The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday granted a new trial for Randy Halprin, a member of the “Texas Seven,” who has been on death row for more than two decades following his conviction in the 2000 murder of an Irving police officer.
Halprin, who is Jewish, argued that his original trial was compromised by anti-Semitic remarks made by the presiding judge, Vickers Cunningham. Halprin was convicted along with other members of the Texas Seven, a group that gained national attention after escaping from prison in December 2000. The group traveled to North Texas, where they killed Irving police Ofc. Aubrey Hawkins during a Christmas Eve robbery.
In 2019, Halprin’s scheduled execution was halted after questions arose about Cunningham’s potential bias.
Halprin and Patrick Murphy, another Texas Seven member, are the only members of the group still on death row. Murphy’s execution was also delayed in 2019 amid a dispute over his request to have a monk as a spiritual advisor. No new execution date has been set for Murphy.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube