Craig Watkins, a former Dallas County district attorney known for his work overturning wrongful convictions, died Tuesday at 56, reports the Dallas Morning News. Watkins, a Dallas native, took office in 2007 after defeating defense attorney Toby Shook, making him the first Black district attorney in Texas. He rode a blue wave into office along with a surge of Democrats who swept courthouse elections. The call to public service for Craig was stronger than the conventional wisdom that said a Democrat couldn’t win in Dallas County,” said Jane Hamilton, who served as a Dallas County campaign manager in 2006. “His smart-on-crime approach served as a model in Texas and across the country. Craig’s legacy lives on.” Watkins won re-election once before he lost to former judge Susan Hawk, a Republican, in 2014. He created the conviction integrity unit and allowed DNA testing in cases where his predecessor fought it, leading to about two dozen exonerations.
Watkins frequently said it was a prosecutor’s job to “seek justice,” not convictions. After leaving office, Watkins went into private practice as a defense attorney. Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said Watkins was “bright and ambitious” and leaves behind a powerful legacy — including through his “fierce focus” on prosecuting child abuse cases and with the creation of the nation’s first conviction integrity unit. The unit, internationally recognized, is “dedicated to reviewing cases involving allegations of actual innocence,” while also reviewing instances of wrongful convictions related to innocence claims or systemic errors, according to the Dallas DA’s website. It closely collaborates with innocence projects and law enforcement agencies. Watkins was conflicted about the death penalty, but still sought it. Between 2007 and 2013, he sent more defendants to death row than any other district attorney in the state. Watkins' great-grandfather, Richard Johnson, was executed Aug. 10, 1932 for the murder of a Fort Worth man trial.
Comments