Craig Watkins

Craig Watkins' Contempt Battle a Silly Distraction in Scary Times

I'm scared. One, I'm scared because of what's going on in Kaufman County. Two, I'm even more scared because of what's going on here, which seems to be one big stupid-fest. You will remember, perhaps, that Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins brought criminal charges last year against Al H ... More >>

By Holding Craig Watkins in Contempt, Judge Lena Levario Shows She's a Good Democrat. Some Dallas Democrats May Disagree.

So who is this Democrat judge, Lena Levario, who not only stands up to Democratic Party golden boy Craig Watkins, our embattled district attorney, but holds him in contempt of court? Does she not understand the most basic tenet of Dallas County Democratic Party philosophy -- that Dr. King died so th ... More >>

Judge Dismisses Charges against Al Hill III after Craig Watkins Refuses to Answer Questions

Update, 3:52 p.m.: The Dallas Morning News' Jennifer Emily tweets that the case against Hill has been dismissed. Judge Levario cited Watkins' refusal to testify as part of her basis for dismissal. Original post: Craig Watkins wasn't sick today, and contrary to the inexplicably wrong tweets from o ... More >>

Dallas Police Announce Arrest of Craig Watkins' Nephew, Then Realize it Wasn't Watkins' Nephew

We were going to take a pass on this one. We were going to ignore the press release Dallas police sent at 12:39 p.m. informing every media outlet in town that Thomas Lee Watkins III, the 20-year-old nephew of Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins, had been arrested for allegedly shoplifting ... More >>

Federal Judge Finds No Proof of Misconduct by Craig Watkins, but that Won't Help Him in State Court

The District Attorney's office very excitedly announced today that a federal judge found no merit in Al Hill III's allegations of misconduct against Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins. The allegations stem from a dispute Hill had concerning legal fees he owed his former attorney Lisa Blue, a pr ... More >>

Craig Watkins Thumbs Nose at a Court Order, Unveils New Theory of White People Law

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins started out with one question to answer. Now that he has defied a subpoena, he's got at least a couple more. Last week Watkins was ordered to appear in the court of state District Judge Lena Levario to answer an accusation that he brought criminal charg ... More >>

Citibank Drops Suit Against DA Craig Watkins, Who Will Agree Not to Sue Them Either

Last week was a bit embarrassing for Craig Watkins as his personal debt to Citibank became a public matter when The Dallas Morning News reported that he owed more than $15,000 in credit card bills, the latest in a history of financial whoopsies. The district attorney explained to Unfair Park that he ... More >>

Beyond DNA, Difficult Tests for the Justice System

Freeing the wrongfully convicted through science was the easy part. Now what?

Craig Watkins Explains How He Got So Broke

​On Christmas, The Dallas Morning News gifted Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins with a big fat lump of coal in article form, detailing a lawsuit filed against him by Citibank that alleges he owes more than $15,000 on his credit card plus interest. The article, supplemented this mo ... More >>

In Dallas and Across Texas, More and More It's Life Over the Death Penalty

Via....not seeing a whole lot of action.​In the death penalty debate, Texas has a long-standing reputation for abiding by one guiding principal: an eye for an eye. But the state has increasingly chosen to holster its lethal-injection needles in recent years, with death-penalty sentences decrea ... More >>

DA Watkins Says He'll Get a Law Firm to Collect That $35 Million in Missing Bail Bond Money

​No doubt you, the well-informed and engaged Friend of Unfair Park, are well aware that Dallas County's missing around, oh, $35 million that some bail bondsmen somehow forget to turn over to the county when their clients fail to show up for court. The Dallas Morning News had the story over the wee ... More >>

This Just In: Dallas County DA Craig Watkins Names Heath Harris As His New No. 2

Heath Harris​Less than a month ago, the Dallas County District Attorney's Office dropped a small bomb shell amongst those who follow courthouse doings: Terri Moore, Craig Watkins's first assistant, and Mike Ware, head of the Conviction Integrity Unit, would be stepping down July 1. At which point, ... More >>

Open Records Now Less Open at Elections Department Thanks to District Attorney's Office

Photo by Sam MertenIf you want copies of Craig Watkins's campaign finance reports, make sure you ask him first.​When we stopped by the Elections Department Friday afternoon to speak with newly appointed Elections Administrator Toni Pippens-Poole, something odd happened. As we've done numerous ... More >>

Generalissimo Craig Watkins: Thin-Skinned, Perfect and Nuts

​On January 13, I wrote a column for the paper about Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins and how thin-skinned and paranoid he seems to be getting. Two days after my column came out Watkins issued a new policy directive to his entire staff telling them they are no longer allowed to t ... More >>

Despite District Attorney Craig Watkins getting re-elected in 2010, he had a really bad year.

