Even as it raises the question of whether Craig Watkins and his Conviction Integrity Unit is more about publicity than justice, the Wall Street Journal is adding to the Dallas D.A.'s high profile.
In a story called "The Exonerator" and a subsequent post in the Journal's law blog, Watkins' motives are called into question.
Other prosecutors wonder if Watkins' frequent profiles in national publications, and appearances on shows like "60 Minutes" undermine their work as it raises his profile. But Watkins makes a pretty good argument in his defense.
According to the Journal article: "He points to his overall record, which is similar to his predecessor's. According to court data, 61% of capital-murder cases his office has handled so far have resulted in convictions; the previous district attorney, Bill Hill, got convictions in 55% of capital-murder cases during a comparable period of time. Mr. Watkins has convicted 48% of murder cases and 34% of sexual-assault cases involving an adult, compared to 48% and 31%, respectively, for Mr. Hill."
Click on the links above to judge for yourself.
