Charles Dean Hood was condemned to die in 1990 after being convicted of a double murder in Texas. Just prior to the execution in 2008, it was revealed that the judge (Verla Sue Holland) in the case was "romantically involved" with the prosecutor who argued the case. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, composed of several judges who had served with Holland, saw no problem with the illicit sexual trysts that occurred before, during, and after the trial. Now the U.S. Supreme Court will consider the merits of ordering a new trial.
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You can't make this stuff up, even in Texas. But this case, and others like it, shows how capital punishment corrupts prosecutors and judges.
Update...
The Texas Court of Criminal appeals ordered a new punishment hearing for Hood. The issue of sexual relations between the presiding judge and the prosecutor was not mentioned.
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