Verla Sue Holland: Judge-Lawyer Romance Scandal

Verla Sue Holland, a Texas judge, sentenced Charles Dean Hood to be executed after he was convicted of a double homicide in 1990. Hood was scheduled to be executed this week but has since received a stay of execution since rumors have surfaced that Verla Sue Holland was having a romantic affair with the case's prosecuting attorney during the time of the trial.

Charles Dean Hood has filed an appeal saying that, because of the relationship between Verla Sue Holland and prosecuting attorney Thomas O'Connell, his "rights to an impartial judge and a fair trial were violated." Twenty-two judges across the country echoed that his case needs to be examined and possibly retried in letters they sent to Texas Governor Rick Perry. 

Both Verla Sue Holland and Thomas O'Connell were questioned under oath this week about their relationship. On September 12, there will be a hearing about how Charles Dean Hood's case will be affected by the Holland-O'Connell scandal and if a retrial will be needed.

Sources: AFP, Post Chronicle

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Rate It:

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5