Abbott signs bail reform bill

HOUSTON – Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law a bail reform bill with an East Texas connection. The Damon Allen Act, named after the state trooper murdered near Fairfield on Thanksgiving 2017, is meant to “reform our broken bail system in Texas and keep our communities safe,” according to Abbott’s office. According to our news partner KETK, Dabrett Black, a Lindale native, is the suspect and is still awaiting trial for capital murder. The bill took aim at Black being out on a $15,000 bond in 2017 despite previously being arrested for assaulting a Smith County deputy in 2015.