We started with a discussion of the hearing on the Texas George Floyd Act and then broke down aspects of the bill we didn't get to in Part One:1. Qualified Immunity, featuring interviews with Arif Panju and Keith Neely from the Institute for J

George Floyd Act Special Edition, March 2021

Mar 9th, 2021 51m 41s

As jury selection begins in the trial of Derek Chauvin, here in Texas lawmakers will soon take up the Texas George Floyd Act and co-hosts Scott Henson and Amanda Marzullo are rolling out the first in a two part series on this bill and police re

Reasonably Suspicious, September 2020

Sep 8th, 2020 46m 23s

Scott Henson discusses recent police budget changes in Austin with Chas Moore of the Austin Justice Coalition, a conversation that surfaces some telling details about the history of policing in Texas.

Reasonably Suspicious July 2020

Jul 31st, 2020 53m 54s

This month, Mandy and I discuss how police licensing agencies can weed out bad cops, what 911 calls EMS could take over from police, and unveil a new jingle from Just Liberty and the Austin Justice Coalition aiming to oust Austin police Chief B

Reasonably Suspicious June 2020 Special Police Edition

Jun 30th, 2020 34m 51s

Join us for a roundup of topics related to the continuing police protests, the policies and laws that are supposed to keep police in line, and the people who are trying to figure out how to change things.Top story: Reflecting on the George Fl

Reasonably Suspicious is BACK!! May 2020

May 26th, 2020 1h

How bad must a police chief be for community groups to call for the ouster of public safety leadership during COVID-19? Very bad indeed.Meanwhile, virus spreads in Texas prisons and jails with tens of thousands on lockdown. Ongoing coverage

Reasonably Suspicious January 2020

Jan 24th, 2020 31m 53s

While Just Mercy launches with huge fanfare and forums all around the state this month, two Texas innocence cases languish. Despite a dressing down by a federal judge (we recorded it for you)Travis County DA Margaret Moore can't accept the deci

Reasonably Suspicious Christmas Edition 2019

Dec 18th, 2019 38m 13s

Enjoy Grits' Christmas Poem: "If The Whos Were Us"Top StoriesWhy high fines and fees are a plague on the criminal-justice system.What recent Texas innocent cases tell us about needed policy reforms.Year in Review: Fill in the BlankBail r

Reasonably Suspicious November 2019

Nov 27th, 2019 34m 19s

Houston drug cops now facing federal and state charges, but that may be the tip of the iceburg. Houston PD narcotics division a black hole of bad practices.In other news...Victoria County Jail death from drug withdrawalRacist Austin PD chie

Reasonably Suspicious October 2019 Rodney Reed Edition

Oct 31st, 2019 42m 35s

This month, my cohost Amanda Marzullo and I interviewed attorneys for Rodney Reed, who is on death row with an execution date of November 20th. We plumbed unknowable but interesting questions about misdemeanor arrests, discussed the sad, grim,

Reasonably Suspicious September 2019 #CJreform in a Time of Demagoguery

Sep 28th, 2019 42m 43s

Texas prisons may soon get a half billion dollar medical bill: why they have to pay it.Top StoriesHarris and Galveston County bail litigation - 1:40HPD Chief Art Acevedo demagogues on bail reform - 10:30Interview: Attorney Scott Medlock on

Reasonably Suspicious August 2019

Aug 15th, 2019 52m 5s

Texas Monthly's Michael Hall stops by to tell us about the latest innocence case he's been covering out of Tyler, and a special segment in which he and I rank the greatest American prison songs.Top Story: Hemp SNAFU led to de facto natural d

Is it a problem? Really? Is it? Reasonably Suspicious July 2019

Jul 8th, 2019 40m 53s

Texas Legislature legalizes hemp and in the process may have accidentally made it impossible to prosecute workaday pot cases. But is this really a problem? In other news, a San Antonio Judge ignores due process on probation revocations. He may

June 2019 Reasonably Suspicious: So little criminal justice reform this session!

Jun 13th, 2019 32m 50s

Rundown: what happened on justice reform bills with the Texas legislature? Dozens of Dallas cops got caught posting prejudice musings on Facebook.Just in time for primary season: what it really means to run for office as a progressive prosec

Creuzot under attack, weed under the dome -- April 2019

Apr 26th, 2019 28m 47s

Top Stories:Tuff-on-crime backlash against Dallas DA John CreuzotMarijuana penalty reduction bills at the Texas LegislatureFill in the Blank:Twin Peaks indictments all dismissedTexas cops are arresting tens of thousands for minor traffic

Reasonably Suspicious Live from SxSW, March 2019

Mar 20th, 2019 48m 43s

Reasonably Suspicious recorded live from the Podcast Stage at SxSW this month, bringing in retired Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Elsa Alcala to talk about the evolution of her thinking on the death penalty, along with the latest on refo

Reasonably Suspicious February 2019

Mar 1st, 2019 35m 18s

The deadly, botched Houston drug raid has turned a spotlight on serious problems with militarized, no-knock raids aimed at small-time drug cases. Reasonably Suspicious explores the problem. Interview with Corrections Chairman James White looks

Reasonably Suspicious January 2019 Bail litigation drives txlege

Jan 26th, 2019 47m 48s

Lively discussion of the impact of the Dallas, Galveston and Houston bail lawsuits on bail reform legislation. Important bills you won't learn about anywhere else. Why police can continue to swab that white spot on your car seat, even though dr

Reasonably Suspicious December 2018 Snakes for Christmas Issue

Dec 13th, 2018 42m 22s

Opening: Pythons as stocking stuffers? What else!Top Story: Principles for progressive prosecutorsInterview: Police-union negotiators Ron DeLord and Chris Perkins sit down with a now-familiar adversary, Chas Moore of the Austin Justice Coal

Justice reform election victories, eliminating forensic hypnosis

Nov 22nd, 2018 45m 18s

November 2018 Reasonably SuspiciousElections: Judges opposing bail reform swept out of office, newly elected DAs promise big changes.Interview: Why Austin's new police contract is a big step forward for criminal justice reformers.Forensic F

Election Spotlight, Reasonably Suspcious Podcast, October 2018

Oct 21st, 2018 1h 8m

Lead stories, Houston's proposed sex robot ban, and clips from last week's in depth debate between Dallas' DA candidates on DA reform topics. Legislative update: what the legislature can do to reform Texas' unconstitutional bail system with a u

Reasonably Suspicious Podcast, September 2018

Sep 25th, 2018 32m 11s

Top stories this month -- In blind tests, two thirds of crime labs falsely accuse an innocent person; as crime fell, why didn't prosecution rates; plea bargains that are not bargains at all.

Reasonably Suspicious: September Special, Pam Colloff Interview

Sep 19th, 2018 39m 52s

Interview with ace ProPublica reporter Pam Colloff by Scott Henson of Just Liberty/Grits for Breakfast on her coverage of the Joe Bryan case, blood spatter evidence, and forensics generally. We also discussed criminal-justice podcasts she likes

Reasonably Suspicious Ep. 17, August 2018: Man kidnaps shark; blood spatter gets second look

Aug 30th, 2018 37m 10s

This month, a man kidnaps a shark in a baby carriage. Top story: how Texas can finally end the long lines at the drivers license renewal centers. In depth: award winning journalist Pam Colloff on her latest investigation into junk science lead