More than 100 Jewish attorneys in Texas sent to the Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin last week a 13-page brief requesting a new trial for a Jewish death-row inmate scheduled to be executed on Oct. 10, following claims that he was sentenced by a racist judge.
Randy Halprin was part of “The Texas Seven” that escaped from prison almost 19 years ago and killed a police officer after holding up a sporting goods store. His sentencing judge, former Judge Vickers Cunningham, allegedly called the inmate “that [expletive] Jew,” believed “Jews needed to be shut down because they controlled all the money” and has a history of bigotry.
“If the allegations here are true—and they unfortunately ring true—the trial was no trial, and the verdict no verdict because the judge was no judge,” said the lawyers.
Dallas attorney Stuart Blaugrund said, “This is about the integrity of our entire criminal-justice system being called into question and being at stake.”
Fellow lawyer Marc Stanley added, “This is about right and wrong, and the importance of the rule of law and understanding what happens to our society when the rule of law isn’t followed. It could have been Lee Harvey Oswald, and if the judge was saying, ‘We’re gonna get this guy and not give him a fair trial,’ I am going to stand up for Lee Harvey Oswald getting a fair trial.
“If a judge doesn’t like who you are or what your religion is or your skin color, you don’t have a fair judge. It’s just fundamental. It’s not hard.”
