A Texas dying row inmate who was a part of the “Texas 7” gang, may very well be granted a brand new trial contemplating proof whether or not the choose at his trial carried antisemitic beliefs.
Dallas Prison District Decide, Lela Mays, leads the advice with the Texas Courtroom of Prison Appeals on whether or not Randy Halprin, who’s Jewish, ought to obtain a brand new trial as a consequence of judicial bias from trial choose Vickers Cunningham. Halprin was initially scheduled to be executed on Oct. 10, 2019.
In a signed order with 283 Judicial District of Dallas County, Decide Mays discovered that Halprin’s reduction needs to be granted, stating “Halprin has raised claims of judicial bias, alleging that his trial choose, Vickers Cunningham, was biased towards him as a result of Halprin is Jewish.”
Proof reveals Cunningham has “deep-seated animosity and prejudice in direction of Jewish individuals” and that he has a “lengthy historical past of creating offensive and derogatory remarks about Jewish individuals and different racial and non secular minorities.”
Halprin appeared again in court docket on July 14, the place his legal professionals argued whether or not Cunningham was prejudiced towards him at his 2003 trial, WFAA reports.
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Cunningham has been within the highlight earlier than as a consequence of remarks he made when operating within the Republican major for a Dallas County commissioner’s seat in 2018. He informed Dallas Morning News that he strongly helps conventional household values and if his kids “marry an individual of the other intercourse that’s Caucasian, that’s Christian, they are going to get a distribution.”
Courtroom information present Tammy McKinney, who grew up with Cunningham, usually heard him use offensive language towards Jews.
By the point the case went to trial, it was broadly recognized that Halpin was a Jewish man, in line with the court docket paperwork.
Halpin was already serving a 30-year sentence for harm to a toddler earlier than the Christmas Eve theft in 2000. Halprin and 6 different inmates escaped from the Connally Unit in South Texas and robbed an Oshmam’s Sporting Items, ensuing within the killing of Irving police officer Aubrey Hawkins, NBC News reported.
That is an ongoing case.
Comply with Keira Wingate on Twitter: @KeiraRenee
