A last-ditch effort to save a Texas man set to be executed Thursday night worked after a Travis County Judge issued a temporary restraining order.
A Texas House Committee tried to stop the 6 p.m. execution of Robert Roberson by issuing a subpoena to make him a witness at a hearing next week. That can't happen if Roberson is executed so the representatives asked the court to block the execution.
Travis County Judge Jessica Mangrum agreed to allow him to testify. The arguments are similar to those in pleadings that are currently before the US Supreme Court. It hasn't ruled today on requests for a stay and a new hearing.
Roberson has been sentenced to die for the 2002 murder of his 2-year-old daughter. The defense says the conviction was based on shaken baby syndrome.
The state argues that even if there was no shaken baby syndrome, the child suffered fatal injuries from blunt force trauma.
Within 15 minutes it was reported that a Travis County judge had issued a temporary restraining order blocking the execution.
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