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Nov 8, 2006 6:00 pm US/Central
Watkins Elected New Dallas Co. District Attorney
by Steve Pickett
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Republican rule in Dallas County is over. From judges to county government leadership, voters supported Democratic candidates across the table on Tuesday night.
One of the biggest upsets of the night belonged to Craig Watkins, who will now become the first African American to lead the Dallas County District Attorney's office after he defeated prosecutor Toby Shook.
Watkins has spent plenty of time in Dallas courtrooms. He's been a defense attorney for years. A Dallas native, Watkins has a law firm sitting in one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. Now, the kid from Oak Cliff has an important job to fill.
"We'll be tough on crime," he said, "but smart on crime."
Watkins says that his leadership of the office will have two missions. "As your D.A., not only am I responsible for prosecuting those bad guys," he said, "I'm responsible for making sure if someone is innocent coming down to the courthouse. We're not going to be putting them in jail for a crime they didn't commit."
Watkins believes the Dallas District Attorney's office has put more focus on criminal convictions versus an ethical conviction for justice and fairness. He points to the fake drug scandal of 2002 and the recent release of Larry Fuller, a man sent to prison for a crime he never committed, as recent examples.
During his campaign, Watkins has had to defend himself against accusations that he's bad with business, and that he owes money to the IRS and other debts. He responded by saying, "This election is a referendum on the problems in Dallas County, nothing to do with the dispute I have with the IRS, so let's just leave it at that."
The Dallas County voters have spoken. The kid from Oak Cliff, the lawyer who once criticized the District Attorney's office, will now lead it.
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