Craig Watkins's Legislative Wish List

​On the other side is a lengthy missive we just received from the Dallas County District Attorney's Office in which Craig Watkins outlines his to-do list for the new Legislative session. But you can probably guess what's top-of-the-pops with a D.A. seeking criminal system reforms: eyewitness ident ... More >>

Prosecutor Says Craig Watkins Fired Him Because He Partied With GOP on Election Night

Tom Nowak​Much like other media outlets, we've been following the courthouse rumors of two prosecutors fired on Friday by First Assistant District Attorney Terri Moore as payback for attending the Election Day shindig at Hotel Palomar hosted by the Dallas County Republican Party. But until one ... More >>

To Unclog the Backlog, Craig Watkins Joins In Fight Against Rape Kit Insanity With SANE

From Human Rights Watch, when it called upon Congress to Eliminate the Rape Kit Backlog of more than 400,000 untested kits in forensic storage​Craig Watkins and Co. would like to remind you, as polls open in the thus-far highly contentious Dallas County District Attorney race, that Craig Watkins ... More >>

A Week Before the Election, We Present: Watkins vs. Clancy! And: Ewing vs. Neerman!

Sam MertenDarlene Ewing talks to a scattered assortment of media gathered at Dallas County Democratic Party headquarters late yesterday afternoon.​Dallas County Democratic Party chair Darlene Ewing said she's accustomed to dealing with typical political gamesmanship during campaign season like ... More >>

Craig Watkins's Campaign Says Danny Clancy's TV Ads Are Misleading Voters By Claiming Watkins Hasn't Prosecuted a Case as DA

If you've seen Republican Danny Clancy's latest political ad above or his first one, you know what he views as District Attorney Craig Watkins's biggest wart: never prosecuting a felony case. But that's not true, according to Kurt Watkins, Craig's cousin and campaign manager. In fact, Craig exami ... More >>

While We're on the Subject of Dallas County District Attorney's Race, Let's Look at Watkins', Clancy's Campaign Finance Reports

Sam MertenCraig Watkins​Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins outraised Republican challenger Danny Clancy by more than $50,000 during the latest three-month fund-raising period, while Clancy outspent his Democratic counterpart by more than $20,000, according to campaign finance report ... More >>

In Heated DA's Debate, Craig Watkins Accuses Danny Clancy of Lacking Brain and Backbone

Photos by Sam MertenCraig Watkins​Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins and Republican challenger Danny Clancy stared each other down and traded barbs this afternoon at the Belo Mansion during their first debate, and tensions peaked when Watkins was asked what three issues the two cand ... More >>

Spokesman Takes Blame For Claiming DA Craig Watkins "Helped Free 20 Wrongly Convicted Prisoners" in Campaign E-Mail

Sam MertenDoes it matter how many folks Watkins exonerated? When it's the cornerstone of a campaign, you betcha.​While it's well-known that Dallas County leads the country with a whopping 22 exonerations since 2001 -- 20 of which resulted from the preservation of DNA evidence -- there's been s ... More >>

AG's Office Says DA Watkins Must Hand Over Appointment Schedule to GOP Chair Neerman

Sam MertenCraig Watkins​Two months ago to the day, we told you about Dallas County Republican Party chair Jonathan Neerman's public information request for the calendar of Democratic Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins dating back to his first day in office -- January 1, 2007. Seeme ... More >>

Sweatin' It Out With the Justice League!

Photos by Sam MertenState Senator Royce West and county judge candidate Clay Jenkins help pump up the crowd as District Attorney Craig Watkins grabs the mic Saturday afternoon.​This, in case you have not heard, is the "Summer of Justice." Which, as far as summers-of goes, ranks somewhere in betwee ... More >>

Craig Watkins Just Can't Seem to Please Anybody.

