Marina Trahan Martinez
Dallas County Government Accountability Reporter-
Dallas County is considering whether to supplement judges salaries for merit or cost of living in the 2026 fiscal year budget, while facing nearly $30 million higher operations costs. -
Priorities and action recommended by the county's budget staff were discussed with commissioners in a workshop ahead of a Sept. 9 vote to adopt the fiscal year plan. -
Inconsistent financial help could potentially burden Dallas County taxpayers with an estimated nearly $383 million per year for HIV prevention and treatment costs. -
Nimbus, the new COVID-19 variant, has caused an uptick in cases, while federal funding cuts have forced Dallas County to lay off staff and hold fewer vaccination clinics. -
A 26-year-old woman accused of smuggling fentanyl into the Dallas County Jail is facing murder charges after another inmate apparently died of an overdose. -
State District Judge Amber Givens was admonished and reprimanded by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for complaints filed several years ago. -
Dallas and the Texas Attorney General's office jointly asked a court to issue a temporary injunction blocking a voter-approved measure decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana. -
Spencer Swearnger died at Parkland Hospital in November 2023 after he allegedly drank excessive amounts of toilet water in his jail cell. It was the third water intoxication death at the jail. -
The Miami-Dade County jail began reducing inmate populations more than a decade ago by changing how it processes mental health-related offenses.
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Though not yet overcrowded, Dallas County jail continues to push its inmate population close to the threshold since Memorial Day weekend. -
In addition to Dallas, several smaller cities in Dallas County filled city council seats, including a Garland mayor. -
Dallas County officials chose back National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which is Friday. Texas legislators have passed several pro-gun measures during this session.
