Page 5 - aruba-today-20191005

A5
U.S. NEWS Saturday 5 OctOber 2019
Texas execution halted over claims judge was anti-Semitic

By JUAN A. LOZANO ningham faced allegations
Associated Press of bigotry last year after
HOUSTON (AP) — A Jew- telling the Dallas Morning
ish death row inmate who News he has a living trust
was part of the “Texas 7” that rewards his children
gang of escaped prison- for marrying straight, white
ers and faced execution Christians. Cunningham
in less than a week won was running for county
a reprieve on Friday after commissioner at the time,
claiming the former judge and he lost the Republican
at his trial was anti-Semitic runoff days later.
and frequently used racial Cunningham denied racial
slurs. bigotry at the time of the
The Texas Court of Criminal Morning News interview.
Appeals granted a stay of And he told the newspaper
execution for Randy Hal- in June that the allegations
prin, who had been sched- made by Halprin’s lawyers
uled to receive a lethal were “fabrications” from
injection on Oct. 10. The his estranged brother.
appeals court ordered Hal- Halprin, who has main-
prin’s case be sent back tained he never fired a
to the Dallas County court weapon at the officer, was
that convicted him, so it convicted under Texas’
can review his claims that law of parties, which holds
his trial judge was biased a person criminally respon-
against him because he is sible for the actions of an-
Jewish. other if they are engaged
Halprin’s attorneys are ask- in a conspiracy.
ing that he be granted a In this Dec. 3, 2003, file photo, death row inmate Randy Halprin, then 26, sits in a visitation cell at He was the second death
new trial. the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas. row inmate in Texas set for
“Today’s decision to stay Associated Press execution this month who
Randy Halprin’s scheduled Irving police officer Aubrey prin’s attorneys alleged in Halprin and other members got a stay this week. On
execution is a signal that Hawkins 11 times, killing his appeal that friends and of the gang. Thursday, a judge halted
bigotry and bias are unac- him. The escaped inmates people who worked with The Dallas County District the Oct. 16 execution of
ceptable in the criminal jus- were arrested a month ex-Judge Vickers Cunning- Attorney’s Office, which 60-year-old Randall Wayne
tice system,” Tivon Schardl, later in Colorado, ending ham from Dallas County prosecuted Halprin, de- Mays. He was condemned
one of Halprin’s attorneys, a six-week manhunt. One said he “did not like any- clined comment Friday. for a 2007 shootout at his
said in a statement. of them killed himself as one not of his race, religion Cunningham, now an home in East Texas’ Hen-
Halprin was among the in- officers closed in and the or creed” and used racial attorney in Dallas, also derson County that left two
mates who escaped from other six, including Halprin, slurs and anti-Semitic lan- wouldn’t comment. Cun- sheriff’s deputies dead. q
a South Texas prison in were convicted of killing guage to refer to Halprin
December 2000 and then Hawkins and sentenced and some of the other
committed numerous rob- to death. Four of the six “Texas 7” inmates who
beries, including the one in who were convicted have were convicted. Cunning-
which they shot 29-year-old since been executed. Hal- ham oversaw the trials of

AP’s major findings on accused priests,

by the numbers

By The Associated Press register as a sex offender. priests without restrictions.
In reviewing the status of _ 76 have current, active In the U.S., accused priests
nearly 2,000 Roman Cath- licenses to work in schools have been found saying
olic clergy members and or medical facilities or to Mass, officiating weddings,
church employees cred- serve as counselors or so- playing music, working in
ibly accused of sex abuse, cial workers. church administrative roles
The Associated Press found More than 190 had licens- and acting as eucharistic
that the vast majority were es in at least one of those ministers.
living unsupervised by the fields at some point in their _ Although over 310 had
church or law enforcement careers been criminally charged
authorities _ and that many _ 91 held education li- from their actions during
had put themselves in posi- censes, 52 held counseling their time as priests, only 85
tions where they were near certification, 31 had social are on sex offender regis-
at-risk or young people. worker licenses and 28 had tries.
Among the AP’s findings: medical licenses of some _ More than a quarter cur-
_ 65 former clergy mem- type. A handful had more rently live within 2,000 feet
bers were charged with than one kind of license. of a school, playground or
crimes committed after _ More than 160 contin- child care facility
their church service, with ued to work or volunteer _ Roughly 110 were con-
half of those crimes involv- in churches, including firmed or believed to have
ing sexual assault, child more than 30 who moved moved overseas after alle-
pornography or failing to overseas and worked as gations arose in the U.S.q