"Justice Needs a Platform" campaign updates, and notes from the Ophidian Uprising

If you enjoyed (or were creeped out by) the idea of "snakes on a plane," you'll get a kick out of this month's podcast intro focusing on an astonishing rash of snake-related law-enforcement stories slithering up out of the news mire in Texas over the last several months.

Shifting back to our regular, half-hour format, in the July episode of the Reasonably Suspicious podcast, cohost Mandy Marzullo and I discuss outcomes from Just Liberty's "Justice Needs a Platform" campaign, which aimed to install criminal-justice reform planks into the platforms of both major Texas political parties. You can listen to it here:

See also Grits' written summaries of Just Liberty's platform campaign results:

• Republican
• Democrat
• Areas of agreement

And check out special podcasts aimed at the GOP and Democratic state conventions interviewing conservative and liberal opinion leaders on why they supported criminal-justice reform planks in their party's platform. IMO the R podcast was particularly strong:

• Republican
• Democrat

Here's what's covered in this month's podcast:

Top Stories

• Just Liberty's "Justice Needs a Platform Campaign"

Death and Texas

• Do we need concussion protocols for criminal-defense attorneys?

Oddmakers

• How will bail reform proceed in Texas?
• A TN judged ruled revoking drivers licenses for nonpayment of debt to the government is unconstitutional. What are the chances this practice ends in Texas? (See related commentary from Texas Appleseed and the Texas Fair Defense Project, who believe, "A legal challenge similar to the one filed in Tennessee could be successful in Texas.")

The Last Hurrah

• SCOTUS: Cops need warrant to access personal cell-phone location data
• Do video games cause or reduce crime?
• How many felonies can Texans commit with an oyster? (redux)

Grits will add a transcript to this post later today.