Craig Watkins, Dallas County's first Black district attorney, has died.
Watkins, 56, was elected as district attorney in Dallas County in 2006. He was a long-shot candidate elected at a time when Republicans had dominated local politics — and many Democrats decided to sit out the election.
Dallas County — and especially the district attorney's office — long had a reputation for being tough on crime. Success often was measured in conviction rates and the lengths of prison sentences. Watkins' message to voters was a departure from that. He talked about the underlying issues that led to criminal behavior and advocated rehabilitation programs.
He earned a national reputation by making good on his promises to free wrongfully convicted prisoners, relying heavily on DNA evidence. Not long after he was elected, Watkins created a conviction integrity unit that focused on identifying defendants unjustly sent to prison. The unit was credited for helping to free nearly three dozen wrongfully convicted people.
“I am saddened to learn of the passing of my former colleague Craig Watkins," said John Creuzot, Dallas County's current district attorney. "Craig was bright and ambitious and for his life to end so prematurely is a tragedy, however, he leaves behind a powerful legacy."
Creuzot said in a statement Tuesday evening that Watkins' “fierce focus on the prosecution of child abuse cases and his creation of the first Conviction Integrity Unit in the nation are testaments to his vision and ability to effect change."
But Watkins' reputation also took some hits because of several controversies during his tenure.
Watkins was accused of trying to shut down an investigation by a former FBI agent hired by county commissioners to look into complaints against two constables. That was after commissioners had criticized what they saw as his reluctance to look into the charges against the constables.
One constable ultimately was convicted on an organized crime charge for holding an illegal raffle and got a two-year probated sentence. The other, accused of tampering with a government record, agreed to one year of deferred adjudication probation.
Watkins also had his law license suspended for failing to pay his state bar dues. And his office saw an exodus of experienced attorneys and he frequently feuded with county commissioners.
During a particularly rancorous time, the DA's public integrity unit began an investigation into a vegetable and butterfly garden that onetime County Commissioner Maurine Dickey had put together at her road and bridge district headquarters. Nothing came of it.
Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price said he found out mid-morning that Watkins had died but didn't believe it until Watkins' mother confirmed the news.
"At the end of the day, the scales of justice were better because of Craig Watkins and the team he assembled," Price said. "...What I call restorative justice — that'll always be his legacy regardless of anything else."
Watkins was a Dallas native who earned his law degree at Texas Wesleyan University. When he ran for DA, his legal experience was primarily working briefly as a public defender and having a storefront legal practice.
Watkins was reelected once but then lost to his Republican opponent in 2014 and returned to private practice.
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