County Commish Maurine Dickey's Campaign Report Long on Smoke, Short on Fire.

Craig Watkins Doesn't Want Anyone to Know Where He's Been, And He's Asking the Attorney General to Make Sure He Doesn't Have to Tell

Sam MertenCraig Watkins​In an attempt to keep Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins's schedule private, his office has asked for an opinion from the Texas attorney general regarding a public records request for Watkins's calendar dating to his first day in office. In a May 6 letter to Atto ... More >>

AG Investigating Communication Between Watkins, Constables and Tow Company

OAGTexas Attorney General Greg Abbott​While District Attorney Craig Watkins has rejected two offers by the Office of the Attorney General to assist in a criminal investigation of the constables, the OAG is conducting an ongoing civil investigation of Dowdy Ferry Auto Services, according to an ... More >>

Craig Watkins Won't Always Talk to the Media. But He'll Talk About the Media.

Craig Watkins speaking at SMU on Wednesday​Speaking of Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins ...This week, SMU hosted a Media and Human Rights Symposium that featured among its guests Watkins, a few profs and even a noted Oscar-winning filmmaker. Watkins delivered his presentation on Wedne ... More >>

Belo Attempts to Break News One Week Late; Lawyer Cites "Cloud of Suspicion" Surrounding West-Watkins Relationship

If the story about DA Craig Watkins refusing a second attempt by the OAG to help investigate the constables was news, that's news to us.​For those who didn't read our cover story last week, the Office of the Attorney General made a second attempt on February 23 to lend a helping hand to Distri ... More >>

GOP Chair Jonathan Neerman Suggests Judicial Candidates May Be Hiding Use of Tanya Watkins as Consultant

David Kelton​While combing through the recent campaign finance reports filings due Friday, we took notice of the one turned in by former Republican Judge David Kelton, who lost his robe in 2006 to Carlos Cortez, switched parties and is now battling Dale Tillery and Baltasar Cruz in the Democra ... More >>

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins Thinks He Did a Pretty Good Job in 2009

Brian HarkinDallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins​It's always a good idea 'round this time of the year to make a list of accomplishments, if only to figure out what you need to get done in the coming year. So happens, of course, that Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins needs to g ... More >>

No, You Do It: The GOP Finds Yet Another Candidate Willing to Run for D.A.

GOP Chair Jonathan Neerman Says DA Craig Watkins is Trying to "Start a War" By Sending E-Mail Claiming He Attacked His Family

​Nearly three months after he told us that Tanya Watkins -- the wife of District Attorney Craig Watkins -- working as a campaign consultant for judicial candidates posed an "ethical dilemma" for the couple and presented "the potential appearance of impropriety," Dallas County Republican Party ... More >>

No Love Lost Letters: An Inside Peek at the Battle Over the District Attorney's Budget

Brandon ThibodeauxDallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price​At 7 tonight, Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins will speak to an audience at Irving City Hall about the county's budget cuts -- specifically, those cuts affecting his office. He has invited Dallas County Commissioner Kenneth ... More >>

Craig Watkins Is Ready for His Close-Up

I winced when asked to screen an advance copy of Dallas DNA, Investigation Discovery's new six-part series that adds to the growing legend that is Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins. It took Henry Wade decades in office to achieve legendary notoriety, but with the global media fawning ove ... More >>

Craig Watkins on Death Penalty: No, But With a Yessy Aftertaste

Craig Watkins and the "Holistic Approach" to Reducing Crime

Think, Goddamnit!

Screw This

Politics are boring, let's talk about sex

That's So Craig Watkins!

Will Wonders Never Cease

The new DA is nice. That can't last.

Is Craig Watkins from Kazakhstan?

Watkins: "I Enjoy Manipulating the Government." Oh, Really?

Watkins: Not Entirely Shook Up?

Matt Pulle's Crystal Ball

Craig's List

Debtors like Craig Watkins used to end up in jail. Now they run for district attorney.

Throw The Shook at 'Em

Coloring Book

What color will the district attorney be, and who gives a rat's rear end?