Death penalty reversed in case in which the judge and prosecutor were dating

Back in September 2009, I commented on the news that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals — the state’s supreme court on criminal matters — ruled that a man facing the death penalty would not get a new trial despite the fact that the prosecutor and the judge were involved in a romantic affair during the trial. See here.

The Associated Press is now reporting that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has reversed itself and has ruled that the death sentence should be overturned and the defendant is entitled to an new sentencing phase.

Interestingly, though, the decision makes no mention of the affair between the judge and prosecutor. Go here for the AP story.