Texas judge's death-row appeal testimony to resume

[August 19, 2009]  SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A Texas judge criticized for closing her court with a condemned man's last appeal in the works is set to resume testifying at her ethics trial.

Judge Sharon Keller is telling her side of the story for the first time nearly two years after Michael Wayne Richard (ruh-SHARD') was executed.

She'll continue testifying Wednesday. She was first called Tuesday to answer questions about refusing to keep the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals open past 5 p.m. when Richard's lawyers asked for more time to file their rushed appeal on Sept. 25, 2007.

Keller says the move wasn't a ruling on the merits of the request.

She says she received a call shortly before court closed about an appeal running late and that she knew it concerned the execution but that no explanation was given.

[Associated Press]

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