DALLAS COUNTY (WBAP/KLIF News ) – A former Dallas County District Attorney who is considered a trailblazer in his quest to free wrongfully imprisoned inmates has died.
Craig Watkins passed away Tuesday morning at his Dallas home.
Watkins became the first black Dallas County DA after winning the office in 2006. He served in the position from 2007 to 2015.
During his term, Watkins began using DNA evidence to look into the old cases of people who had been wrongfully imprisoned.
He was the first DA in the country to establish a Conviction Integrity Unit which helped exonerate dozens of wrongfully convicted inmate in Dallas County.
Though his office was not without controversy, there was an FBI probe into allegations of prosecutorial misconduct in 2015, Watkins is widely remembered for his exoneration work.
He was defeated by Republican Susan Hawk in 2015.
Watkins returned to private practice after leaving office.
His cause of death has not been provided. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
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