are being […]