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.”