A bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers stopped the execution of Robert Roberson last week, drawing criticism from Attorney General Ken Paxton. The lawmakers issued a subpoena to have Roberson testify at a legislative hearing, leading to a temporary reprieve from the Texas Supreme Court. Paxton argued that Roberson deserved to be executed for brutally murdering his two-year-old daughter in 2002, despite claims that he was wrongfully convicted based on “shaken baby syndrome” evidence. The attorney general’s office alleged that Roberson had a history of abusing his daughter and included evidence of impact wounds in the autopsy report. However, Roberson’s legal team and members of the House committee disputed these claims, stating that new scientific evidence suggested other possible causes for the symptoms associated with violent shaking. Witness accounts, such as an unreliable jailhouse informant, were also called into question, with the lead detective in the case believing Roberson is innocent. The strong public statement from Paxton, along with the response from the House committee and Roberson’s legal team, highlighted the complex and controversial nature of the case. Ultimately, the ongoing legal and legislative battle has brought attention to the evolving science behind shaken baby diagnoses and the potential for wrongful convictions based on outdated evidence.
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Conflict Arises Between Texas Attorney General and State Legislators Regarding Death Row Inmate in ‘Shaken Baby’ Case
