A Dallas County district court judge expressed frustration over the ongoing delays in bringing Randy Halprin, a former death row inmate associated with the “Texas 7,” back to trial.
Judge Lela Lawrence Mays is working to reschedule the trial for Halprin, whose execution was halted over five years ago. Halprin’s conviction for his involvement in the 2000 killing of an Irving police officer was overturned in 2024. The legal process to initiate a new trial has been lengthy. The district attorney’s request to be removed from the case was denied. Additionally, the district attorney attempted to disqualify a defense attorney, an issue that remains unresolved, along with the timing of the new trial.
Halprin appeared in court in a blue suit, not a jail jumpsuit, for a hearing intended to schedule jury selection and his retrial. A member of the Texas Seven, Halprin was sentenced to death for his role in the 2000 murder of Officer Aubrey Hawkins. His execution was halted in 2019 due to biased comments by the initial trial judge.
The conviction was later overturned, adding more complications to the case.
“I had no idea that the sharing of discovery had been delayed, paused, and I will say this again to the state: You cannot delay this trial, you cannot delay,” said Judge Lela Lawrence Mays.
Judge Mays made these comments upon learning the state stopped providing discovery to the defense for four months.
“This is not an intentional delay of the trial. We had filed a mandamus for the disqualification of Heath. We asked for a stay. We believed the stay was in place, so we did not continue giving over the discovery,” said Lauren Black, Assistant District Attorney of Dallas County.