Dallas DA Agrees to Stay in Case of Kimberly McCarthy

KWTX-TV posts, "Texas Prosecutor Agrees To Execution Stay For Women’s Death Row Inmate."

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins will announce Friday that he’s agreed to a stay of execution for convicted killer Kimberly McCarthy, who’s held on women’s death row in Gatesville and who’s now scheduled for execution next Wednesday.

A statement from Watkins' office says he agreed to the delay of McCarthy's execution because of proposed legislation that would improve the fairness of the death penalty.

Watkins' agreement moves McCarthy's execution to June 26.

McCarthy, who avoided execution with a last-day reprieve in January, asked State District Judge Larry Mitchell in a court filing last week to put off the April 3 lethal injection until the fate of a bill related to issues in her case that was introduced March 6 in the Texas Legislature is determined.

Attorney Maurie Levin contends McCarthy's 1998 trial jury may have been unfairly selected on the basis of race.

A bill proposed by Sen. Royce West and Rep. Eric Johnson, both Dallas Democrats, would bar racial discrimination in capital case prosecution.

Levin argues that McCarthy, who’s black, was the subject of racial discrimination by the jury of 11 whites and only one black that convicted her.

"Dallas County DA Craig Watkins makes rare public appearance to call for stay of execution, refuses to discuss misconduct allegations," is the Dallas Morning News report by Jennifer Emily.

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins appeared at a hearing this morning asking for a temporary stay of execution for a woman sentenced to death in the slaying of an elderly Lancaster woman.

After the hearing, Watkins refused to answer any questions about allegations of prosecutorial misconduct against him or the contempt of court charge he faces after refusing to testify in the case.

It was a rare pubic appearance for Watkins, who has not often been seen since at least Valentine’s Day when he refused to show up at a hearing where he was supposed to testify about allegations of misconduct against him. His staff at first argued the hearing was improper and then said Watkins was too sick to attend. The hearing was reset.

Earlier coverage of McCarthy's case begins at the link.  Also available, Craig Watkins' proposal for a Texas Racial Justice Commission.