AUSTIN, Texas — The office of Texas attorney general Ken Paxton has filed a new motion attempting to block Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson from testifying at the state capitol on Friday.
Paxton’s office filed the motion Thursday night, requesting a protective order that would prevent Roberson from testifying. The filing of the motion now makes the possibility of Roberson’s testimony in front of state legislators uncertain.
Roberson has been on death row for more than 20 years, after being convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter Nikki back in 2002. Prosecutors argued that Nikki died from Shaken Baby Syndrome, while Roberson’s attorneys have since argued that his conviction was based on “junk science,” and should be reconsidered.
Roberson was initially scheduled to be executed in October, but for a number of weeks the Texas House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence has been trying to hear testimony from Roberson.
After the first subpoena was issued, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that a subpoena issued by a Texas House Committee could not interfere with a lawfully ordered execution. Lawmakers issued a second subpoena for Roberson on Dec. 18, after Texas House members claimed that Paxton’s office stalled previous efforts to secure Roberson’s in-person testimony.