A highly anticipated legislative hearing began Monday but without its key witness: a Texas inmate whose execution for his daughter's "shaken baby" death was narrowly averted last week. Robert Roberson was expected to appear before the Texas House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence in Austin after members issued a subpoena on Wednesday for him to testify about his case, which set off a flurry of litigation that ultimately halted his execution late Thursday with only hours to spare. But Committee Chairman Rep.
Joe Moody said that he was not comfortable with the state's offer of having Roberson appear via a video link instead of in person, given the inmate's autism and unfamiliarity with the technology. "When I thought about the accommodations to be made, I considered his needs as a person with a disability above all other things," Moody said. The circumstance of his planned testimony remains under negotiations amid the legal wrangling, and Moody added that he wants all of the stakeholders "to come together in our purpose here, which is making sure Robert is heard.
" The unprecedented attempt by Roberson's defense team to have him transported from his prison near Houston to the capital was caught up in a legal battle after the state Office of the Attorney General challenged the move in an emergency filing over the weekend with the Texas Supreme Court. The high court, however, said Sunday it would not rule on the manner in which Roberson must testify. The attorney general's offic.
