Texas Death Row Inmate Gets New Hearing Over Execution Date

(KNUE-FM) An East Texas death row inmate will soon have a new hearing over a potential execution date. Robert Robertson has been claiming his innocence for nearly two decades with his lawyer backing him up, saying the evidence which he and his lawyer call ‘junk science’ — the Shaken Baby Syndrome diagnosis — as the reason for his conviction.

The Original Execution Date Has Passed

According to CBS 19, Roberson was originally set for execution on Thursday, October 17, 2024. This was due to the 2003 death of his then 2-year-old daughter Nikki Curtis in Anderson County, Texas.

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When Will the New Hearing Take Place?

Judge Austin Reeve Jackson is the 114th District Court judge in Smith County and was assigned the case by a request made by the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office. The hearing regarding a new execution date is set for 10:00 a.m. on July 16th in Anderson County.

Robertson and his lawyer oppose setting a new execution date being set as they maintain he is an innocent man.

His team says that his conviction was based on the now-debunked “Shaken Baby Syndrome” theory, and that his daughter was also chronically ill. They say the child died due to severe pneumonia and related medical conditions, which were worse with medications and a fall from a bed.

There will be lots of people who are interested in seeing how this court case continues to develop. We will be sure to pass along the latest details once new information is released to the public.