"Judge Delays Execution Of Texas Women’s Death Row Inmate," is the AP report, via KWTX-TV.
State District Judge Larry Mitchell Monday delayed the execution of convicted killer Kimberly McCarthy, 51, who’s held on women’s death row in Gatesville and who was originally scheduled to die Wednesday in Huntsville for the murder of a retired college professor.
Mitchell's order resetting the execution date for June 26 formalized an agreement last week between Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins and McCarthy's attorney to put off the lethal injection until the fate of death penalty-related bills now in the Texas Legislature is determined.
Lawmakers are about halfway through their six-month session.
McCarthy, who avoided execution with a last-day reprieve in January, asked Mitchell in a court filing two weeks ago to delay her execution until the fate of a bill related to issues in her case that was introduced March 6 in the Texas Legislature is determined.
The bill proposed by Sen. Royce West and Rep. Eric Johnson, both Dallas Democrats, would bar racial discrimination in capital case prosecution.
Attorney Maurie Levin contends McCarthy's 1998 trial jury may have been unfairly selected on the basis of race.
The Dallas Morning News reports, "Execution date moved for woman who killed elderly Lancaster neighbor," by Jennifer Emily.
Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins requested the change Friday to see if any of the six bills pending in the Texas Legislature pass. The DA’s office would then determine if they impact McCarthy, who killed Booth in 1997.
Watkins has said he has no doubt that McCarthy is guilty and will be executed. He said the delay is more about the process of death penalty cases in Texas than McCarthy’s individual case.
The six pending bills look at issues ranging from whether race was a factor in the prosecution or sentence to whether police interrogations were videotaped.
Earlier coverage of Kimberly McCarthy's case begins at the link.
According to TDCJ, eight Texas executions are currently scheduled during the seven week period between April 9 and May 21.
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