Judge: ‘Texas 7’ death row inmate should get new trial

A state district judge says a Jewish death row inmate who was part of the so-called “Texas 7” gang should get a new capital murder trial because the judge who presided over his case held anti-Semitic views. Dallas Criminal District Court Judge Lela Mays found that her predecessor, former Judge Vickers Cunningham, violated Randy Halprin’s right to a fair trial by not recusing himself from Halprin’s trial for bias. She recommended that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals toss Halprin’s conviction and death sentence. Halprin’s attorneys alleged that Cunningham used anti-Semitic slurs against Halprin, which Cunningham denied. Cunningham could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.